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Notes
from Focus Workshop for April
24, 2006, I.
Purpose The
meeting was advertised with flyers designed by committee member Holly
Aquino and posted by The
meeting was held to collect allow community members to discuss
waterfront priorities in depth and to make recommendations to their
residents committee and town officials.
There
were 15 people in attendance at the meeting, which began at 6pm and
ended before 8pm. They
included: Bob Hockert,
Alicia Armstrong, Holly Aquino, Judi Gould, Gary and Alison Follos, Each
group read through a 1.5 page factsheet and question list (attached)
regarding their topic. These
factsheets were summarized by Garrett Dague of Essex Cty Planning from
the LWRP Inventory draft report, and provided an overview of findings on
each of the three topics, and thought-provoking questions that the
groups could address. Then
they discussed the is Following
are details from each small group’s discussion.
II.
Hamlet Revitalization: Participants: Wendy Preston,
Alicia Armstrong (Mountainbrook Lodge), Bob Hockert, Facilitator:
Judi Gould The
group discussed the information provided in the Hamlet Revitalization
Inventory. Items given
particular attention included: 1.
Discussion of Funding
Sources – The Adirondack Community Trust (ACT) was discussed.
We need guidance from them in how to encourage residents to endow
money to the benefit of the town and more information on the trust in
general. 2.
How to “plant seeds” with the proper people regarding funding
sources - ·
Require a thorough plan of
what is needed, etc. Before soliciting funds or help from people, need
to prepare extensively. ·
Is the Town Newsletter
sent to Legislators? Local
Banks? ACT? ACO Real Estate? – If not, prepare a distribution list and
add them to the current list. ·
Are local legislators on
the LWRP information list? If
not, add them. Keep them
updated on our progress. ·
Prepare power point
presentation of where we are, where we need to go and how can we get
there. 3.
The current Empire Zone has not been
funded as yet. Jeanne will
keep us informed of the progress. 4.
What is a 485(b) program? – Jeanne said
this is a program for businesses that encourage improvements to the
buildings and in turn tax advantages are afforded.
Bob Hockert will find out about this program. 5.
Scenic Byway – Are there maps, etc.
available? What advantages
are there to the Town? Grants
available? 6.
Work closely with the Visitors Bureau to
accomplish many of the is ·
Improving Community Appearance – Codes
need to be enforced, especially safety is ·
What happened to “Dump Day”? ·
Signs for Town
- The welcome signs in ·
Sign Ordinances were discussed –
Important to keep a consistency among town signage. ·
Adding Trees to Town – Are there grants
for this? Karen and Bob H.
commented that in the historic photos there are many more trees in the
heart of town than there are today. 7.
Discussion of Grant Availability – Where
can we find a list of all grants available?
Jeanne mentioned the 8.
Karen mentioned the Historical Society is
developing walking and bike/car tours of the town.
Historical Tourism should not be overlooked.
She also discussed the possibility of installing historical
plaques in town. 9.
Is there help available from prison
inmates? We know they help
in cleaning up. Can we
“contract” them to do certain services such as making signs or
whatever else they may be able to do? 10.
Is
there a littering ordinance? If
so, how is it enforced? 11.
There
was discussion on creating a Waterfront Focus District as part of the
LWRP. We need to follow-up
with Andy LaBruzzo on what this would mean for the Town. 12.
Wendy
suggested referring to the work the Beautification Committee did in
2001-2002. Many of these is 13.
Jeanne
talked about the impact the APA has on development.
She mentioned there have been several potential buyers for the
property next to The Ledgerock; however, the APA would not approve
proposed use plans. 14.
Jeanne
encouraged us to envision what is the ideal town and brainstorm those
ideas. Overall,
the group agreed that We
also realize that most of the is III.
Public Access: Who:
Bethany, Alison, Dave, We
discussed all kinds of possibilities including: 1)
A river walk starting on the West side of the Route 86 bridge in the
center of town extending up stream past the town beach with a foot
bridge to the east shore and then back to the Route 86 Bridge in the
center of town. After much
discussion, it was decided that this was not feasible on many fronts.
Number one being the expenditure necessary to complete this
project, number two was the is 2)
Improvement and expansion of the 3)
The majority of our conversations centered on the improvement, expansion
and promotion of the existing trails along the river on the west side of
the Route 86 bridge at the flume. Also
the is While
we did not make any hard decisions, it was felt by everyone that the
easiest to accomplish and the most visible would be the flume area
around the Route 86 bridge. IV.
