NYS Tug Hill Commission

Corridor Management Plans Approved

jennifer — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:17:23 +0000

The NYS Scenic Byways Advisory Board met on October 17th in Albany and heard a final presentation from the Tug Hill Commission and Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) on the Black River Trail and Maple Traditions Scenic Byways. Responding to comments from the Advisory Board and the NYS Department of Transportation over the past few years, the Commission and ANCA had revised the byway routes and added language to the plans regarding off-premise signage and taken those revisions to the communities over the past summer. The Advisory Board was impressed with the work done and passed a resolution finalizing the corridor management plans as presented.

All communities along the byways are now eligible to pursue Scenic Byways related funding and to use their status on a byway to boost tourism, work with other byway communities to jointly market their attractions, and score higher on grant applications. The North Country Regional Economic Development Council has also adopted a strategy that makes projects along designated Scenic Byways and Blueway Trails a higher priority for Consolidated Funding Applications (CFAs). The next step in the Black River Trail and Maple Traditions Scenic Byways is adoption of legislation formally designating the Byway Routes under NYS Highway Law. The North Country Legislative delegation will be asked to sponsor legislation in 2013.

Land Use Training: Farm Friendly Zoning

jennifer — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:22:40 +0000

The Lewis County Department of Economic Development and Planning is pleased to offer a training session entitled “Farm Friendly Zoning.” The session will take place Tuesday, October 23, 2012 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Lewis County Court House Office Building, 7660 North State Street, Lowville, NY, 2nd Floor Legislative Chambers.

Please RSVP to the Lewis County Department of Economic Development and Planning by Friday, October 19, 2012 to reserve your space. Please call (315) 376-5422 or email syoung@lewiscountyny.org.

Nan C. Stolzenburg, AICP CEP and Principal of Community Planning & Environmental Associates, will be conducting the training session. Ms. Stolzenburg has over 20 years of professional and technical experience in many areas of land use and the environment, with special interests in small town and rural planning, community revitalization, comprehensive planning, and public participation.

New Ken Ayers Workshop

jennifer — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:20:45 +0000

Mr. Ayers will be returning for the upcoming workshop, Highway Issues are His Business. Ken Ayers is one of the leading legal experts in New York State on road and highway legal issues. The session will be held November 1, 2012 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Kunsela Hall, SUNY IT, Utica. Certificates of attendance will be available for Planning Board & ZBA members. This session will examine current and developing legal issues with a focus on a municipality’s responsibility with respect to roads & highways. Topics covered will include:

Highway right-of way road management
Width of user roads Abandonment procedures and effects
Local control over roadways (i.e., given natural gas exploration & development of word energy and impacts on local roads)
Town’s right to grant permits & franchises for use of local roads to utility companies, developers, and others.

This training is being sponsored by the, SUNY IT Institute for Local Government and the Local Government Education Committee of Oneida and Herkimer Counties. Brochures with registration information have been mailed out and are also available at the following website: http://lgec.org/content. There is a $15 fee for the workshop. Payment is due by October 26 and checks should be made out to The College Association and be sent to: Continuing Professional Education, LGEC Registration, SUNYIT, 100 Seymour Road, Utica, NY 13502, Phone: 315-792-7270.

Consolidated Funding Applications Submitted

jennifer — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:30:39 +0000

Four Tug Hill Commission staffers assisted with the preparation of five Consolidated Funding Applications in various funding categories. The Town of Turin (in cooperation with the Village of Turin) and the Village of Lyons Falls applied to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to assist with funding for preliminary studies on wastewater treatment plants. The Town of Martinsburg applied to the NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) for improvements to hiking trails throughout Whitaker Park. Included in the proposal are the installation of four scenic overlooks of Roaring Brook Falls located along the trail. The Town of Wilna also applied for funding from OPRHP to contract for professional Landscape and Architectural services to design an interconnected waterfront park at the “Crown Cleaners of Watertown, Inc Superfund Site” in the Village of Herrings. Commission staff also assisted Celtic Energy Farm with an application to Empire State Development for funds to purchase equipment for willow biomass operations to support ReEnergy and the recently announced Biomass Crop Assistance Program or BCAP.

Village of Camden Survey Results

jennifer — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:29:12 +0000

The Village of Camden’s comprehensive planning effort is moving along with the results of a village wide survey recently tabulated. The survey had a very respectable 36% response rate. Ninety percent of respondents reported being either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the quality of life in Camden. Respondents chose “retain and expand viable commercial activity in the village downtown” as the most important factor to the village’s future. Concerns raised by the survey were lack of recreation opportunities for adults and lack of public transportation. These results will inform the planning process that takes place over the next several months.

2012 Black River Watershed Conference

jennifer — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:42:29 +0000

This 1 day conference will be held June 6th at the Carthage Elks Lodge. $15 covers lunch, refreshments and your registration fee. Hosted by the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 6 and the Tug Hill Commission.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION