Untitled Document

INTRODUCTION

Process Used to Develop the LWRP

An advisory committee was established in November 1999 to oversee the preparation of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) and Comprehensive Plan. The ten-member committee was appointed by Town Supervisor John E. Lawler and by Village Mayor J. Bert Mahoney, and includes Philip Brendese, Village Planning Board Chairman Christopher Callaghan, Daniel Cerone, Wayne Clermont, Town Planning Director Richard Hurst, Laurie Marble, Anne Marie Morrissey, Ward Patton, Barbara Plummer, and Village Zoning Board Chairman Kenneth Smith. The supervisor and mayor are ex-officio members. The role of the committee is to guide and lead the planning process, communicate with municipal leaders, and help facilitate community involvement in the development of the plans.

Financial assistance for the preparation of the LWRP was received from the New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources and Waterfront Revitalization, with in-kind contributions from the Town and Village of Waterford. The Town and Village have jointly hired a consultant, River Street Planning & Development, to prepare the plans, working closely with the advisory committee. The committee has been meeting approximately once a month to plan and publicize the public participation process, review research and findings prepared by the consultant, and discuss critical issues.

To ensure active public input and support, a resident survey was conducted as part of the Comprehensive Plan preparation process in January 2000. Because the LWRP and Comprehensive Plan are being prepared concurrently, the survey asked a number of questions that relate directly to waterfront resources and downtown revitalization issues. The survey was designed to assess residents= opinions about various issues affecting the future of the Town and Village, and was mailed to more than 3,000 households in Waterford and distributed at various public places within the Town and Village. Nearly 300 residents responded to the survey, and their input will be incorporated into many sections of the LWRP (relevant summarized survey results will be added to this document when they are finalized, with additional results summarized in the Comprehensive Plan).

In addition, as part of the Comprehensive Plan preparation process, the Town and Village and their project consultant hosted a public Avisioning session@ at the Waterford Civic Center in March 2000 to introduce residents to the planning process and present initial results of the survey. More importantly, Waterford residents participated in a brainstorming exercise designed to identify what they love about their community, what they would like to change, and what Waterford will be like when the changes have been made. Comments provided by the nearly 100 residents present at the session will be used in the future to inform the development of other LWRP sections and related actions.

Several public meetings will be held this year to provide additional opportunities for the participation and involvement of Waterford residents. The consultant has also conducted interviews with a variety of municipal staff, business leaders and other community stakeholders to solicit input on various topics and identify specific concerns. Once completed, draft documents will be made available for public review and comment. A final LWRP document is expected to be submitted to the Town and Village Boards for submission to NYSDOS for commencement of the 60-day review process by the end of the year.

The Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and the Comprehensive Plan

It should be noted that the Town and Village are developing the LWRP concurrently with the Comprehensive Plan. Although there is a coordinated planning process, with a joint advisory committee, each plan is being prepared as a separate stand-alone document. This is largely due to the fact that the elements of the LWRP are mandated by New York State, and focus primarily on waterfront areas and the areas that will directly contribute to or support their revitalization, while the Comprehensive Plan has a broader perspective within a set of basic parameters.

The LWRP has clearly defined and mapped waterfront revitalization area boundaries and nine distinct sub-areas which reflect specific patterns of use or clusters of resources. It should be noted that the LWRP sub-areas are not the same as those established for the comprehensive plan. Comprehensive plan sub-areas include portions of the Town that do not relate directly to or otherwise contribute to the waterfront and combine several of the LWRP sub-areas.

What Is a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan?

The New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources' Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) is a comprehensive program that refines legislatively established waterfront policies by incorporating local circumstances and objectives. Legislative authorization for the NYS LWRP is the state Coastal Zone Management Act, which is codified under New York State Executive Law, Article 42, Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways (adapted from Chapter 842 of the Laws of 1981 and Chapter 366 of the Laws of 1986). These laws articulate the state's policy regarding its coastal areas and inland waterways, and are designed to encourage the following goals:

# To achieve a balance between economic development and preservation that will permit the beneficial use of coastal and inland waterway resources while preventing the loss of living marine resources and wildlife, diminution of open space areas or public access to the waterfront, shoreline erosion, impairment of scenic beauty, or permanent adverse changes to ecological systems.

