making the most of your waterfront guidebook

Photos on the front cover, from left to right: Greenport, Rochester, New York City, Braddock Bay

New York State Department of State, Office of Coastal, Local Government and Community Sustainability 5

CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION ... 1

Who should read this guidebookAbout this guidebookHow is the guidebook organizedNew York State Department of State - Division of Coastal ResourcesWhat is a Local Waterfront Revitalization ProgramLooking ahead

CHAPTER TWO:

DEVELOPING A WATERFRONT VISION ... 7

Planning for community involvementUnderstanding what you have to work withDeveloping a visionReaching consensus on the visionCharting the course

CHAPTER THREE:

ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS ... 17

Establishing partnerships

CHAPTER FOUR:

TAKING A LOOK AROUND ... 23

Understanding what your waterfront has to offer

CHAPTER FIVE:

DEVELOPING A STRATEGY... 59

Refining your vision and developing a strategy

CHAPTER SIX:

TAKING IT ONE STEP AT A TIME - FULFILLING YOUR VISION ... 67

Ensuring success - organizing for implementationProject planning, financing, and implementation

CONCLUSION ... 82

APPENDIX ... 83

Where to find potential partners for waterfront revitalizationThe Developed WaterfrontThe Natural WaterfrontThe Public WaterfrontThe Working Waterfront

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Wilson, Lake Ontario

With patience and persistence...You can make the most of your waterfront.New York State’s waterfronts are exciting and diverse - from Niagara Fallsto Montauk Point; from New York Harbor to the lakes of the Catskills andthe Adirondacks; from the Delaware River to the Finger Lakes; and fromthe Hudson River and the Canal System to the Great Lakes and the St.Lawrence River. With ninety percent of the State’s population and a widevariety of economic activities concentrated in the communities along itswaterfronts - from the largest cities to the smallest hamlets - the waterfrontplays a vital role in the lives of New Yorkers.

Our waterfronts are rich in natural resources - with abundant fish andwildlife as well as bluffs, beaches and, wetlands, forests, and farmlands.

More and more people are recognizing that their waterfronts can bring newlife and energy to their communities. They are doing this by creating neweconomic activity, redeveloping historic and abandoned structures,improving waterfront recreation, and restoring and protecting naturalresources. They have found that the keys to making the most of theirwaterfront assets include a clear vision and plan, broad public involvement,creative partnerships, patience, persistence and a step-by-step strategy.

One of the ways communities - whether they’re a rural town or a New YorkCity neighborhood - can take full advantage of their waterfront is by usingNew York State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Throughthis Program, communities are building consensus and implementingvisions for the future of their waterfronts.

These communities are part of a successful waterfront renaissance that isoccurring throughout New York State. Helping you to achieve that successis the goal of this guidebook.


CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Queens West, East River

Pittsford, Erie Canal

Who should read this guidebookThis guidebook is designed to inspire and assistall New Yorkers - whether they are municipalofficials, community or nonprofit organizations,businesses, or anyone with an interest in thewaterfront - who want to make the most of whattheir waterfronts have to offer. Working together,these groups can revitalize a community’snatural resources, as well as its builtenvironment. This guidebook will help define theroles and responsibilities of each group as theycome together in a partnership.

About this guidebookThis guidebook is the print component of a multi-media package designed to provide readilyaccessible information on how to protect, restoreand revitalize New York’s coasts and waterways.The other components include a video and awebsite (www.nywaterfronts.com). This packagewill provide guidance on how to make the mostof your waterfront - sharing lessons learned,specific techniques that have worked, sources ofinformation and assistance, and the experiencesof communities that have succeeded. Theguidebook provides information on the benefitsand requirements for participation in New YorkState’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Programand shows how a community can use a LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program to help itachieve its vision. This multi-media package willbe supplemented by similar packages ofguidance that focus in more detail on specificcommunity issues.

This guidebook is intended as an introduction to waterfront revitalization. Readers areencouraged to use this information to seekfurther advice by following the links to therelevant agencies.

How is the guidebook organizedThe sections of this guidebook follow a step-by-step process to help you make the most of yourwaterfront. These steps include:

Developing a waterfront vision -highlighting the importance of generatinga sense of community ownership of thewaterfront and defining its future

Establishing partnerships - showing howto strengthen the community’sinvolvement in the revitalization of yourwaterfront and ensuring the key playersare on board

Taking a look around - helping you tounderstand your waterfront, its assets,and key issues and opportunities

Developing a strategy - showing you howto pull it all together to fulfill your vision

Taking it one step at a time - providingdetailed guidelines for implementing yourvision

These steps are appropriate whether thecommunity is large or small; whether the concernis with one issue in one area or with a widerange of issues for a community’s entire

waterfront; or whether the primary goal iswaterfront redevelopment or natural resourceprotection.

The sequence in this step-by-step guide toenhancing your waterfront and revitalizing yourcommunity may not fit every community. You maywant to create partnerships first, and then worktogether to understand your waterfront’s issues,or you may want to wait until after youunderstand more about the condition of yourwaterfront to develop your vision. Taking adifferent approach is fine. The critical message isthat all of these steps are important.

New York State Department ofState - Division of CoastalResourcesThe Department of State's Division of CoastalResources works with communities throughoutNew York State to help them make the most ofwhat their waterfronts have to offer. The Divisionworks in partnership with community groups,nonprofit organizations, and all levels ofgovernment to strengthen local economies,protect the environment and improve the qualityof life. Whether you live in a rural town or a NewYork City neighborhood, you can take fulladvantage of your waterfront by working with theDivision of Coastal Resources.

Since 1982, the Division has worked with localgovernments and communities to prepare LocalWaterfront Revitalization Programs that define alocal vision for the waterfront. The Division has

Making the Most of Your Waterfront2

provided technical and financial assistance tocommunities for plans and projects that haveexpanded public access, reinvigorated urbanwaterfronts, restored habitats, and strengthenedlocal economies. The Division is involved in awealth of activities, including:

Implementing the federal Coastal ZoneManagement Act in New York State

Implementing the State's WaterfrontRevitalization of Coastal Areas and InlandWaterways Act

Developing Local Waterfront RevitalizationPrograms and Harbor Management Planswith over 200 municipalities

Planning and technical assistance forredevelopment of buildings anddeteriorated urban waterfronts

Revitalizing community centers

Regional planning for the Long IslandSound shore and the South ShoreEstuary Reserve

Protecting water quality throughintermunicipal watershed planning

Developing and applying remote sensingand Geographic Information Systemstechnology

Interpreting coastal resources andpromoting tourism

Planning for the prevention and mitigationof coastal flooding and erosion

Protecting and restoring coastal habitats

Planning for the preservation of historicresources, maritime heritage, and scenicresources

Implementing New York's coastal policiesthrough consistency review

Investing in improvements to waterfrontareas through State and federal grantprograms

You are eligible to participate as a partner in theLocal Waterfront Revitalization Program if youare a coastal community - in other words, if yourcommunity is on Long Island Sound, the AtlanticOcean, New York Harbor and the waters aroundNew York City, the Hudson River, the GreatLakes, Niagara River or the St. Lawrence River;or if your community is located on an inlandwaterbody, such as a major lake, river or theState Canal, that has been designated by theState Legislature under Article 42 of theExecutive Law.

As you organize your waterfront revitalizationefforts, the Division of Coastal Resources canhelp in many ways:

Organizing the planning process

Establishing a waterfront advisorycommittee


Hudson River from Olana

Northport, Northport Bay

Assisting with data collection and analysis

Referring you to other communities thathave successfully revitalized theirwaterfronts

Providing guidance on developingappropriate waterfront revitalizationpolicies

Identifying and assisting with preparationof laws necessary to implement the LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program

Providing grant funds

To find out more about partnering with theDivision of Coastal Resources, please call 518-474-6000 or visit www.nyswaterfronts.com.

What is a Local WaterfrontRevitalization ProgramA Local Waterfront Revitalization Program is botha land and water use plan prepared by acommunity, as well as the strategy to implementthe plan. The Program may be comprehensiveand address all issues that affect a community'sentire waterfront or it may address only the mostcritical issues facing a significant portion of itswaterfront.

As a planning document, a Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program is a locally prepared landand water use plan for a community’s developed,natural, public, and working waterfronts. Itprovides a comprehensive framework within

which a community’s vision for its waterfront canbe formalized. Working in partnership with theDivision of Coastal Resources, a communityreaches consensus on the future of itswaterfront, establishes local policies and outlinesthe implementation techniques it will use toachieve its vision.

As a strategy, a Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram provides the organizational structure,local laws, projects, and on-going work thatimplements the plan. This is the part of theProgram that will make the difference to yourwaterfront - it is the implementation that matters.

Completing a Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram can significantly increase acommunity's ability to attract appropriatedevelopment that will take advantage of, but alsorespect, the unique cultural and naturalcharacteristics of its waterfront. Presenting aunified vision for the waterfront also increases acommunity's chances to obtain public and privatefunding for waterfront projects. Funding todevelop and implement Local WaterfrontRevitalization Programs is available from theNew York State Environmental Protection Fund.

Once approved by New York State’s Secretary ofState, the Local Waterfront Revitalization Programforms the basis for coordinating the State andfederal actions needed to achieve the community’sgoals for its waterfront. State permitting, funding,and direct actions must be consistent with anapproved Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.Within coastal areas, federal agency activities arealso required to be consistent with an approved

Program. This “consistency” provision is a strongtool that helps ensure all government levels work inunison to build a stronger economy and a healthierenvironment.

More and more people are realizing that theirwaterfronts are a catalyst that can bring new lifeand energy to their entire community. Bydeveloping and implementing a Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program, these communities aremaking the most of what their waterfronts haveto offer.

The Cities of Tonawanda and NorthTonawanda are working together tobecome the western gateway to the ErieCanal

The City of Oswego has created a thrivingmix of parks, marinas, and waterfrontwalkways, bringing new life to thedowntown

The Village of Greenport is reversing thedecline of traditional maritime industriesand restoring a deteriorated waterfront

The Town of Essex is protecting itshistoric hamlet and resolving conflictsamong recreational users of LakeChamplain

The City of Kingston has created athriving waterfront entertainment district

Through careful planning, these people areenhancing their waterfronts and revitalizing theircommunities.


LOOKING AHEADYou can make the most of your waterfront when...

You see your waterfront as the way to bring new life and energy to yourcommunity.

You generate a sense of community ownership of the waterfront.

You know where you want to go.

You create a clearly defined vision for the future of your waterfront.

The people who live and work in the community buy into your vision.

You build a foundation of public support and confidence.

You establish partnerships and gain commitments from all stakeholders.

You know what you have to work with.

You take advantage of all your resources, assets, and opportunities.

You develop a detailed plan and strategy for implementing your vision.

You have the patience and persistence to work through the many phasesof waterfront revitalization - one step at a time.


Grand Ferry Park Orient, Narrow River

Lake George Greenport Harbor

South Troy visioning workshop

In this chapter, you will work through thefollowing steps:

Planning for community involvement

Understanding what you have to work with

Developing a vision

Reaching consensus on the vision

Charting the course

Traveling around the State, you notice that othercommunities’ waterfronts are thriving withmarinas, parks, fishing piers, and otherattractions that bring economic activity into thesecommunities and enhance the waterfront forresidents and visitors alike. You take a closerlook at your own community. Could youredevelop that vacant waterfront parcel as a newbusiness, perhaps as a marina? Are there waysof linking your main street with the waterfront toenhance access and enjoyment? You begin tosee that making the most of your waterfront canrevitalize your community.

At this stage, your ideas need to be developedand refined. Whether you are a localgovernment, a neighborhood group, acommunity-based nonprofit, or an interestedindividual, you will need to turn your ideas into ashared vision for the future of your community’swaterfront - to know where you want to go. Moreand more communities are doing this throughthe Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

Planning for communityinvolvementSuccessful waterfront revitalization happenswhen the community realizes that the waterfrontbelongs to them. It happens when they recognizethe significance and potential of their waterfront.It happens when they are determined to improveand protect their waterfront for the enjoymentand benefit of the entire community and futuregenerations.

Right from the beginning, as you seek to makethe most of your waterfront, you must involve thepublic. You will need the support of thecommunity at every stage - from developing avision to planning for and implementingimprovements. Success will depend uponbuilding and sustaining local support for theLocal Waterfront Revitalization Program.

Community participation can take many forms,but it is generally designed to:

Foster an appreciation of local andregional coastal assets and issues

Introduce local leaders and communityresidents to the waterfront planningprocess

Generate a community consensus aboutthe vision for the future of the waterfront

Develop a strategy to address thecommunity’s most critical waterfront issues

Meaningful public participation doesn’t justhappen. It has to be carefully thought out andplanned to embrace the public in the planningprocess and to keep them informed aboutprogress. Now is the time to begin to developideas about how the community can participatein the planning process. To start, it is importantto understand who should be involved.

Identifying the key stakeholdersStakeholders are critical. A stakeholder is aperson or group who has something to gain orlose based upon the outcomes of yourrevitalization program. You will need to involvethose individuals and groups, such as electedofficials, business and civic leaders,neighborhood and environmental groups, andeducational institutions who have a direct stakein the future of the waterfront. Make special noteof the key leaders, and be sure to include thosewho may oppose your revitalization efforts aswell as those who are likely to support them.

From the beginning of your efforts to revitalizeyour waterfront, you will be seeking outstakeholders and trying to define their role inmaking your vision a reality. In particular, you willwant to seek out two groups with an interest inthe waterfront - the experts and the enthusiasts.Experts are people with useful knowledge.Enthusiasts are people who will bring energy tothe effort from either a civic concern, or from abusiness interest. Both types of people can helpyou get the job done and, as advocates, canhelp you reach consensus in the community.


CHAPTER TWO:DEVELOPING A WATERFRONT VISION

You will need to create a strategy to effectivelyinvolve these stakeholders. Identify how you willapproach each contact and be clear about whythey are involved. Is it to keep them informedand seek their support? Do you need theirfunding help? Do you want them to participateon a committee? Be prepared, in advance, toaddress important issues and provideinformation about your waterfront, including howthey can benefit. Once you have theirinvolvement, keep in touch and make sure yourproject is on their front burner. By bringingpeople together you can create a vision thatcaptures the ideas and interests of a broadconstituency of those concerned with the futureof your waterfront.

As you work to fulfill your vision, you mayinvolve stakeholders and other communitymembers in a wide variety of ways. These mightinclude creating an oversight committee;creating a series of specific, issue-orientedsubcommittees; encouraging participation invisioning and planning workshops; or “hands-on”participation in volunteer work parties. You willalso need to keep the entire communityinformed about what is going on, includingpeople who are not directly involved but mayhave a real interest in the waterfrontrevitalization efforts. It is important to providethem with regular progress reports, and keepthem informed about how they can participate.

Selecting consultantsCommunities often hire consultants tosupplement their own staff and volunteerresources or to gain use of special skills. At thisstage, consultants can help with communityinvolvement and provide an understanding ofwhat you have to work with on your waterfront,so it is good to think about hiring a consultantbefore you get too far into the visioning process.Selecting a consultant involves answering somekey questions, including:

What do you want the consultant to do?

What skills, expertise, and experiencemust the consultant have to carry out theproject?

How will you relate to the consultant? Thatis, will you simply give the problem to theconsultant and expect a completedreport? Or, will you provide staff support,citizen participation, review, or other inputinto the project?

How experienced is the consultant indoing programs of this type? Has theconsultant worked on waterfront andcommunity revitalization programs andprojects in communities similar to yours?

If you are seeking a consultant, you will need toprepare a Request for Proposals (RFP). YourRFP must meet all applicable procurement rulesand be designed so that responses fromconsultants will provide all the information that

you will need to select and hire a consultant.Make sure you fully describe your needs andyour planning proposal and a schedule forimplementation. Make sure to request details ofthe consultant's experience on similar efforts. Toensure a comprehensive response, the RFPitself should be advertised as extensively aspossible and mailed to a wide range ofconsultants. The Division of Coastal Resourcescan provide sample RFPs as well as guidanceon what to look for when you seek a consultantto help prepare and implement a LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program.

After you receive the responses, set upinterviews with potential consultants and talk withreferences. Find out more about them and theirproposal, and try to determine how well they canachieve your vision. Find out why they areinterested in your project and explore what theysee as the main issues and challenges as theydevelop the plan. Fully explore the financialrequirements of each consultant’s proposal.Interviews are a great opportunity to develop anunderstanding of everyone's expectations and toset the stage for a strong partnership. Once youhave selected your consultant and have executeda contract, it is time to begin developing yourvision for enhancing your waterfront.



Case Study: New York CityUsing its Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram (www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/wrp/wrp.shtml), New York City has the planningframework in place to help its neighborhoodsachieve their vision of a vibrant publicwaterfront. The waterfront has become amagnet for thousands of people in places likeSouth Street Seaport and Chelsea Piers.

Major new parks are being created at QueensWest, Hudson River Park, Riverside Park andBrooklyn Bridge Park. New York City is workingto connect these attractions in a City-widegreenway, and is adding new community parksin places like 125th Street in Harlem andSunset Park in Brooklyn.

In Harlem, the community has taken the leadand a fresh approach to intense developmentspeculation on the Hudson River at 125thStreet, and is now promoting its ownredevelopment vision. The community's visionof a waterfront park where families can enjoy amix of activities, set in a vibrant neighborhood,was established with extensive public input. Itbuilds on the existing assets within this area,such as the Fairway Market, the Cotton Cluband the revitalized 125th Street corridor.

In Brooklyn's Sunset Park, residents havecome together to promote the development of awaterfront park in a heavily industrialized area.The City and State have embraced their visionand are working to transform the vacant BushTerminal and its decaying piers into an excitingwaterfront destination.

Communities throughout the City have gonefrom thinking of the waterfront as off-limits, torealizing that the City's waterways are NewYork's last great open space.

Establishing an oversightcommitteeEarly in the Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram development process, mostcommunities establish a coordinating andoversight committee. In some communities, thismay be handled by an existing board, such asthe planning board or a conservation advisorycommission, but more often a separatewaterfront advisory committee (WAC) isestablished. The responsibilities of thiscommittee generally include:

Managing the waterfront revitalizationprocess or advising staff on managing theprocess

Providing valuable input on waterfrontissues and existing conditions

Holding regular meetings related towaterfront revitalization planning or projectimplementation

Informing others in the community aboutthe waterfront revitalization process andways they can be involved

Organizing and participating in focusgroups, design charettes, visioning andaction planning workshops, and publichearings

Reviewing reports, designs, and otherdocuments

Keeping elected officials and municipalofficials informed about the planningprocess

Working with municipal staff, consultants,State agency staff, and others to completevarious tasks

It is important to find committee members whoare likely to stay with the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program from initial planning andvisioning through to implementation ofimprovements. Take a look at the stakeholdersyou have identified: who are the key players, andwho among them would be best suited to sit onan advisory and oversight committee? It isimportant to recruit the “movers and shakers” tobe on the committee - those who others listen toand recognize as having the ability to get thingsdone. Local leaders can provide valuableexperience, advice, guidance, and resources,and will be able to persuade others to join andcontribute to the waterfront revitalization efforts.

Look for an effective chairperson to lead thecommittee. The size of an advisory committee isalso important to ensure productive groupdiscussion. Ten to fifteen members is best,although a smaller group can also be effective.The committee may include representation fromthe following groups:

Local government - elected officials;municipal staff; planning, zoning andother boards

Neighborhood and communityorganizations, local and regional nonprofitorganizations

Property owners from waterfrontneighborhoods

Representatives from the businesscommunity, particularly those whoselivelihood depends on the community’swaterfront, such as tour boat operators,marina owners, commercial andrecreational fishermen, boat suppliers andoutfitters; chambers of commerce;merchants’ organizations; and businessimprovement districts

Tourism and promotion groups

The academic community

If your Program involves several municipalities oran entire region, such as a watershed or highwaycorridor, the waterfront advisory committee mustinclude representatives of each municipality. Youmust also look at a broader geographic base toinvolve all appropriate organizations.



Case Study: Erie CanalAs the western gateway to the Erie Canal, theCities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda(www.the-tonawandas.com) were once abustling shipping and industrial center. Reversingdecades of decline, the Cities are using theirLocal Waterfront Revitalization Programs torealize their shared vision of becoming adestination on the Canal. Both planning effortswere directed by waterfront commissionscomprised of representatives from the localbusiness community, individuals with knowledgeof recreational boating, and residents.

Each community prepared an inventory andanalysis of existing land and water resourcesincluding opportunities and constraints forwaterfront development. This analysis includedreview of a wide range of information about thebuilt environment, natural resources, historicresources, municipal services, circulationpatterns, environmental conditions, landownership, and waterfront access. Based onthis analysis, the Cities developed policies andprojects that would revitalize and redeveloptheir waterfronts.

With assistance provided by the Division ofCoastal Resources and the Canal Corporation,North Tonawanda and Tonawanda haveimproved their existing waterfront parks. As partof the first step in revitalizing their Canalwaterfronts and enhancing their community, theCities have received nearly $4,000,000 to

develop conceptual plans for the GatewayHarbor Center; to construct docking facilitiesand repair the retaining wall and bulkhead onthe Niagara River; and to construct anamphitheater and waterfront promenade andtrail.

A key component in the success of theirrevitalization has been the participation ofbusiness leaders and continued communityinvolvement. Taking it one step at a time, theTonawandas are implementing their projects asfunding permits, but always keeping in mindtheir shared vision of making the waterfront aspecial place for the community and visitorsalike.

Understanding what you have towork withCreating a clear vision for revitalizing yourwaterfront requires an understanding of what youhave to work with. This involves several keysteps:

Assessing your waterfront

Knowing and respecting your community’sheritage

Taking full advantage of all your resourcesand assets

You can begin by taking a close look at yourwaterfront and talking to the waterfrontbusinesses, residents, the local government, andcommunity groups. They can provide you withvaluable insights on your waterfront.

One approach for pulling together informationabout your waterfront is to use the SWOTAnalysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,and Threats. By analyzing the information youhave gathered and breaking it down into thesefour elements, you are better able to size upwhat you have to work with and what might beworking against you. This analysis can help youdetermine the best mix of uses for yourwaterfront, what could be developed, and whatresources should be protected.

To evaluate the existing condition of thewaterfront and how it relates to the rest of thecommunity, ask yourself:

S - What are the strengths of thewaterfront? Does your waterfront featurethriving maritime uses? Does it have goodpublic access? Are there important naturalresources? Does it include attractivehistoric features?

W - What are weaknesses of thewaterfront? Is your waterfront hard to getto from your downtown? Are thereenvironmental constraints such asbrownfields? Is the waterfront surroundedby deteriorating buildings? Is thereadequate parking nearby?

O - What opportunities exist? Could thatvacant parcel become a park or amarina? Can your waterfront link with aregional trail system? Is there a future forany abandoned buildings?

T - What threats exist? Are traditionalwaterfront uses, such as commercialfishing and marinas, threatened byredevelopment proposals, such ascondominiums? Is an important wetlandthreatened by a road-widening plan? Isdeclining water quality impactingswimming or shellfishing?

Now that you have some understanding of whatyou have to work with, you can use thisinformation to develop an initial vision for yourwaterfront. But remember, your vision will berefined as your understanding of your waterfrontand its role in the community increases. InChapter Four, you will gather more detailed


Manhattan, Hudson River

Braddock Bay, Lake Ontario

Montauk Lighthouse, Long Island

information about your waterfront, but first youmust focus on your vision.

Making that vision a reality starts by askingyourself “exactly what do I want to accomplish?”

Developing a visionA vision is your idea of what your waterfront willbecome. A vision statement declares what youhope to accomplish. It can be any length - a singlesentence, bullet points, or a paragraph - as long asit is clear, focused, and based in reality.Your visionstatement might be:

Vision Statement for Kingston’s Waterfront:

“The Kingston waterfront will be anattractive, active, walkable, culturallyvibrant district with strong linkages tothe rest of the City of Kingston.Shops, restaurants, recreationalopportunities, museums, and eventswill attract visitors and residentsseven days per week all through theyear. New development will beconsistent with established characterand will highlight the area’s historicand natural resources. Trails, parks,marinas, and boat launches willmaximize access to the waterways,creating high-quality recreationalopportunities, and optimizingmeaningful, permanent public accessto the waterfront.”

The vision statement is the starting point foraction and it will be used throughout thewaterfront revitalization process, from planning toimplementation. Creating the vision statement

should be the time to think big, but avoid wishfulthinking. A compelling vision for your waterfrontcan provide:

A future to work toward

Focus and direction for enhancing yourwaterfront

Motivation to mobilize assets andresources in partnerships, based on ashared vision

Excitement about the waterfront's futureand its potential role in the community

Developing a vision process is an exciting anddynamic way to mobilize community involvementand support. Visioning should occur as early inthe planning process as possible.

Community participation is key and a formalvisioning process that is open to all communitymembers and involves key stakeholders is thebest approach. Visioning is most successfulwhen participation is broad-based and ongoing.By bringing people together you create a visionthat captures the ideas and interests of a broadconstituency of those concerned with the futureof your waterfront.

Visioning generally occurs in some type ofworkshop format that brings key stakeholderstogether in a constructive forum to shareopinions and new ideas. Your waterfront advisorycommittee can provide this forum. A visioningworkshop would be useful if:

You see great potential in your area andknow that others do as well

You desire to get a group inspired andmake them more cohesive

You want a clear, agreed-upon way tokeep a project focused

A successful visioning workshop depends onthoughtful planning and skillful meetingfacilitation. Bring together the key stakeholders ina comfortable meeting environment. Explain theagenda and ground rules, stressing theimportance of participation and respect for oneanother's perspectives. Define the scope of yourvision - namely, what can our waterfrontbecome? Given what you know about thewaterfront’s features and location, have peopleidentify and define what they think theopportunities are for the waterfront. Given whatyou know about the waterfront’s features andlocation - what is possible? Brainstorm ideas, butkeep the waterfront as the focus. Don’t set out tosolve larger community issues. Have fun thinkingup possibilities, but if it seems unrealistic, thenscale back.

Use pictures, graphics, or designs as well aswords to begin to pull together a statement ofyour vision. Careful wording is important, sodon’t worry if there’s a lot of effort spent onchoosing the right words, or making subtlechanges. It may take several sessions and draftsto reach consensus. Once you have reachedconsensus, support your statement with a


visually appealing depiction of your vision for thewaterfront. A professionally prepared and wellpresented graphic representation of your visionis a powerful tool. The final vision should statehow the waterfront can be enhanced, and how itfits into the revitalization of your community.Everyone should be comfortable with what issaid and how it is said.

You may want to refine your vision byestablishing goals and objectives. Goals providethe direction, and objectives break these downinto a series of achievable tasks.

Goals can be both short- and long-term,indicating the various milestones along the way.They should be descriptive and provide enoughexplanation for anyone to understand the natureof each goal. Your goals will be based on yourinitial understanding of your waterfront and itsassets; but you will always be re-evaluating yourgoals as you move forward and discover moreabout your waterfront.

While goals are fairly broad in their scope, yourobjectives will be specific regarding how thesegoals will be achieved. There can be a number ofobjectives for each goal and, as you movethrough a project, objectives are achieved andnew ones are added.

Consider our earlier example of the visionstatement for the Kingston waterfront. Goals suchas “protecting historic resources, providing mixeduses, and developing recreational opportunities”may be established for the waterfront.

The goal of “providing mixed uses” at Kingston’swaterfront would be followed by a series ofobjectives such as:

“To develop a marina, five new retailstorefronts, a restaurant and bar, all linkedwith public walkways along the creek.”

By developing goals and objectives, you will helpincrease the community’s understanding of yourvision for the waterfront.

Reaching consensus on the visionAn integral part of the visioning process is buildingconsensus - bringing people together in support ofthe common vision.You will always need to addressthe community’s ideas and concerns.Your successin revitalizing your waterfront will depend uponwhether the people who live and work in thecommunity embrace the vision.

There are many ways to develop consensus, butthe key will be to sustain it. This is a long-termprocess requiring an outreach strategy to keepyour community informed and involved inrevitalization efforts. To build consensus andstrong community support and begin to establishthe partnerships that will be so important to yoursuccess, you may consider:

Bringing the community to the waterfrontto explain the vision and progress ofrevitalization efforts

Publicizing early successes to highlightevidence of progress and buildmomentum and support

Building press and media relations toinform the community of the vision andupdate them on the progress ofrevitalization efforts

Starting a newsletter and establishing aregular mailing to the community to keepthem informed on progress and to createa sense of involvement

Producing a booklet, poster or brochure

Launching a website to allow thecommunity to stay up-to-date on theprogress of revitalization efforts andobtain feedback from the community

Holding community workshops, using anapproach similar to the visioning process,to inform the community on the vision andupdate them on the progress ofrevitalization efforts

Remember, the vision statement is the startingpoint for action, but it is not set in stone. You willbe able to refine the vision as you learn moreabout what you have to work with, find out moreabout your community, and discover if your visionis feasible. You can always modify the visionstatement when new facts come into play. As youget further into the process, you will need to testthe original vision against the realities, and, if anadjustment is needed, you should not hesitate toredefine the vision for the future of yourwaterfront.



Case Study: TroyThe City of Troy has developed a community-based planning process to guide redevelop-ment of its Hudson River waterfront. Publicinvolvement included over a dozen communityworkshops, two design charettes and the activeparticipation of an advisory committee. Thesemeetings, involving hundreds of concernedcitizens, have resulted in substantial support forwaterfront enhancements from the communityand the private sector.

The resulting plan outlines projects, incentives,and regulatory changes that will result inenvironmental cleanup; new green space andpublic access; transportation improvement; andnew waterfront land uses (www.troyny.gov/projects/brownfields/STWWRP.pdf). Troy'sapproach relies on partnerships among itsprivate, public and nonprofit partners to makeincremental improvements to the waterfrontover the next 15 to 20 years.

The plan seeks to relocate existing heavyindustrial users in the northern waterfront,where they now operate in close proximity toresidential neighborhoods, to vacant andunderused sites in the southern waterfrontwhich offer convenient interstate access. Thenorthern area will be freed to accommodateretail, new light manufacturing, commercial, and research and development uses. Public

improvements include a new waterfront park,trail, crew pavilion, and boat launch. Intensivebuffering and creative design guidelines will beused to reduce land use conflicts and ensurethat new development is consistent with historicneighborhood character. The entire waterfrontwill be served by a new waterfront bike andpedestrian trail. A new waterfront access roadis currently being designed(www.troyny.gov/projects/industrialparkroad/industrialparkroad.html).

The City has modified its zoning and land useregulations to implement the plan and has tappedinto numerous grant programs. The City has beensuccessful in securing over $12 million in fundingto implement programs and improvementsidentified in the South Troy Revitalization Plan.These include Environmental Protection Funds tofund park planning and design; TEA-21 funds tobuild the waterfront trail; federal transportationfunds to construct a waterfront access road; EPAfunds for environmental site assessments and ajob training pilot program; and funds from HUDBrownfields Economic Development Initiative forland assembly, cleanup, and relocation of industry(www.troyny.gov/projects/brownfields.html).

Charting the course

Once you have reached consensus on yourwaterfront vision, it is essential to chart thecourse for the revitalization of your waterfront.You will need to turn your vision into a step-by-step strategy to guide you through planpreparation and project implementation. Askyourself “what tasks need to be performed tofulfill my vision and how will I handle them?” Takethe time to discuss and plan your approach towaterfront revitalization with your partners. Thiswill help to strengthen both consensus andsupport for your project.

Develop a concise, action-oriented agenda thatdescribes the steps that you will follow toimplement your vision. View it as a scope of workfor moving forward with the vision. To chart yourcourse, you will specify the following:

the tasks to be performed

the techniques to be used

the people to be involved and their areasof responsibility

the time frame for action

By pulling these elements together, you canoutline how your vision will be turned into a planfor the revitalization of your waterfront and howthis plan will be implemented, one step at a time.This should be documented in writing, but don’tgo overboard with detail at this point. Keep itshort and simple.


Lake Champlain

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, Hudson River

In this chapter, you will work through thefollowing step:

Establishing partnerships

From the beginning of your project, you havebeen seeking out stakeholders who can makethe vision for the future of your waterfront areality. By bringing people together you havecreated a vision that captures the ideas andinterests of a broad constituency of thoseconcerned with the future of your waterfront.Now it is time to develop partnerships with thesestakeholders.

Establishing partnershipsA partnership is an agreement between two ormore entities to work together for a particularpurpose. You need to form partnerships if:

You are pursuing goals that will affectother people and organizations

You need more resources, whetherfinancial, political, or human to accomplishyour goals

You want a strong coalition that showshow interests are in agreement

As you begin to develop partnerships, you willneed to identify the key issues that bringing yourwaterfront back to life may raise for thecommunity. Make sure that the stakeholdersrepresent the divergent viewpoints on these

issues and can relate to how enhancing yourwaterfront will improve the community. Addresschallenges your community raises head-on, nomatter how controversial they may be. If yourstakeholder group is diverse and includes therange of opinions and concerns in thecommunity, you will be better able to maintaincommunity support and participation in yourefforts. Put another way, if a small group ofconcerned citizens with diverse perspectives canagree on the benefits of waterfront revitalization,then the whole community can agree.

Success in waterfront revitalization requirespartnerships with the common goal of achievingyour vision and with the right blend ofstakeholders from the private sector, all levels ofgovernment, and from the community. Importantpotential partners include:

local and county government - electedofficials, local boards, and staff

adjacent municipalities

regional planning or resourceconservation organizations

State and federal government partners

academic institutions - colleges anduniversities, local schools

representatives of businesses andindustries in the surrounding area

property owners in the surrounding area

residents in the surrounding area

community and neighborhood groups

nonprofit organizations with a stake in thecommunity and the waterfront

Remember, partnerships can be formed at anytime as needs arise and as common interestsare identified.

Partnering with these stakeholders can providetechnical assistance, bring in more resources,help with site acquisition, improve infrastructure,assist with funding and marketing, generate extrapublicity, and create the framework for waterfrontrevitalization. Particular attention should be paidto maintaining a strong relationship withneighborhood leaders and communitystakeholders as these individuals and groupshave a vested interest in the waterfront. Together,you are partners in the revitalization process andthe investment of their energy and resources intothe community has a powerful impact on yourefforts.

The format and formality of a partnership canvary widely. Whether it is simple or complex,everyone benefits if an agreement is reachedbeforehand about each entity’s role andresponsibilities.

Define the responsibilities of each partyand its role in a written document such asa Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).


CHAPTER THREE:ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS

Negotiate any points of contention so thatthere is consensus.

Working in partnerships may seem to be morechallenging or time-consuming, but generallyleads to more successful revitalization initiatives.Having public support and the cooperation ofmore people and organizations also fuels themomentum of your efforts. During the visioningprocess, you achieved consensus by bringingpeople together to support your vision. As youdevelop partnerships you will continue to buildon that support. Make sure you provide regularupdates and opportunities to review the detailsof your plans. This can be done through actionplanning workshops, periodic informationalmeetings, newsletters, and other components ofyour outreach strategy. Remember, your successin revitalizing your waterfront site depends onwhether the people who live and work in thecommunity embrace the vision and the details ofyour plans as they emerge.

The Appendix provides details of the manypartners - including local governments, regionalorganizations, nonprofit organizations,universities, and State and federal agencies -that could be involved in your efforts to enhanceyour waterfront and revitalize the community. TheDivision of Coastal Resources can help youdevelop these partnerships.

While you are likely to be aware of the localpartners who will be needed to help you enhanceyour waterfront, you should take care to make

the best use of State and federal assistance aswell. Many New York State agencies provide anarray of technical and financial assistance thatcan support waterfront revitalization, fromplanning through implementation. TheDepartment of State's Division of CoastalResources can provide assistance on all aspectsof waterfront and community revitalization to helpyou make the most of what your waterfront hasto offer. For example, the Division can providetechnical and financial assistance to helpcommunities expand public access, reinvigorateurban waterfronts, restore habitats, protectscenic resources, preserve historic resources,manage water uses, improve water quality,protect against flooding and erosion, andstrengthen local economies. The Division ofCoastal Resources should be the first place tocontact if you are interested in revitalizing yourwaterfront (www.nyswaterfronts.com).

New York State's Smart Growth initiativedemonstrates New York's commitment toworking with local government and communityorganizations to find innovative solutions tostrengthen our economy and environment, andimprove the quality of where we live. SmartGrowth is sensible, planned, efficient growth thatintegrates economic development and jobcreation with community quality-of-life, bypreserving and enhancing the built and naturalenvironments. Smart Growth encouragesgrowth in developed areas with existinginfrastructure to sustain it, particularly municipalcenters, downtowns, urban cores, historicdistricts and older first-tier suburbs. The New


Chelsea Piers, Manhattan

Rochester, Lake Ontario

Troy, Hudson River


Case Study: OswegoThe City of Oswego is redeveloping its downtown by building on its waterfrontheritage. Oswego's vision was for a revitalized downtown and increasedwaterfront activity with new parks and promenades on Lake Ontario and theOswego River. The City determined the best use of the waterfront by usingcommunity focus groups and involved all the stakeholders from planningthrough to implementation.

The Oswego Waterfront Revitalization Program Advisory Committee includedelected officials, public agency and private industry representatives,members of private groups, and individuals interested in the waterfront. Itwas responsible for ensuring public participation in the preparation of a LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program, developing broad-based support for theProgram, and coordinating its implementation.

Guided by its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, Oswego has workedaggressively and creatively to convert neglected areas into a thriving mix ofcommunity parks, marinas, and waterfront walkways. The City has completeda mile-long walkway along the Oswego River(http://oswegony.org/ABOUT_east.html) (http://oswegony.org/ABOUT_west.html),improvements to Wright's Landing Marina (www.oswegony.org/ABOUT_marina.html), infrastructure improvements to increase the efficiencyand use of the Port of Oswego (http://oswegony.org/ABOUT_portauth.html),and additional public access and boating facilities with pedestrianconnections to the pier and linear parks. At the same time, the City hasconnected the downtown with the waterfront and aggressively tackled therevitalization of abandoned buildings. These improvements provideemployment opportunities and other economic benefits as well as publicaccess for recreation and tourism.

Working with a wide variety of public and private partners, Oswego hasrealized this vision and is building on its success. Oswego's publicimprovements have leveraged nearly sixteen million dollars in privateinvestment, and new projects continue to spin off from the activity that

surrounds the waterfront.

York State Smart Growth website(www.SmartGrowthNY.com) is an easy-to-usedirectory or ‘portal’ to State agency programswith brief descriptions of services and links tothe appropriate agency website pages. Thewebsite provides guidance on State agencyassistance including grant and financialinformation, technical assistance, and data andregional inventories.

You will find information that can help yourevitalize your waterfront, including economicdevelopment, revitalization, transportation andneighborhoods, conservation and environment,planning, technology, and partnerships.

The federal government also offers a range ofprograms that can help you revitalize yourwaterfront. The online Catalog of FederalDomestic Assistance (www.cfda.gov) gives youaccess to a database of all federal programsavailable to State and local governments;domestic public, quasi-public, and private profitand nonprofit organizations and institutions;specialized groups; and individuals.

Many of the nation's coastal management goalsare addressed through the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAAworks to protect marine fisheries andendangered species, produces charts to aid inair and nautical navigation, and partners withstates to protect coastal resources through thefederal Coastal Zone Management Program(CZMP). Authorized by the Coastal ZoneManagement Act of 1972, this program isadministered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal

Resource Management (OCRM)(http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov) withinNOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS). NOS isa source of support and information for coastalmanagement including coastal and oceanscience, management, response, restoration,and navigation (http://oceanservice.noaa.gov).

The CZMP (http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/programs/czm.html) is a federal-state partnershipdedicated to comprehensive management of thenation's coastal resources, ensuring theirprotection for future generations while balancingcompeting national economic, cultural, andenvironmental interests. It addresses policyissues and provides state coastal managementprograms with technical and financial assistancein implementing their programs. New York'spartnership with the federal government ismanaged by the Division of Coastal Resources.


Ditch Plains, Montauk

Pittsford, Erie Canal


Case Study:T ioughnioga River CorridorThe Cortland County Business DevelopmentCorporation and Industrial DevelopmentAgency (BDC/IDA) is bringing scenic, historic,cultural, and economic resources together in aregional approach to waterfront planning andrevitalization of the Tioughnioga River.

The BCD/IDA has convened a WaterfrontDevelopment Commission to focus oneconomic development, environmentalconservation, tourism promotion, andcommunity revitalization along the TioughniogaRiver's 30-mile corridor. The Commission'smembers represent a wide range of interestsand will design and implement acomprehensive waterfront revitalization strategy(www.cortlandbusiness.com/rivertrail/strategy.html).

Using this strategy, the communities willdevelop cultural and historical attractions, agri-tourism, and retail and economic developmentopportunities. They will also create outdoor andrecreational activities in the scenic rivercorridor, such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking,and hiking along a trail system with interpretivesignage.

Planning and implementation involvespartnerships between federal, State, county,and local officials; the private sector;community groups; and citizens. A $50,000grant from the New York State Environmental

Protection Fund Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram for preparation of a comprehensivewaterfront revitalization program has been thecatalyst. More than $1 million has been raisedfrom a variety of sources including the U.S.Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment and the New York StateDepartment of Transportation.

Port Henry, Lake Champlain

In this chapter, you’ll work through the following step:

Understanding what your waterfront has to offer

By developing your vision and generating asense of community ownership of the waterfront,you have established a consensus on what youwant your waterfront to become. Your success inachieving this vision will depend upon buildingon the assets of your waterfront. This meansyou must understand what your waterfront hasto offer.

Understanding what yourwaterfront has to offer You should continue to gather information onyour waterfront, its neighborhoods, and its role inthe community, building on information you havealready developed as part of the visioningprocess. Generally, this occurs through thepreparation of a resource inventory that involvesa careful, detailed review of waterfrontconditions, issues, opportunities, assets, andchallenges. You will need to gather anddocument information on natural, historical,cultural, archeological, recreational, and scenicresources; public services and facilities;population and socioeconomic characteristics;planning and zoning constraints; transportationpatterns; and other relevant information. Theresource inventory can be prepared by municipalstaff, consultants, or community members.

A considerable amount of information about yourcommunity and its waterfront is usually readilyavailable in existing reports, studies, and maps.In addition, start a dialogue among municipalstaff; the community; consultants working onother projects in the community; and staff fromregional planning organizations, nonprofits, andState agencies. This discussion should furtherthe community’s understanding of the waterfrontand its issues. It will also help the communityuncover potential opportunities for partnerships.

The range of information collected and reviewedshould include the following:

maps, including the New York StateCoastal Atlas Maps, Planametric orTopographic Series maps, and highwaymaps

real property database, tax parcel maps,and municipal GIS data for determiningland ownership

aerial photographs and statewide ortho-photos

comprehensive or master plan and otherland use plans for your city, town or village

municipal code, including the zoningregulations, subdivision regulations, andsite plan review; flood management orflood hazard protection laws; wetlandprotection laws; historic preservation orarchitectural/design review laws; signagelaws; and parking laws

recently prepared reports, studies,statistical analyses, and grant applications

previously completed waterfront studiesand environmental impact statements

hazard plans addressing flooding anderosion

housing studies

downtown revitalization strategies

tourism studies, as well as tourism-relatedinformational and promotional materials

State and regional planning studies, suchas the New York State Open Space Plan,New York State Preservation Plan,Statewide Comprehensive OutdoorRecreation Plan, Long Island SoundCoastal Management Plan, South ShoreEstuary Management Plan, Hudson RiverValley Greenway Community Plan, NiagaraRiver Greenway Plan, Canal RecreationwayPlan, Scenic Byway corridor managementplans, and Heritage Area managementplans

survey data

recreation needs analysis, transportationstudies, and housing market analysis

You can find the above information at your localgovernment offices, various regional and Stateagencies, and at local libraries. Increasingly, thisinformation is available on the Internet. For help


CHAPTER FOUR: TAKING A LOOK AROUND

in finding this information, talk to the Division ofCoastal Resources. You should also collect newinformation through interviews, field trips, andsurveys. Remember, there should be a validpurpose or rationale for every item inventoried. Inother words, you will need to know how youintend to use each piece of information to betterunderstand your waterfront’s potential.

Once you have collected and analyzedinformation about your waterfront assets, use theinventory to help people understand your vision.Be prepared to present this information in ashort report with photographs, maps,illustrations, and tables of data describing theimportant resources and how they impact yourwaterfront vision. Support and document yourconclusions. More detailed information on how toorganize all of the data you have collected andassess your waterfront is provided in thefollowing sections.


North Tonawanda

Greenport

Oswego

Montauk, Long Island


Case Study: AmsterdamIn Amsterdam, a successful waterfrontrevitalization can be traced to two residents whowanted to make a difference in their community.After exploring the City, they decided to focuson waterfront revitalization. They placed an adin the local newspaper inviting people to submitideas on what they would like to see onAmsterdam's Erie Canal/Mohawk Riverwaterfront. Spurred on by a substantialresponse that stimulated significant interest inthe waterfront, the two organizers met with stafffrom the Division of Coastal Resources to seewhat they could do.

Amsterdam's Mayor appointed a waterfrontadvisory committee to assist the Division ofCoastal Resources in preparing a LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program. Thecommittee included representatives withexpertise and experience in the areas of historicpreservation, recreational boating, economicdevelopment, and the local businesscommunity. The City's Planning Board andUrban Renewal Agency were also representedon the committee. Public input was gatheredthrough community meetings and a moredetailed resident survey regarding waterfrontissues and priorities.

Key issues facing the City included the reuseand redevelopment of underused industrialstructures on the waterfront; capitalizing on therecreational boating opportunities offered by the

Erie Canal/Mohawk River; developing improvedpublic access and recreational opportunitiesalong the State-owned Erie Canal right-of-waylands; overcoming the East-West Arterial andConrail railroad as barriers to shoreline publicaccess; and improving connections betweendowntown and waterfront areas. With fundingassistance from the Montgomery CountyChamber of Commerce, the City preparedconceptual designs for development of awaterfront park adjacent to downtown(http://riverlink.adkinternet.com).

As the City entered the implementation phase ofwaterfront revitalization, community organizersformed the nonprofit Amsterdam WaterfrontFoundation to oversee waterfront revitalizationefforts and fundraising, and to keep communityresidents involved. The Foundation has heldseveral formal dress balls in the State Armory inAmsterdam to increase public awareness ofwaterfront planning activities and to raise moneythat could be used to implement projects andmatch State grants. Representatives from theCity and the Amsterdam Foundation havecontinued to meet regularly and work with Stateofficials to keep them informed of Amsterdam'sprogress while reminding them of the continuingneed for grant funding.

Over the past twelve years, Amsterdam'spublic/nonprofit waterfront collaboration hasproduced dramatic results: both sides of theMohawk River have been improved withpedestrian trails, parks, bocce courts, and

picnic pavilions. A bridge, allowing pedestriansto safely cross the East-West Arterial andConrail railroad tracks, provides excellent viewsof the Mohawk River and downtownAmsterdam. Planning to build on their strongrecord of success, the City recently began theprocess of updating its Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program.

Defining the waterfront studyarea boundariesYou should establish a geographic boundary forthe community’s waterfront study before you gettoo far into the inventory, as a way to focusplanning efforts. This waterfront boundary should:

Follow recognizable natural or culturalfeatures such as waterways, streets, andrailroads to the greatest extent possible.

Include land uses that affect or areaffected by waterfront issues, problems,and opportunities.

Include natural and cultural resources witha physical, social, visual, or economicrelationship to the waterfront.

Include waterside boundaries, generallyfollowing the waterside boundary of themunicipality, which is located either at thewater’s edge or at a specified distance outfrom the shoreline into the water. In somecases, as part of a harbor managementplan, waterfront boundaries may extend1,500 feet offshore and may extendbeyond the boundaries of the municipality.

Waterfront study area boundaries will vary fromcommunity to community. In some places, theboundary will be drawn fairly close to theshoreline. In others, the boundaries will includethe entire municipality. The purpose of theboundary is to help define your area of studyand to ensure that you are covering all of the key

features that will help define your waterfront. Asyou begin to understand your waterfront area, itmay be useful to break your study area intosmaller sub-areas in order to focus on a specificresource, use, or area in more detail.

If you are a coastal community, as indicated inthe Introduction, a good starting point forestablishing a geographic boundary is the NewYork State Coastal Area Boundary. Developed bythe Division of Coastal Resources as part ofNew York State’s Coastal Management Program,this is a legally defined boundary line thatdefines the State’s coastal area. It is availablefrom the Division of Coastal Resources(www.nyswaterfronts.com), or can be reviewed atthe New York State Library. Keep in mind thatthis boundary can be refined to reflect localneeds. If you are a community located on aninland waterway, there is no designatedboundary and you will need to establish yourown boundary. In either case, communitiesshould work with the Division of CoastalResources to establish their waterfront studyarea boundaries. If you choose to develop aLocal Waterfront Revitalization Program thisboundary will then be incorporated into theProgram.

Assessing your waterfrontOne of the best ways to organize the data youcollect, and to understand your waterfront’sassets, is by looking at your waterfront fromfour perspectives: the developed waterfront, thenatural waterfront, the public waterfront, and theworking waterfront. Each waterfront type has itsown intrinsic value and its own set of concernsand constraints, but they are also criticallyentwined. In the following sections you will finddetails on each of these perspectives, includingthe information you will need to gather, thequestions you will need to answer, and thesuggestions for approaches that you shouldconsider as you continue to refine your visionfor enhancing your waterfront to revitalize yourcommunity.

The Developed WaterfrontNew York's waterfronts have had a long historyof development, creating a legacy of centers ofagricultural, industrial, commercial, andrecreational activity; traditional harbors; andstable residential areas of varying densities - allintermixed with natural areas of woodlands,fields, wetlands, bluffs, and beaches. This historyhas led to a sense of place that varies with thecharacter of individual communities throughoutthe State. These characteristics of the developedwaterfront contribute to the economy, culture,and heritage of the State. As you assess adeveloped waterfront, you will need to focus onland use and development, the challenges oftackling abandoned sites and buildings, and theprotection and restoration of natural, historic, andscenic resources.


Manhattan, Hudson River

Land use and developmentAs stated earlier, much of community characteris defined by the existing patterns and style ofdevelopment. Without careful attention, thoseelements that give a community its sense ofplace can be threatened by inappropriate newdevelopment and redevelopment. Three differenttypes of development trends exist within NewYork's waterfronts:

Modest infill development in stable, almostfully developed waterfront areas

Redevelopment of significantly sizeddeteriorated, abandoned, and underusedareas in urban or previously developedwaterfront areas

New development in previously undeveloped areas

These development trends need not impair thecommunity character or the sense of place of theindividual communities. However, to ensure thatany change maintains or enhances communitycharacter, the impacts of new development,redevelopment, and, indeed, existingdevelopment, must be managed to meet thedemands of environmental improvements andquality communities.

In assessing land use and development patternsand trends in a developed waterfront, you willwant to understand:

What historical and development factorsmade your waterfront and community theway it is now?

What do you value about your waterfront?

What changes are going on and couldoccur in the future?

In many cases, your community will already have addressed these factors throughcomprehensive master planning for thecommunity. If so, you will need to take thisinformation and focus on the waterfront. If yourcommunity does not have a master plan, you willneed to begin by gathering land use,demographic, and development data. In eithercase, you will need to know about:

the history of the development of thecommunity

land use patterns

land ownership patterns

zoning regulations

demographic trends

employment and business data

development trends

transportation and accessibility

community facilities


Greenport, Stirling Basin

Troy Marina, Hudson River

utilities - power, water and sewerage

abandoned, deteriorated, or underusedsites and buildings

the location and condition of open spaces,public access, and recreation sites

the location and condition of naturalresources

the location and condition of historic andscenic resources

It is useful to map these features and todocument development and land use issuesthrough photographs.

Once you know how your waterfront developed -and understand the current land use patterns,development trends and the opportunities andconstraints for development - you will need tofocus on how your community will develop in thefuture. What role can the waterfront play inenhancing the community? Some questions youwill want to ask are:

Condition - What is the condition of thewaterfront? Does this condition limit orenhance options for making the most ofthe waterfront? What factors led to itscurrent condition?

Compatibility - Are the developmentpatterns and trends compatible with yourvision of the waterfront? Does currentzoning accomplish this vision? Is the

infrastructure adequate to accomplish thisvision? Are improvements needed?

Opportunities - Are there developmentopportunities or proposals? Does zoningpermit these? Does the communitysupport new development? Is theinfrastructure adequate to supportdevelopment?

Use - Why did a site or building becomeabandoned, deteriorated, and underused?How long has this situation existed? Arethe sites contaminated? What interest hasthere been for acquisition and reuse?What are the primary obstacles to reuse?What opportunities can be identified?

Access - Is the waterfront accessible fromdowntown? Are there opportunities toimprove connections?

Infrastructure - How accessible is thewaterfront from public transportation?From major highways? Does thewaterfront have sufficient parking spaces?

As you seek to make the most of your waterfrontand better your community, your approachshould be to enhance existing development andfocus new growth and development to protectand improve community character. You will needto review your land use regulations, establishcapital improvement programs, and provideincentives for private development that areguided by the following objectives:


Atlantic Ocean Beaches, Montauk

North Tonawanda

Shelter Island Ferry

Forge links to the waterfront's rich culturaland natural legacy

Provide a sense of continuity with the past

Respect and incorporate cultural and builtheritage

Decrease the risk from flooding anderosion

Create physical links with downtowncenters and upland neighborhoods

Bring new uses to abandoned buildingsand brownfield sites

Emphasize the clustering of structuresand uses

Consider relationships among buildings,open spaces, and the water

Encourage a scale compatible with thesurrounding community or landscape

Encourage a mix of uses, but minimizeconflicts with neighboring uses

Protect vistas and views of the waterfront

Protect important open spaces andnatural areas

Develop partnerships with the privatesector and nonprofit organizations toencourage appropriate development

While your assessment of waterfront land useand development should include the topics listedabove, three more critical factors require a closerlook - abandoned sites and buildings, historicresources, and scenic resources.

Abandoned sites and buildingsMany of New York’s communities are dotted withvacant and abandoned industrial sites and olderand historic buildings that are often no longer inuse. Abandoned sites and buildings can have adestabilizing effect on neighborhoods, loweringproperty values and precipitating furtherdisinvestment by property owners who fear thatimprovements may not pay off if theneighborhood continues to decline. But in agrowing number of cases, people with a visionare transforming these sites and buildings intocost-effective spaces for new uses and turningonce derelict areas into new, vibrantdestinations. These projects are producing jobs,stimulating private and public investment,providing attractive spaces for new uses, andcreating destinations that draw residents,visitors, and new business activity to downtownsand neighborhoods.

If you have identified abandoned sites in yourcommunity, you have probably realized thatthese sites offer great redevelopmentopportunities. Known as “brownfields,” thesesites are typically abandoned or underusedindustrial or commercial properties whereexpansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.


Syracuse

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Greenport

If you think your site might be a brownfield, NewYork State can help with technical and fundingassistance. The Department of EnvironmentalConservation has produced a series of factsheets on remediation (www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8661.html) and a brownfields manualthat provides assistance to municipalities and theprivate sector for the redevelopment ofbrownfield sites (www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8641.html). The Brownfield Opportunity AreasProgram, administered by the Division of CoastalResources in partnership with the Department ofEnvironmental Conservation, providescommunities and qualified community basedorganizations with assistance to complete area-wide brownfields redevelopment planning.Through the Brownfield Opportunity AreasProgram, communities have the opportunity toaddress a range of problems posed by multiplebrownfield sites and to establish the multi-agencyand private-sector partnerships necessary for

leveraging assistance and investments thatrevitalize communities - returning idle areas toproductive use and restoring environmentalquality (www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8447.html).

If you have identified abandoned buildings inyour community, the Division of CoastalResources guidebook “Opportunities Waiting toHappen: Redeveloping Abandoned Buildings andSites to Revitalize Communities” can help you.This guidebook describes the developmentprocess, and the techniques and resourcesavailable to redevelop abandoned buildings,beginning with developing a vision for yourbuilding and finishing with a step-by-step guideto project implementation. Each of the sectionsprovides guidance and lessons on how to makeopportunities happen. Contact the Division ofCoastal Resources at (518) 474-6000 if youwould like a copy of this guidebook, or visitwww.nyswaterfronts.com/communities_guidebook_ab.asp.

Historic resourcesMany important historic structures andarcheological sites, both on land and underwater,are found in New York's waterfront communities.An integral part of making the most of yourwaterfront is to protect, preserve, and sensitivelyreuse your community's historic resources. Ashistoric resources are limited and irreplaceable,public or private uses and activities should avoiddestroying or damaging any site having historicor cultural value. In addition to giving acommunity its unique character, older and

historic buildings and historic districts offerconsiderable opportunities for economic growththrough heritage tourism and buildingrehabilitation. The economic benefits of historicpreservation should not be overlooked.

In assessing your historic resources, you willwant to identify all of the elements that areimportant in the history of the development ofyour community, including:

Any historic resource listed on the Stateand National Registers of Historic Places.Information about listings on the Nationaland State Registers of Historic Places canbe obtained from the New York StateOffice of Parks, Recreation and HistoricPreservation (www.nysparks.state.ny.us/shpo/register).You will also want to identifyany resource nominated for, or eligible tobe listed on the State or NationalRegisters of Historic Places, since theseare considered equally significantresources.

Any locally designated historic resources,which may also include districts andstructures that are also on the State orNational Registers.

An archeological resource listed in theState Department of Education's or Officeof Parks, Recreation and HistoricPreservation's inventory of archeologicalsites. For security reasons, the specificsites of archeological resources shouldgenerally not be made public.


Orient, Long Island

A resource that is a significant componentin a State-designated Heritage Area.

Known shipwrecks are another importantresource. Divers in your area will often befamiliar with their location.

If the above information is limited or nonexistent,it may be because your community has neverbeen formally surveyed. If this is the case, youshould consider surveying buildings in thewaterfront neighborhoods to determine areasthat may be historically significant. The HistoricPreservation Field Services Bureau(www.nysparks.state.ny.us/shpo) of the New YorkState Office of Parks, Recreation and HistoricPreservation will be able to assist communitiesin determining what waterfront areas arehistorically significant. You will also want tocompile a brief history of the development ofyour waterfront. The local historical society maybe able to provide this information.

Once you know the history of your waterfrontand have identified your historic resources youwill need to determine how best to protect themand define what role they can play in enhancingyour waterfront. Some questions you will want toask are:

What is the condition of structures or sites ofhistoric significance? Are they in or nearoriginal condition, easily restorable,significantly altered, derelict, or vacant? Whoowns them? What are they used for now?

If the buildings are not in use or areunderused, what new use might beappropriate given their nature andeconomic realities in your community?

What is the level of protection afforded thehistorical resource? Listing on the State orNational Registers only requires that theactions of federal and State agencies beprotective of the listed resource. Private orlocal government actions are only affectedif there is a local law establishingstandards to protect historic resources.How effective are local law protections, ifany? The Secretary of the Interior hasestablished standards of protection thatguide federal and State agency decisions.These are a useful guide in judging theadequacy of any local standards,particularly where there are numeroushistoric resources (www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/tax/rhb/stand.htm).

What themes, events, styles, and/ornotable people can be drawn from thehistory of the community to guide newdevelopment and activities?

Do people know about any underwaterresources, particularly shipwrecks, andare they being respected by divers?

The following are some of the approaches youwill want to consider to understand, protect, andmake use of your historic resources.


Olana State Historic Site

Essex

Seek listing of historic resources notalready on the State or National Reg-isters, and/or local designation. Buildingsindividually listed, or listed as contributingmembers in historic districts, may beeligible for tax credits, grants, and otherincentives (www.nysparks.state.ny.us/shpo/investment)

Enact or strengthen a local historicpreservation law, if necessary(www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss/pdfs/hispres.pdf)

Work with the Office of Parks, Recreation,and Historic Preservation to protecthistoric resources through the CertifiedLocal Government Program(www.nysparks.state.ny.us/shpo/certified)

Work with preservation organizations toprovide information to owners of historicresources about the benefits ofappropriate restoration and the resourcesavailable to accomplish such restoration

Work with business and developmentinterests to find new uses for your historicbuildings

Identify regional tourism organizationswith whom you can work to attract visitorsto your significant resources, particularlythose that fit into a regional theme, suchas military history, maritime history, orindustrial history (www.heritageny.gov)

Create events and interpretive programsthat celebrate your history and thebuildings and places that make it real today

Scenic resourcesOf the waterfront's many attributes, its scenery isperhaps the most universally appreciated. Scenicresources are a major component of communitycharacter, and special landscape features andviews contribute to a community's visual quality.In order to protect community character, thescenic characteristics of your waterfront andcommunity need to be considered when makingplanning and development decisions.

In assessing the overall visual characteristics ofyour waterfront, you should take a look at:

Your waterfront's physical character: itslandform, vegetation, shorelineconfiguration, and water features

Your waterfront's cultural character: itsland use, ephemeral characteristics,historic character, symbolicvalue/meaning, architectural character,landscape character, state of upkeep, anddiscordant features

Important waterfront views in yourcommunity: identify the viewshed, lengthand breadth of views, background,composition, and focal points

It is useful to map these features and todocument views and critical scenic componentsthrough photographs.

The Division of Coastal Resources hasdeveloped a scenic assessment methodology todetermine scenic quality and has a program toidentify, evaluate, and recommend areas fordesignation as Scenic Areas of StatewideSignificance (SASS). It identifies the scenicquality of the components of coastal landscapesand evaluates them against criteria fordetermining aesthetic significance.