Who:
John L., Gary, Holly, Jeanne BENEFITS
OF THE Scenic
Vistas Playground Swimming
/ Beach Place
for summer concerts & other town events Birding Picnicking Fishing
(bait fishing as well as fly fishing) Handicap
Fishing Access Boat
Launch Paddling XC
skiing Snapping
turtle haven PROBLEMS Top
3 most important is 1.
Shallow depth – need to dredge 2.
Need a comprehensive storm water management plan 3.
Address the problem of reduction of available lake frontage (such as cat
tails overtaking edges of the river) Other
problems (recommendations for improvements): -
Poor signage -
Need nature trails -
Enhancements needed on what is already at the beach area -
Address any impacts on private property surrounding the lake -
If depth level of lake is increased, devise rules about motorized access
(for example, allow electric trolling motors, but nothing else) -
Research the snapping turtle habit and perhaps create a sanctuary for
them (ask DEC if they have any information on this) V.
Factsheets: Factsheet
A: April
14, 2006 Points
to consider: ·
The Town of ·
All of the water resources
listed above hold an important place in the quality of life of ·
In addition to the beach,
public access is available at the Wilmington Wild Forest Flume trail,
through a State-owned easement on a fishing trail off ·
Because the hamlet’s
economic well-being is so closely tied to its scenic beauty, exemplified
by the view south from the bridge, it might be prudent to establish a
Waterfront Focus District in future zoning initiatives, which could be
supported through the LWRP project planning process.
This district would allow for guidelines encouraging
community-oriented development such as pedestrian access and
connections, historic character preservation and restoration,
water-oriented connections, etc. ·
Where private ownership
dominates along the waterfront, the challenge is to obtain easements for
public access (e.g. riverside trails for hiking, skiing, fishing, road
bikes, etc.) or other projects. ·
Many of the campgrounds
and campsites in the Town provide public access to the river.
·
The Town
of Wilmington Community Revitalization Plan, completed in 2001,
identified several community revitalization goals for the Town,
including: 1.
Pursue
public and private investment and incentive programs that support the
community’s desire to become a year-round outdoor recreation
destination. ·
Hold a community
open-house for public officials, banks, and private investors to
familiarize them with the community and its needs and visions ·
Lobby state
representatives for financial support ·
Develop a loan pool
focused on Wilmington using the Small Cities CDBG program ·
Solicit venture capital
investment to upgrade facilities ·
In conjunction with the
Essex Co. IDA, obtain public and private investment through loan
programs that partner with banks and other funding ·
Pursue the adoption of
485(b) as an incentive for improvements to existing commercial
properties ·
Seek public funding as an
incentive for private investment in commercial development ·
Pursue public funding for
the infrastructure necessary to support commercial and resort
development ·
Compile information about
the Whiteface region visitor market to attract private investors to the
area ·
Utilize NYS Empire Zone
program for tourism related facilities ·
Work with the Adirondack
North Country Association , as part of the corridor management plan for
the Olympic Trail Scenic Byway, to identify potential recreational,
tourism, and economic development projects along the corridor and seek
scenic byway funding 2.
Improve the community’s
visual appearance ·
Install plantings along
Rt. 86, especially leading to the beach road ·
Add trees to line roads
and other forms of vegetation to improve visual appearance ·
Develop tasteful welcoming
signs at the entrances to the Town from Lake Placid and Jay ·
Install planter boxes and
benches ·
Have a garbage clean-up
and free dump day and/or pick-up ·
Clean-up the end of
Whiteface Mt. Memorial Highway ·
Develop a plan for
abandoned buildings, especially at Fox Farm Rd. corner ·
Make building supplies,
paint and landscaping materials available at a discount ·
Provide incentives for
repair/removal of dilapidated buildings 3.
Work to enhance
Wilmington’s local tourism industry by providing the facilities
demanded in today’s travel market ·
Attract investors ·
Develop upscale
accommodations, with amenities such as kitchens, and hot tubs, in a Lake
Placid Lodge/Adirondack style ·
Improve town
infrastructure ·
Promote an identity for
the Town based on fly fishing, mountain biking ·
Attract an outdoor
equipment supplier with rentals of fishing gear, bikes, canoes, skis,
snowshoes, etc. ·
Develop a shuttle bus
service ·
Improve the beach and add
nature and bike trails ·
Bring in additional shops
– clothing, books and magazines, coffee shop, donut shop ·
Provide financial and/or
tax incentives for desired types of development 4.
Plan, design and develop a
town center that offers a focal point for the community with
opportunities for shopping and passive recreation ·
Revisit/resurrect the 1985
town center drawings in the community center and obtain grant money to
hire a professional planner ·
Establish a theme for
continuity ·
Attract businesses for
town center: bank, pharmacy, hardware store, laundry, bakery,
restaurants, theater, health clinic, liquor store, grocer, coffee shop,
gift shop, bike shop ·
Establish a riverwalk ·
Construct public restrooms ·
Work with the tourism
bureaus and existing attractions to encourage them to come to Wilmington ·
Consider relocating the
town center to Whiteface Mt. base vicinity 5.
Establish annual special
events and festivals around target markets (e.g. downhill skiing,
mountain biking, fly fishing) to attract visitors to Wilmington 6.
Develop and promote
Wilmington as the premier fly fishing destination in the Northeast 7.
Work with the Adirondack
Park Mountain Biking Initiative to make Wilmington a mountain and road
biking vacation destination Discussion
Questions: ·
What do you think are the
most important benefits of Wilmington’s waterfront area, to local
residents and visitors? Why?
·
Are these benefits part
the community’s quality of life? Or
are they economic? social?
Other? How would you
describe them? ·
What do you think are the
most important problems to work on related to public access to the
waterfront? Is it fishing
trails? walking
or biking trails? protection
of natural resources? water
quality? views?
beach area? restroom
facilities? music
facilities? sedimentation
issues? Other?
Pick three. Why are
these the most important? ·
What local assets can be
used to work on these problems? If
the Town doesn’t have funding, should they write grants to get money?
Are there other financial resources here we can draw on?
Can visitors contribute somehow?
Are there volunteer groups that could help with parts of the
work? Which ones?
Are there professionals or craftspeople in town that might be
asked to donate their services? Which
ones? ·
Discuss the 2001 Plan
items listed above and validate their importance and pertinence to the
environment in Wilmington today. Factsheet
B: Wilmington LWRP
Inventory- Hamlet Revitalization April
14, 2006 Points
to consider: ·
Use of Wilmington’s
42,086 acres is guided by the Town Land Use Code of 1988, and consists
of six categories: village
center, residential, moderate residential, open residential, rural
residential, and state. For the hamlet area, the zoning is as follows: Village center: 1
acre per principal building. This
zone follows the Rte. 86 road corridor from approximately 4000 feet past
Fox Farm Road to Bilhuber Road, to just past Reservoir Road on Rte 431,
and down both sides of Springfield Road to Quaker Mountain Road, then
only on the eastern side of Springfield almost 4000 feet further.
The majority of commercial properties lie within this zone and
most of those depend to a degree on waterfront activity for their
livelihood. Cultural
resources, including churches, a library, a crafts store, and two small
private schools exist in this zone.
Few pedestrian-friendly accommodations exist as of yet, although
the potential is high to create a pedestrian zone and stronger
community-oriented presentation in the village center. The Town is currently planning to update its land use code and zoning
regulations. Because the hamlet’s economic well-being is so closely
tied to its scenic beauty, exemplified by the view south from the
bridge, it might be prudent to establish a Waterfront Focus District in
future zoning initiatives, which could be supported through the LWRP
project planning process. This
district would allow for guidelines encouraging community-oriented
development such as pedestrian access and connections, historic
character preservation and restoration, water-oriented connections, etc.
·
Wilmington
recently revised its subdivision regulations that guide division of land
into two lots or more and new developments of four lots or more in the
direction of conformance with the Town Land Use Code and new erosion –
prevention practices. ·
The Town
of Wilmington Community Revitalization Plan, completed in 2001,
identified several community revitalization goals for the Town,
including: 8.
Pursue
public and private investment and incentive programs that support the
community’s desire to become a year-round outdoor recreation
destination. ·
Hold a community
open-house for public officials, banks, and private investors to
familiarize them with the community and its needs and visions ·
Lobby state
representatives for financial support ·
Develop a loan pool
focused on Wilmington using the Small Cities CDBG program ·
Solicit venture capital
investment to upgrade facilities ·
In conjunction with the
Essex Co. IDA, obtain public and private investment through loan
programs that partner with banks and other funding ·
Pursue the adoption of
485(b) as an incentive for improvements to existing commercial
properties ·
Seek public funding as an
incentive for private investment in commercial development ·
Pursue public funding for
the infrastructure necessary to support commercial and resort
development ·
Compile information about
the Whiteface region visitor market to attract private investors to the
area ·
Utilize NYS Empire Zone
program for tourism related facilities ·
Work with the Adirondack
North Country Association , as part of the corridor management plan for
the Olympic Trail Scenic Byway, to identify potential recreational,
tourism, and economic development projects along the corridor and seek
scenic byway funding 9.