# To encourage the development and use of existing ports and small harbors.

# To conserve, protect and, where appropriate, promote commercial and recreational use of fish and wildlife resources and habitats.

# To encourage and facilitate public access for recreational purposes.

# To minimize damage to natural resources and property from flooding and erosion, including proper location of new land development.

# To encourage the restoration and revitalization of natural and man-made resources.

# To encourage the location of land development in areas where infrastructure and public services are adequate.

# To conserve and protect agriculture lands as valued natural and ecological resources which provide for open spaces, clean air sheds and aesthetic value as well as for agricultural use.

# To assure consistency of state actions and, where appropriate, federal actions, with policies within the coastal area and inland waterways, and with accepted waterfront revitalization programs within the area defined by such programs.

# To cooperate and coordinate with other states, the federal government and Canada to attain a consistent policy towards coastal and inland waterway management.

# To encourage and assist local governments in the coastal area and inland waterways to use all their powers that can be applied to achieve these objectives.

The LWRP is a voluntary, grass roots effort which brings together local and state governments, commerce and industry, environmental interests, private organizations, and community citizens to assess current opportunities and constraints and to build a consensus on the desired future of the community's waterfront. More importantly, the LWRP provides a strategy for achieving that vision and for managing local resources. Decision makers will then be able to respond with increased knowledge and purpose to future events affecting their waterfront area and to actively pursue an agreed upon program.

One of the components of such programs is the identification of long-term uses along the waterfront and specific projects for implementation. These uses and projects, in conjunction with an established management program, can significantly increase a community's ability to attract development activities that will take best advantage of the unique cultural and natural characteristics of their waterfront.

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The LWRP also serves to enhance the conservation and protection of natural resources. As such, the LWRP represents a balance between economic development and environmental protection that permits the beneficial use of waterfront resources, while preventing the loss of valuable resources and public access opportunities to the waterfront. Once the LWRP is approved by the NYS Secretary of State, the community has the local controls in place to guide waterfront development and -- a distinct benefit of a LWRP -- the legal ability to ensure that all State actions proposed for their waterfront only occur in the fashion prescribed in the LWRP. This "consistency" provision is a strong tool that assures that State and local governments work in unison, and not at cross purposes to build a stronger economy and a healthier waterfront environment.

The LWRP consists of the following major sections:

# Waterfront Revitalization Area (WRA) Boundaries - The WRA boundaries establish the focus area for the plan.

# Inventory and Analysis - This section provides an informational base for determining applicable state and local coastal policies in Section 3 and designating appropriate land and water uses and necessary projects in Section 4. This section provides brief descriptions of the coastal resources, existing land and water uses and important economic activities of the Town and Village of Waterford=s waterfront area. It has been developed based on existing and readily available state, local and regional documents and maps augmented by telephone interviews and meetings.

# Local Policies - This section is developed through close collaboration by local officials and community development agency staff, the planning consultant, waterfront advisory committee members, and the NYS Department of State. Local policies are developed based on the thirteen coastal policies adopted by New York State. Policies are selected and elaborated based on appropriateness to specific waterfront areas. The policies focus on five major areas: regional character, economic development, recreation and culture, coastal environment, and environmental health and energy.

# Proposed Uses and Projects - This section outlines preferred land and water uses and projects for the waterfront revitalization area. It should strongly reflect the town and village of Waterford=s development goals for the waterfront revitalization area.

# Techniques for Local Implementation - This section outlines actions the town and village must complete in order to achieve the goals of the LWRP. It includes zoning amendments, legislative endorsement of the plan, passage of local laws, creation of a management structure, public and private actions and project financing requirements.

# State Actions Likely to Affect Implementation - This section was provided by the NYS Department of State and consists of a list of state agencies and actions that may affect the waterfront and the town and village of Waterford=s ability to protect and enhance waterfront areas.

# Local Commitment and Consultation - The draft LWRP has been developed with assistance from the Town Supervisor and Village Mayor, members of the town and village boards, planning and zoning boards, municipal staff, state officials and a waterfront advisory committee composed of town and village residents. The committee met on an approximately monthly basis to review and comment on document drafts, provide valuable information regarding local conditions and needs, make recommendations regarding waterfront projects, and provide input regarding local techniques for implementation. The committee's efforts will be augmented by a public forum.