The first application of the scenic assessmentmethodology has been in the Hudson RiverValley coastal region, where six Scenic Areas ofStatewide Significance have been designated.Each area encompasses unique and highlyscenic landscapes that are accessible to thepublic and recognized for their outstandingquality. If your community is in the Hudson Valley,the information in the SASS designations willhelp you understand your scenic resources. Theapproach could be easily applied in otherregions and can be modified to assess scenicquality in an individual community, as has beendone in East Hampton on Long Island.


Breakneck Ridge, Hudson Highlands

After you have identified your community’sscenic resources, you can ask yourself how theycan be improved or protected. Remember thatscenic resources are tied to other values; theopen spaces might be working agriculturallandscapes, the harbors and marinas part of aworking maritime waterfront, the wetlands andwoodlands are important natural habitats. Scenicqualities combine with recreational possibilitiesto make the coast a prime location forvacationers, offering the potential for growth ofthe tourist industry as well as helping to makethe waterfront attractive for residential andeconomic development. One of the challengeswill be balancing these competing issues toprotect scenic quality.

Although many communities have recognized thevalue and benefits of scenic resources,protection and management of these resourceshas not always been effectively accomplished.Development projects often ignore scenic issues,individually or cumulatively degrading waterfrontlandforms and attractive human-built features.Impairments occur when:

Natural features and architectural detailsare modified

New structures reduce or prevent views

The scale, form, or materials ofdevelopment are not compatible withsurroundings

Large scale development - whether industrial,commercial, or residential - is most likely to affectaesthetic characteristics, but even a singlestructure can significantly impact the scenicquality of an area. Indirect impacts may resultfrom infrastructure and activities that accompanydevelopment, such as power lines, transportationnetworks, bill boards and signs, and deterioratedproperties - leading to reductions in scenic quality.

The most serious reduction in scenic qualityoccurs when development blocks the view of thewater. This is especially an issue in urban areas,where the built-up character of the waterfrontalready limits visual access. The problem alsoexists in more rural areas where developmentalong the waterfront can prevent visual access toall but waterfront property owners.

Local government land use regulations areperhaps the most effective way to protect scenicresources. The location, massing, and design ofnew waterfront development can be limited byzoning and site plan regulations. Standards thatrequire buildings to be sited to protect views to orfrom the water can be adopted. Whendevelopment is unavoidable in a prominentscenic location, approval by the Planning Boardfor site plan review, and by the ArchitecturalReview Board should be required to maintain theexisting scenic quality of the area. Typicalguidelines for siting structures and facilities thatcould be included within local regulations include:

Set-backs - structures and developmentshould be set back a defined number offeet from public view points such asroads, parks, and especially shorelines;kept out of sight-lines to scenic views;and sited in inconspicuous locations tomaintain the attractive quality of theshoreline and to retain views to and fromthe shore.

Clustering - structures and lots insubdivisions should be clustered ororiented to retain views, save open space,and provide visual harmony.

Visual compatibility - the degree ofcongruity or “fit” between the visualelements of a project and the setting inwhich it is located, should be consideredin the planning process to minimize thevisual impacts of development.

Historic Preservation - existing scenicstructures, especially historic structures,should be incorporated into newdevelopment so that views of and fromthese structures are preserved. Viewcorridors should be incorporated intowaterfront development.

Restoration or Removal - unattractivescenic elements should be removed orrestored when they deteriorate or becomedegraded.

Maintenance - original landforms andhistoric landscapes should be maintainedor restored wherever possible.


Landscaping - areas of vegetation,especially native vegetation, should bemaintained or added to through scenicand conservation easements, orlandscaping plans, and used to provideinterest, encourage the presence ofwildlife, blend structures into the site, andobscure unattractive elements.

Open up views - selective, ecologicallybased clearing should be evaluated to createviews of coastal waters from public lands.

Screening - as a last resort, appropriatematerials, other than vegetation, shouldbe used to screen unattractive elements.

Design - buildings and other structuresshould be of an appropriate scale, anduse forms, colors, and materials to ensurethey are compatible with and add interestto the landscape and integratedevelopment with the landscape.

Lighting - light pollution of the night skiesshould be avoided by encouraging use ofleast-polluting light sources; fixtures,including municipal lighting installations forstreet lighting, parking lots, ball fields, etc.,should be properly shielded and aimed atthe ground; improvements in lightingcontrol regulations for localized sourcesshould be considered and better enforced.

Another way of protecting scenic resources isthe conservation of open space, natural areas,

and cultural resources through capital spendingby federal, State, or local government, eitherdirectly or through grant programs. Partnershipswith local landowners and businesses and withnonprofit organizations, particularly land trustsand environmental organizations, can also helpcommunities to protect scenic resources.

As you examine your scenic resources, take acloser look at the road corridors that cross yourcommunity. The New York State Scenic BywaysProgram designates transportation corridors thatare of Statewide interest. They are representativeof a region's scenic, recreational, cultural,natural, historic or archeological significance tothe State of New York. With the required corridormanagement plan in place, the Scenic BywaysProgram can help conserve and enhance thebyways’ underlying resources as well asencourage appropriate tourism and economicdevelopment. The program is administered bythe Landscape Architecture Bureau of the NewYork State Department of Transportation(www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/programs/scenic-byways).

The Natural WaterfrontNew York's natural waterfronts are comprised ofa rich diversity of resources that supporteconomic productivity, are a source of scenicbeauty, and provide recreational enjoyment.These waterfronts are an integral part of largerecosystems that sustain and complement humanactivities throughout the State. As you seek tomake the most of your waterfront, it is critical torecognize the importance of maintaining

ecological integrity and natural coastalprocesses, and improving management of livingresources and water quality. The three majorfactors in assessing the natural waterfront are:flooding and erosion hazards, preserving andimproving water quality, and protecting andrestoring habitats.


Ontario Dunes, Lake Ontario

Braddock Bay, Lake Ontario

Flooding and erosion hazardsShorelines are dynamic places. Weather systemsgenerate wind, waves, rain, and other forces thataffect shorelines. Accompanying the weathersystems are environmental effects includingstorm surge, overwash, flooding, and erosionthat create a complex array of coastal hazardswherever development occurs near the shore.Remember that where they do not pose risks tolife and property, these hazards are simplynatural events with positive effects on the coastalenvironment.

Natural protective features such as floodplains,wetlands, offshore bars, beaches, dunes, andbluffs help to protect the shoreline by absorbingstorm energy and flood waters. Unfortunately, theeffectiveness of these natural protective featuresare impeded by structures and development.Coastal hazards are created when developmentis exposed to risk of loss or damage by naturalevents.

In assessing the flooding and erosion hazards inyour waterfront, you should take a look at:

The extent of any federally designatedFlood Hazard Areas, floodways, coastalhigh hazard areas, and Coastal BarrierResources System units

The extent and nature of any State-designated Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas

The extent of other flooding and erosionrisk areas

The coastal processes at work on yourshoreline

The location of natural protective featuressuch as wetlands, dunes, and bluffs

Upland topography

Inland and shoreline development patterns

Land ownership details

Regional weather conditions and historicweather patterns

Information presented in publishedscientific reports for your shoreline

Navigation charts and bathymetricinformation

Data on historic shoreline change and anyongoing shoreline monitoring initiatives

Location, extent, and condition of shoreprotection structures

Records, photos, and anecdotalinformation on past shoreline conditionsand storm events

It is useful to map these features and to recordshoreline development, erosion controlstructures, and natural protective featuresthrough photographs.

Management of hazards related to flooding anderosion is a critical concern if you live, work, or


Montauk, Long Island

Sailors Haven, Fire Island

depend on New York's coasts and waterways.These hazards extend across wide geographicareas and cannot be addressed on a piecemealbasis. Because the level of development andtype of hazard exposure varies by locality, andthe land use planning tools to manage hazardsrisks are locally administered, local governmentis often the primary forum for addressingwaterfront hazards. The best approach to hazardmanagement is to develop a community plan toaddress potential hazards. This local focus isbest supported through partnerships with federaland State programs that provide basic standardsto manage flooding and erosion hazards and acontext for local management of hazard risk.

The primary questions to ask as you addressshoreline hazards are:

What are the types, frequency, and scaleof the hazards?

How will the hazards change over thecourse of time?

Which areas, buildings, public facilities,institutions, and vulnerable populations(elderly, disabled, low income) are at risk?

What are the risks to water-dependentuses?

What are the risks to the transportationnetwork?

What other areas are available wheredevelopment might be directed as thecommunity changes over the courseof time?

Are these potential hazard areas?

What natural resources are at risk?

What mitigation measures are available toreduce future hazard risk?

Risk assessment is important for understanding thenature of shoreline hazard exposure. Risk varieswith topography, weather, exposure, geology,previous shore protection efforts, and localconditions. Certain types of risks may beacceptable for one community but not for another.For instance, periodic shallow flooding withoutsignificant structural damage may be an acceptablerisk if long-term safety is reasonably certain.

Different approaches to coastal hazards may beappropriate according to the nature of the riskand the adjacent use. New York State legislation(Article 42 of the Executive Law and Article 34 ofthe Environmental Conservation Law) givespriority to nonstructural measures, including themanagement of development to avoid hazardareas. Nonstructural approaches maximizeprotection afforded by natural processes andfeatures. They offer the best opportunity fordependable long-term risk reduction, require theleast long-term maintenance, and have the leastdetrimental effects on other coastal andwaterfront resources and uses. On the otherhand, structural measures may be the onlyviable option for highly developed urban areasand water-dependent uses. However, theyrequire repeated maintenance and additionalmanagement measures, leave developmentexposed if conditions occur that exceed structure

capacity, and have negative impacts on otherresources and other locations.

The following are some of the approaches youwill want to consider to protect your waterfrontfrom flooding and erosion and minimize thethreat from coastal hazards:

Siting - avoiding the inappropriate siting ofstructures in hazard areas

Protection - protecting the naturaldynamics of changing shorelines andmaintaining and improving the naturalfeatures and resources that protectagainst flooding and erosion

Nonstructural measures - usingnonstructural measures to minimizedamage to natural resources and propertyfrom flooding and erosion, including:

reviewing setbacks to ensure the siting of new buildings and accessorystructures outside of Flood Hazard Zones and Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas

relocating existing buildings and accessory structures landward to remove them from Flood Zones and Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas

elevating or flood proofing existing buildings and accessory structures

stabilizing bluff, dune, backshore andbeach formations with appropriate plantings of native vegetation including beach grass


Drainage - installing drainage devices tocontrol water flowing over bluffs and blufffaces

Nourishment - artificially nourishing bluffs,dunes, backshores, and beaches

Usage - limiting the use of hard structuralerosion protection measures for control oferosion to protect water-dependent uses,where vegetative approaches tocontrolling erosion are not effective orwhere enhancement of natural protectivefeatures would not provide erosionprotection

Mitigation - requiring mitigation to ensurethat there is no adverse impact from theinstallation of hard structures

Sand management - managing inletsthrough sand bypassing

Future mitigation - developing measuresto mitigate damage from future storms

Planning - planning for post-stormrecovery and redevelopment

Monitoring - establishing an ErosionMonitoring Program to quantify shorelinechanges, erosion rates, and risk

FEMA - participating in the CommunityRating System of the National FloodInsurance Program of the FederalEmergency Management Agency

Preserving and improving water qualityWater quality is the basis for much of the valueof both the economic activity and the naturalresources of the State's coastal areas and inlandwaterfronts. New York State has abundant waterresources. While many water bodies are of highquality, others are degraded by pollution. Evenwhere water quality is high, human activity canpose a threat to quality. Managing developmentto reduce sources of water pollution, both alongour waterfronts and throughout the watershedsof coastal waters and inland waterways, is acritical task for communities which want to makethe most of their waterfronts and enjoy the manyactivities that depend on good water quality.

Sources of water quality problems are generallycharacterized as either point sources or nonpointsources. Point sources are the direct dischargesof contaminants into waterways. Examples ofpoint sources include sewage treatment plant,factory, and power plant discharge through outfallpipes. Well established regulatory and financingprograms exist to address point sources ofpollution. Nonpoint pollution is diffuse. Examplesinclude runoff from roads, farms, and lawns aswell as contaminants from septic systemsreaching groundwater or surface waters.Nonpoint sources are the most significant causeof water quality problems in the State.


Water quality education

Cayuga Lake

In assessing water quality in your community,you should look at:

The watersheds associated with yourwaterfront, including topography,hydrography, soils, precipitation, drainagepatterns, land cover, land use,development trends, and habitats

The water quality, quantity, and relatedinfrastructure, such as outfalls and otherconveyances

The sources and extent of pollution, andthe various types of pollutants

Uses and activities impaired by pollution

Local nonpoint source pollutionmanagement programs and practices

Existing institutional arrangements oflocal, State and federal agencies, androles of regional planning boards andnon-governmental groups in protectingwater quality

Existing land and water use laws,including zoning, site plan review, harbormanagement, erosion and sedimentcontrol, and wetlands and watercourselaws to see if they deal with water qualityissues

Key resources warranting specialprotection or restoration

It is useful to map these physical features and todocument pollution sources and impairmentsthrough photographs.

An initial indication of water quality can be foundby consulting the New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation (DEC) water qualityclassifications. These classifications are basedon the potential best use of a waterbody and setattainment goals and discharge standards forpoint sources. The DEC also publishes a seriesof reports, the Waterbody Inventory and PriorityWaterbodies List, that identify the waters of the State that either cannot be fully used as a

resource, or are degraded by pollutants(www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/23846.html).

These reports indicate the impairments in eachlisted waterbody and the causes of theseimpairments. The general identification of causesof pollution in this report can provide you withthe basis to more specifically identify the usesand activities that will be of concern to you indeveloping your plan. You should also considerlocal monitoring programs that establish abaseline against which you can measure changein the water quality in your waterbodies. Thisincludes physical and chemical parameters suchas pH, dissolved oxygen, dissolved solids,sediments, nutrients, odor, color, and turbidity;health factors such as pathogens, chemicalcontaminants, and toxics; and aesthetic factorssuch as oils, refuse, and suspended solids.

There are four main types of uses and activitiesthat you should examine for their effects onwater quality:

Roads contain and attract contaminantsand convey these contaminants intowaterbodies. The New York StateDepartment of Transportation follows thetechniques and procedures in itsEnvironmental Procedures Manual(www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/engineering/environmental-analysis/manuals-and-guidance/epm) in environmental mattersrelating to the planning, design,construction and maintenance oftransportation facilities. These approachesmay help you manage local roads.


Point source discharge

Highway drainage improvements

Agriculture is an important activity inmost watersheds of the State. It is also asource of water pollution from pesticides,fertilizers, sediment, and animal waste. Toaddress these myriad potential sources ofpollution, the Agricultural EnvironmentalManagement (AEM) Program.(www.agmkt.state.ny.us/SoilWater/aem)provides a mechanism to help assessfarming operations, identify potentialenvironmental problems, and assessoptions to reduce pollution.

Marinas and Boating can directly pollutewaterways from activities such asrefueling and hull maintenance. Similarly,direct discharges from boats can pollutewaterways.

Development - both existing and new -can be major sources of water qualityproblems. Examples include theexpansion of impervious surfacesresulting in the erosion and sedimentationof streams and loss of base flow towetlands and waterbodies, andcontamination of ground and surfacewater from over-fertilization of lawns andfailing septic systems.

The U.S. EPA provides more details on theseand other pollution causes(www.epa.gov/owow/nps) and offers guidance forspecifying management measures to addressthese causes in coastal waters(www.epa.gov/owow/nps/MMGI).

Water quality is affected by the combined effectsof many individual actions from a variety of land

uses and activities within a watershed. As aresult, water quality can be degraded even ifthere is no single, large pollution source in thewatershed. While communities can and shouldaddress their water quality problems individually,many water quality problems are best addressedon a watershed basis, especially wherewatersheds cover more than one community.Watershed plans have been prepared in many ofthe watersheds throughout the State.TheDivision of Coastal Resources can tell you if onehas been prepared for your community, andassist you in obtaining information.

The watershed planning and protection approachrecognizes the need to address not only theindividual water resources within any givenwatershed, but all the land from which the waterdrains to these waterbodies. This approach iscomprehensive and action-oriented and placesemphasis on broad environmental objectives thatcover all aspects of water quality.

The primary questions to ask as you addresswater quality issues are:

What are the current water qualityconditions - are they improving orgetting worse?

Where are the water quality problem areas?

What are the pollutant loadings in thevarious subwatersheds?

What are the impairments and the causesof these impairments?


Frankfort

Watershed improvements, Glen Cove Creek


Case Study: Lake GeorgeOver the past several decades, landdevelopment within Lake George's 300-square-mile watershed has accelerated greatly,threatening community character, naturalresources and water quality. As a result,planning for the future of Lake George hasbecome increasingly important and, inparticular, protecting lake water quality hasbecome more and more of a priority.

Since the mid-1990s, substantial financialresources have been committed to protectingthe lake and improving water quality. A widevariety of projects have been completed,including improvements along stream corridorsto reduce run-off entering the lake and outreachprograms. Although these projects progressedwell, local government leaders recognized theneed to establish a consensus on priorityactions to protect and improve the lake.

With funding through the EnvironmentalProtection Fund Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram, a regional planning effort to protectLake George began. Preparation of the plan wasoverseen by a committee comprised ofrepresentatives of the nine municipalities andthree counties around the lake; Soil and WaterConservation Districts; the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Natural Resources ConservationService; State agencies; and other stakeholderorganizations, including the Lake GeorgeAssociation, Fund for Lake George, Darrin

Fresh Water Institute, Lake George Basin LandConservancy, and Cornell CooperativeExtension.

“Lake George - Planning for the Future”(www.lakegeorge2000.org/Lake%20George-Plan%20for%20the%20Future.pdf), a long-termstrategy for protecting and improving the waterquality and natural resources of Lake George,was completed in 2001. This plan built onprevious planning efforts, particularly the 1987“Plan for the Future of the Lake George Park,”and set out the next generation of actions thatwill be needed to protect and improve LakeGeorge.

This long-term water quality strategy will assurethat local governments, State agencies, andother organizations work together to maximizethe effectiveness of limited financial resources.Such a strategy will also improve the ability oflocal governments to access various fundingsources for project implementation.

With completion of “Lake George - Planning forthe Future,” the committee that oversaw itscompletion has committed to continuing thiscollaborative effort by signing a Memorandumof Agreement creating the Lake GeorgeWatershed Coalition to focus onimplementation(www.lakegeorge2000.org).

Where are the discharges, includingstormwater outfalls and otherconveyances, within the watershed thatintroduce pollution to your waterfront?

What impacts will any changes in landand water uses or land use have on waterquality, and where will these occur?

Where are the gaps in the existing pointand nonpoint source controls, and howcan these be addressed?

What changes to local land and water usecontrols such as subdivision and site planreview can be made to protect andimprove water quality?

What changes in routine roadway,drainage-way and stream maintenancepractices can be made to protect andimprove water quality?

Where would focused nonpoint sourcepollution management most likely maintainor improve existing water quality?

Both watershed planning and protectionapproaches, and efforts targeting specificpollution sources, can help reverse waterpollution. The following are some of thetechniques you will want to consider to protectand improve water quality in your community:

Design control - controlling the locationand design of development to avoid waterquality impairments

Overlay district - adopting an overlaydistrict to regulate the most immediatecontributing areas surroundingwaterbodies, including measures tocontrol runoff

Impact reduction - improving septicsystems, providing vegetative buffers, andreducing use of fertilizers and pesticidesin affected areas

Best management - implementing bestmanagement practices, such as:

creating wetlands for stormwater control

establishing vegetative treatment systems including buffers and grassyswales

developing a highway stormwater abatement program

minimizing the disturbance of naturalvegetation and land contours during construction work

Open space protection - protecting openspace parcels that currently provide waterquality benefits

Open space restoration - improving orrestoring open space parcels to providewater quality benefits

Pump-out stations - requiring vesselwaste pumpouts at marinas

No-discharge zones - requesting Statedesignation of waterbodies as no-discharge zones

Wastewater treatment - improvingwastewater treatment facilities

Septic System Standards - developingstandards for septic systems, includingroutine inspections

Changing outfalls - reducing or eliminatingcombined sewer outfalls

Training - establishing training onappropriate road maintenance practices

Education - providing public educationand outreach programs for specific groupssuch as property owners or farmers

Modeling - developing tools such aspollution potential models and GIS-basedmodels to help in determining priorities forwater quality improvements

Monitoring - establishing a water qualitymonitoring program

Coordination - implementing changes ininstitutional arrangements to coordinateimplementation of water qualityimprovements

Local controls - revising local land andwater use controls to protect and restorewater quality

Permit compliance - implementing specificactions to achieve compliance with PhaseII Stormwater Permits, as applicable


Protecting and restoring habitatsNew York's coasts and waterways have a greatvariety of fish and wildlife habitats that are criticalto the health of broader ecosystems upon whichwe all depend. These habitats include salt andfreshwater marshes, swamps, mud and sandflats, beaches, rocky shores, riverine wetlandsand riparian corridors, stream, bay and harborbottoms, submerged aquatic vegetation beds,dunes, grasslands, and woodlands. Eachprovides support for critical life stages of fish andwildlife, including breeding, nursery, feeding,migration, and wintering. Maintaining ample,high-quality habitat along the State's coasts andwaterways is key to having abundant and diversefish and wildlife resources.

As development pressure mounts, many habitatsare degraded or lost. Preserving our valuablefish and wildlife resources is not only anessential element of environmental quality butalso has important recreational, economic, andcommunity benefits. Recreational or commercialfishing is a major economic activity in manywaterfront communities. Hunting and wildlifeobservation along the shore provide enjoymentfor many residents and visitors.

A habitat can be broadly defined as ageographic area inhabited or otherwise used bya particular species or collection of species.Animals may spend all or parts of their lives in ahabitat; a particular species can be dependenton several different kinds of habitats. Forexample, a bird may feed in one habitat, but nestand raise young in a different habitat. The

Atlantic striped bass lives much of its adult lifeoffshore in the open water habitat of the AtlanticOcean, but breeds in the Hudson River.

Throughout the State's coastal area, 250Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats(SCFWH) have been designated by the Divisionof Coastal Resources. Under the SCFWHprogram, a site is considered significant if itserves one or more of the following functions:

Is essential to the survival of a largeportion of a particular fish or wildlifepopulation

Supports populations of species which areendangered, threatened, or of specialconcern

Supports populations having significantcommercial, recreational, or educationalvalue

Exemplifies a habitat type that is notcommonly found in the State or in acoastal region

The significance of a habitat increases to theextent that it could not be replaced if destroyed.

For each designated habitat site, a habitat mapand narrative are created. The narrativeconstitutes a record of the basis for thesignificant coastal fish and wildlife habitat'sdesignation and provides specific informationregarding the fish and wildlife resources thatdepend on this area. General information is alsoprovided to assist in evaluating impacts ofproposed activities on characteristics of thehabitat which are essential to the habitat'svalues. This information is used in conjunctionwith the habitat impairment test found in theimpact assessment section to determine whetherthe proposed activities are consistent with thesignificant habitats policy.

New York State agencies use the informationprovided for each designated habitat in the Stateand federal consistency review process. Inaddition, communities that prepare LocalWaterfront Revitalization Programs are requiredto protect designated significant habitats and areencouraged to use local land use controls forhabitat protection.


Ospreys nesting, Orient

In identifying the important habitats along yourwaterfront, you are aided by several systematicinventories that have been undertaken by theState and federal government. You shouldconsult the following to see if important habitatsexist on your waterfront:

Freshwater wetlands mapped by the NewYork State Department of EnvironmentalConservation

Tidal wetlands mapped by the New YorkState Department of EnvironmentalConservation

Significant Coastal Fish and WildlifeHabitats for coastal areas of the State

Essential Fish Habitats identified by theNational Marine Fisheries Service

National Wetlands Inventory of the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service

New York Natural Heritage Program

New York State Breeding Bird Atlas andthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceBreeding Bird Survey

In addition to these inventories many federal,State, county, and regional planning agencieshave inventoried habitats and other importantnatural areas as part of various resourcemanagement plans, such as National EstuaryPrograms, watershed plans, and regional coastalmanagement plans. Universities and nonprofitorganizations such as The Nature Conservancy,

National Audubon Society of New York, landtrusts, and the Open Space Institute may havealso identified important habitats in your area.

There may also be areas along your shore that,while not identified in any of the aboveinventories, are nevertheless significant to thecommunity. People who regularly use and arefamiliar with the waterfront will know where thesespecial places are. Keep in mind that maintainingthe natural character of the water's edgethroughout your community can be particularlyimportant for many species.

When you have identified the upland and in-water areas that are important animal or planthabitat you will need to assemble the followinginformation about them:

What is their condition? Are they relativelypristine, significantly impaired, orthreatened by pollution, development, oroveruse?

What are the significant species that usethe habitat? How has the populationchanged over time?

Is the habitat rare or common?

What value does the community place onthe habitat?

What significant human uses are made ofthe habitat - fishing, hunting, wildlifeobservation, plant harvesting, educationalprograms?