Improve the community’s
visual appearance ·
Install plantings along
Rt. 86, especially leading to the beach road ·
Add trees to line roads
and other forms of vegetation to improve visual appearance ·
Develop tasteful welcoming
signs at the entrances to the Town from Lake Placid and Jay ·
Install planter boxes and
benches ·
Have a garbage clean-up
and free dump day and/or pick-up ·
Clean-up the end of
Whiteface Mt. Memorial Highway ·
Develop a plan for
abandoned buildings, especially at Fox Farm Rd. corner ·
Make building supplies,
paint and landscaping materials available at a discount ·
Provide incentives for
repair/removal of dilapidated buildings 10.
Work to enhance
Wilmington’s local tourism industry by providing the facilities
demanded in today’s travel market ·
Attract investors ·
Develop upscale
accommodations, with amenities such as kitchens, and hot tubs, in a Lake
Placid Lodge/Adirondack style ·
Improve town
infrastructure ·
Promote an identity for
the Town based on fly fishing, mountain biking ·
Attract an outdoor
equipment supplier with rentals of fishing gear, bikes, canoes, skis,
snowshoes, etc. ·
Develop a shuttle bus
service ·
Improve the beach and add
nature and bike trails ·
Bring in additional shops
– clothing, books and magazines, coffee shop, donut shop ·
Provide financial and/or
tax incentives for desired types of development 11.
Plan, design and develop a
town center that offers a focal point for the community with
opportunities for shopping and passive recreation ·
Revisit/resurrect the 1985
town center drawings in the community center and obtain grant money to
hire a professional planner ·
Establish a theme for
continuity ·
Attract businesses for
town center: bank, pharmacy, hardware store, laundry, bakery,
restaurants, theater, health clinic, liquor store, grocer, coffee shop,
gift shop, bike shop ·
Establish a riverwalk ·
Construct public restrooms ·
Work with the tourism
bureaus and existing attractions to encourage them to come to Wilmington ·
Consider relocating the
town center to Whiteface Mt. base vicinity 12.
Establish annual special
events and festivals around target markets (e.g. downhill skiing,
mountain biking, fly fishing) to attract visitors to Wilmington 13.
Develop and promote
Wilmington as the premier fly fishing destination in the Northeast 14.
Work with the Adirondack
Park Mountain Biking Initiative to make Wilmington a mountain and road
biking vacation destination Discussion
Questions: ·
What do you think are the
most important benefits of Wilmington’s waterfront area, to local
residents, business, and visitors? Why?
·
What do you think are the
most important problems to work on related to the hamlet and its use of
the waterfront? Is it
protection of natural resources? water
quality? views?
beach area? sedimentation
issues? Other?
Pick three. Why are
these the most important? ·
What local assets can be
used to work on these problems? If
the Town doesn’t have funding, should they write grants to get money?
Are there other financial resources here we can draw on?
Can businesses contribute somehow?
Are there volunteer groups that could help with parts of the
work? Which ones?
Are there professionals or craftspeople in town that might be
asked to donate their services? Which
ones? ·
Discuss the 2001 Plan
items listed above and validate their importance and pertinence to the
environment in Wilmington today. ·
The Land Use Code and
Zoning Regulations have not been updated since 1988.
Updating these regulations in the near future is important.
Through the LWRP process, a Waterfront Focus District could be
included as part of the plan, and then added to the Land Use Code and
Zoning Regulations when they are revised.
Discuss the advantages of establishing a Waterfront Focus
District and how we envision such a district might contribute to our
town in the future. Factsheet
C and Questions: Wilmington
LWRP Inventory – Lake Restoration April
14, 2006 Points
to consider: ·
The LWRP was launched at
the community’s request with special interest in Lake Everest.
Lake Everest is a 200-acre impoundment which has existed since
the West Branch of the Ausable River was dammed in 1812, when a local
entrepreneur hoped to capture power for a range of natural
resource-based industrial ventures. The predecessor to the current dam
was constructed in the early 1900s as a source of electricity for the
Town and reconstructed in the 1930s. When Wilmington and other
destinations shifted to a tourism-based economy, the lake became more
important in the lives of local people and visitors alike as a
recreation venue and scenic vista. ·
The lake and river today
are used for swimming, boating, kayaking, canoeing and fishing. In the
last 30 – 70 years, the impoundment area has begun to capture sediment
in quantities that are negatively affecting the recreational use of the
river. In fact, many
residents can recall a time when greater depth made waterskiing and
other sports possible on the lake. ·
The sediment is also
negatively impacting the river’s health as a trout-friendly ecosystem.
The Ausable River is identified by fisheries biologists as one of the
best trout fisheries in New York State. Although trout reproduce
normally in the river, these species have not been able to maintain
their population sizes in the river. The increased sedimentation has
affected the overall health of the river and is believed to be one
factor in reducing natural fish populations.
Ice conditions (anchor ice) and embeddedness (sedimentation)
create circumstances where high mortality of fish is probable.
In 1992 the DEC Fisheries Unit conducted a study to look at the
quantity and quality of fisheries in the West Branch of the Ausable
River. This study was prompted by anecdotal information suggesting that
the fishery of the West Branch has lessened over the past several
decades. The data that was collected was used in comparison to historic
data in an effort to document trends. The following four conclusions
were made: 1.
Holdover
of hatchery trout is low. 2.
Wild
brown trout are present but relatively low in abundance. 3.
Growth
rates of the wild brown trout are excellent. 4.
The
relative abundance of large trout in the West Branch is low. ·
During
recent years a lakeside park was developed to provide residents and
tourists increased access to the lake. This park facility includes a
public beach, a boat launch facility and restrooms.
This facility is widely used yet lacks adequate amenities and
requires improved maintenance in the minds of residents.
The community may choose to renovate this area with support from
the State as a project of the waterfront program, whatever else they
decide to do. ·
Many opportunities exist
to address lake and beach restoration.
Highest on the minds of residents hwoever is the sedimentaiotn
problem. The options facing
the residents of Wilmington on this issue are as follows:
1.
Eventually relinquish the
lake to the process of sedimentation, to dredge the sediment within the
next few years and probably on a periodic basis into the future 2.
Slow or prevent further
sedimentation from occurring 3.
(At some point in the
future) remove the impoundment and return to a free-flowing riverine
system 4.
Or a combination of the
above ·
According to the results
of the first LWRP mini-survey (January 2006), when asked what
characteristics they valued about the AuSable River, 46 percent of
respondents valued fishing the most, followed by 35 percent stating that
swimming and the beach are most valued. In another question, 63 percent
thought that the silting of the river and Lake Everest is a problem, and
half of them thought it should not continue (i.e. something should be
done about it). Forty-eight percent thought the river should be dredged
to its original depth. ·
Dredging
is a generalized term for the removal of sediments from water bodies.
There are primarily two basic methods for dredging. The first involves
lowering the water level of the water body and removing the materials
with an excavator. The second method is less invasive and involves
sucking up the sediments through a large hose that has cutter heads.
Advantages to hydraulic dredging include the fact that the water
body does not need to be drained. The water is returned immediately to
that water body and the materials removed from the bottom of the water
body are deposited on a barge type boat. These sediments are then moved
to another location. ·
Dredging,
with any method, has negative impacts on the biota of the water body
being dredged. Dredging is often used in unhealthy river and lake
systems, particularly for the removal of toxic materials or increasing
navigatibility. Specific
studies on the environmental impacts of dredging are limited. It is
believed that benthic invertebrates are most negatively affected. There
is a high probability that some fish would be killed during this
procedure, but many are likely to stay away from the machinery. Plant
life would also be killed. The hydraulic hose cannot distinguish between
substrates or biota. Lake
Everest also has some invasive species that would need to be controlled
during this process. ·
Dredging
Lake Everest is not likely to be a one-time project. As long as
sedimentation continues upstream and as long as the dam is in place to
trap the sediments, the materials will accumulate. Estimating just how
often the Lake would need to be dredged is a complicated guessing game.
There are several natural and man-made factors affecting the sediment
accumulation rate. ·
In order to slow the rate
of sediments from accumulating, the sources of sedimentation would need
to be addressed. This list is long and includes sources from the Town of
Wilmington and the Town of North Elba. It would be critical for the two
Towns to work together. And although an extreme example, it is possible
for all of the sediments to be replaced within one year given a major
natural event such as a 300-year flood.
·
To accomplish dredging,
the Town will have to conduct a feasibility study and apply for permits
from several State agencies. Discussion
Questions: ·
What do you think are the
most important benefits of Wilmington’s waterfront area, especially
the lake and beach, to local residents?
Why? ·
Are these benefits part of
your or your family’s quality of life?
Or are they economic? social?
Other? How would you
describe them? ·
What do you think are the
most important problems to work on related to the lake and beach?
Pick three. Why are
these the most important? ·
What local assets can be
used to work on these problems? If
the Town doesn’t have funding, should they write grants to get money?
Are there other financial resources here we can draw on?
Are there volunteer groups that could help with parts of the
work? Which ones?
Are there professionals or craftspeople in town that might be
asked to donate their services? Which
ones? ·
Discuss the positive and
negative potential of dredging, and of slowing the sources of
sedimentation. What are the
benefits? What could be
negative side effects? What
do you think is the best way to proceed?
###### For
more information on the Wilmington LWRP, please contact:
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