Is the habitat replaceable orirreplaceable?

Is the habitat actively managed, by whom,for what purpose?

What level of protection does the habitathave? Is it publicly owned or owned by aconservation organization? Is it protectedby government regulation? Is there acommunity stewardship program?

Who in the community is knowledgeableabout the natural areas of yourwaterfront?


Iona Marsh National EstuarineResearch Reserve, Hudson River

Long Beach Bay, Orient


Case Study: New York CityThe Natural Resources Group (NRG) of NewYork City's Parks & Recreation Department isdeveloping and implementing managementprograms to protect and restore the City'snatural resources (www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/nrg/nrg_home.html). Three projects in the Borough of Queensare excellent models for communities wishing toundertake similar projects.

Encompassing more than 635-acres ofwoodlands, meadows, and fresh and saltwatermarshes, the heavily used Alley Pond Park iscrisscrossed by expressways. Yet it is the lastmajor forested place in Queens and its creeksystems are the only remaining habitat forcertain frog and salamander species in NewYork City. With $550,000 in funding from the Cityof New York and the New York State CleanWater/Clean Air Bond Act, NRG staff andvolunteers undertook restoration of a 46-acrewooded area frequently used for trash dumpingand mountain biking. The area had becomeinfested with invasive or non-native plantspecies, such as cat briar, tree of heaven, andink berry. Habitat restoration occurred in one-and two-acre increments, with NRG staff andvolunteers removing and treating manytruckloads of vines and nuisance plant species.

In the nearby Alley Creek area, NRG restoredapproximately 30 acres of tidal wetlands. Thework was completed in conjunction with

improvements being made at the Cross Islandand Long Island Expressways, and was fundedby related impact mitigation funds from the NewYork State Department of Transportation. NRGremoved invasive plant species, such asPhragmites australis (also known as commonreed), replanting the area with Spartinaalterniflora and Spartina patens, which arenative to salt marshes. All work was completedby NRG's salt marsh restoration team, withassistance from park volunteers. The restorationproject was scientifically challenging becausethe replacement plant species are highlysensitive, requiring very specific plantingelevations and growing medium to thrive. TheAlley Creek tidal wetland is now a scenic saltmarsh used as a nesting area by ospreys.

NRG also planned, designed, and implementeda difficult freshwater shrub swamp and kettlehole pond restoration in an upland area at the500-acre Forest Park. The project involvedremoval of ballfields constructed at the bottomof a kettle pond on many tons of fill andgarbage during the 1960s. Over time, thedrainage system of the ballfields failed.Increased flooding caused by the site's naturalhydrology made the ballfields unusable. With$550,000 in funding from the City of New Yorkand the New York State Clean Water/Clean AirBond Act, NRG restored the natural habitat ofthe ballfield area, adding three acres offreshwater wetland habitat and reforestation offour acres in the surrounding watershed.Interpretive trails and observation areas were

also developed to provide an educational andrecreational resource for birders, butterfly, anddragonfly enthusiasts.

In all of these projects, and many others, NRGhas secured grant funding from a wide range ofsources, including the City of New York, NewYork State Departments of State, Transportationand Environmental Conservation, NaturalResource Damage Account, EnvironmentalProtection Agency, the U.S. Fish & WildlifeService, and other sources. They have alsoworked creatively and successfully with a widevariety of volunteer parks conservancy groupsand volunteers.

Some of this information will be included in theState and federal inventories referenced aboveor can be obtained from staff of the respectiveagencies, educational institutions, or nonprofitorganizations.

When you know where habitats are, how theyare used by both the animals and by people,what their condition is, what their value is, whatthreatens them, and who is knowledgeable aboutthem, you can then consider what you need todo to protect and enhance them. Among theactivities you should consider are:

Identifying areas that should be acquiredby the public or a conservationorganization.

Land or water use regulations that protectnatural areas by limiting the location ofland or water uses; requiring buffer areas,particularly along waterways andwetlands; restricting the clearing ofvegetation; controlling the siting ofdevelopment to preserve wildlife corridors;managing the timing of development; andother similar requirements.

Educational programs that acquaintpeople with the value and function ofhabitats in their community.

Wetland regulations that complement andsupplement the State and federalregulations. Cooperative managementagreements with large land owners whoseproperty contains valuable habitat.

Elimination or reduction of the sources ofpollution that threaten habitats.

Projects to restore habitats, such aswetland restoration projects.

Support for citizen groups to becomeinvolved in, or initiate, stewardshipprograms for a natural area.

Enhancing these natural resources should bebased on principles of:

Preserving diversity of native plant andanimal species

Protecting wetlands and significanthabitats

Restoring native plant and animalpopulations and biological productivity

Safeguarding vulnerable species and rareor exemplary communities

Managing potentially imperiled naturalareas

As you examine your natural resources, youshould look for opportunities to restore degradedhabitats to pre-disturbance conditions.Restoration can reverse habitat degradation andloss, and reestablish valuable ecologicalfunctions. Restored habitats also support NewYork's economy and tourism industry by helpingto sustain commercial and recreational fisheriesand by providing places for outdoor recreationand enjoyment. Restoration activities are varied

and include many habitat types and restorationmethodologies. For example:

Salt marsh restoration through invasiveplant species control, re-establishment oftidal flow, and surface elevationmanipulation

Freshwater wetland restoration throughnative species plantings, surface waterand groundwater level control, andinvasive plant species control

Forested upland slope restoration throughinstallation of bioengineered erosioncontrol methods, native species plantings,and invasive plant species control

The Division of Coastal Resources and the NewYork State Department of EnvironmentalConservation collaborated to develop guidelinesfor salt marsh restoration and monitoring toassist local governments, State agencies, andother institutions, organizations and communitygroups in implementing coastal restorationprojects. The document assists in identifyingpotential salt marsh restoration projects anddeveloping conceptual plans by characterizingthe primary causes of salt marsh degradationand corresponding methods for theirremediation. The guidelines also provide astandard monitoring protocol to increase datacollection and improve project evaluation, helpingto ensure the success of State-funded habitatrestoration projects(www.nyswaterfronts.com/waterfront_natural_resources.asp).


Among other water quality and developmentissues, habitat loss and the identification ofrestoration opportunities have been a key part ofthe Comprehensive Conservation andManagement Plans prepared for the threeNational Estuaries in New York State: the LongIsland Sound Study (www.epa.gov/region01/eco/lis), the New York-New Jersey HarborEstuary Program (www.harborestuary.org), and the Peconic Estuary Program(www.peconicestuary.org).

The Division of Coastal Resources assisted theSouth Shore Estuary Reserve Council withdevelopment of the ComprehensiveManagement Plan for the South Shore EstuaryReserve(www.nyswaterfronts.com/initiatives_southshore.asp). The plan provides a blueprintfor the long-term health of the Reserve’s baysand tributaries, its tidal wetlands and wildlife,and its tourism and economy.

These management plans can help you identifyopportunities for habitat restoration in your owncommunity.

The Public WaterfrontPeople want to walk along the water's edge,whether it's a busy city promenade, a desertedsandy beach, or a shady stream bank. Theywant to use the water to swim, to fish, to boat, todive. However, this desire for access is notalways easily fulfilled. Waterfront development,dispersed access points, residency require-ments, and limited capacity at recreationalfacilities can thwart the public’s desire to useand enjoy the waterfront. Even the public's right,

under the Public Trust Doctrine, to use publiclyowned lands and waters can be hindered bystructures in the water and along the shore.

In making the most of your waterfront, you willlikely find that access to coastal and inlandwaterways should be improved and increased.Creative partnerships among public and privateentities can assist in these efforts. Objectivesmight include connecting individual public openspaces through a system of greenways andblueways, protecting and maintaining existingpublic access areas, and developing areas fornew public access.

The public lands and waters of the State are asignificant recreation resource that are anessential part of the character of many shorelinecommunities. Recreational facilities shouldreflect a wide variety of active and passiveactivities, while preserving other importantassets, such as natural resources and maritimeheritage. The needs of an aging population andexpanded opportunities for disabled usersshould be highlighted. Recreationalopportunities can be improved by identifyingareas with additional recreational potential,working with new partners, and recognizing andseizing small and non-traditional opportunities toexpand access.

Collecting information and asking questions fromthe public use perspective will help to formulateapproaches that enhance your waterfront andrevitalize your community. Maximizing publicaccess to the water, while maintaining otherimportant uses, requires consideration of a wide


Stirling Basin, Greenport

Constitution Marsh, Hudson Highlands

East Hampton, Atlantic Ocean


range of approaches by a community. Indetermining how to make your waterfront more accessible, start by asking several keyquestions.

What is the nature of existing access toyour waterfront? What types of access,beaches, trails, boat launches, parks,marinas, or nature preserves exist?

How extensively are they used? Are theywell used, little used, over used?

Who owns and manages them: State orfederal government, local government,private business, a private association, ora conservation organization?

What is their condition? Are they wellmaintained, neglected, or in disrepair?

Are there adequate support facilities forrecreation areas? Is there enoughparking? Can boaters and fishermenobtain supplies?

Are there private encroachments onpublic areas, particularly rights-of-way,public trust lands and waters, or publiceasements?

What views of the waterfront are valuedby the community and visitors?

What are the costs associated with theuse of the facilities? Are there restrictionson who may use them?

What studies and plans already exist thataddress public access and recreation onyour waterfront?

It is useful to map the public access andwaterfront recreation sites that have beenidentified.

When you know what you have, ask yourself“How can we improve what we have and whatmore do we want or need?” You will needinformation about:

The nature of the demand for moreaccess and recreation on your waterfrontby type of access, and who in thecommunity wants/needs the access orrecreational opportunities: neighborhoods;specific recreational interests such ascompetitive rowing, fishing, or scubadiving; the community at large; the region;or tourists and visitors

The sites that have potential for providingaccess and recreation and the conditionsthat make the site appropriate or inhibitits use

The environmental constraints onincreasing access and recreation at aparticular site

The capacity of necessary infrastructureto support new or improved access andrecreation

Tonawanda, Niagara River

Ditch Plains, Montauk


Case Study: The Public TrustDoctrineThe Public Trust Doctrine provides that publictrust lands, waters, and living resources in aState are held in trust for the benefit of all of thepeople, and establishes the right of the public tofully enjoy public trust lands, waters, and livingresources for a wide variety of public uses.

In New York State, the public trust waters are thewaters of the State, and the public trust lands arethe lands now, or formerly, beneath those watersto the high water mark. The living resourcesinhabiting or dependent on these lands andwaters are also subject to the Public TrustDoctrine. On Long Island, as a result of colonialera grants, some of these public trust lands areheld by the towns.

The Public Trust Doctrine is particularly importantin establishing the public's right to use and passover the foreshore of tidal waters. Rivers whosebed and banks are in private ownership may alsoprovide opportunities for public use, includingincidental portage on riparian lands, if they arenavigable-in-fact. A number of landmark caseshave confirmed and described the public's rightsand the State's responsibilities with regard topublic trust lands and waters. In 1992, the NewYork State Legislature amended the Public LandsLaw codifying, in part, the Public Trust Doctrine(www.nyswaterfronts.com/waterfront_public_trust.asp). The legislaturefound that regulation of projects and

structures, proposed to be constructed in orover public trust lands and waters, wasnecessary to responsibly manage the public'sinterests in trust lands. The legislature statedthat use of trust lands is to be consistent withthe public interest in reasonable use andresponsible management of waterways for thepurposes of navigation, commerce, fishing,bathing, recreation, environmental and aestheticprotection, and access to the navigable watersand lands underwater of the State.

Riparian and littoral property owners have aright to use or cross public trust lands andwaters to gain access to navigable waters.However, the method and manner by which theygain access is determined and limited by theeffects on the public's rights, local conditionsand custom, and applicable State and localregulations.

Understanding both what the Public TrustDoctrine says about the rights of the public andthe rights of riparian or littoral property ownersin general and what the specific history of howpublic trust lands have been managed along acommunity's shoreline is critical in managingthe waterfront.

In the 19th and 20th centuries many grants ofpublic trust lands were made to private intereststo promote the commerce of the State and forother purposes. These grants were particularlyprevalent in the cities and villages of the Statewhere development was concentrated. In many

instances the underwater lands conveyed weresubsequently filled. As a result, a community'scurrent shoreline is often not its original naturalshoreline. Since these filled lands were imbuedwith the public trust and the conveyances wereusually less than a fee interest or hadconditions attached, certain public rights inthese lands may continue to exist. This situationcan be particularly useful in obtaining publicaccess and other public benefits as thewaterfront is redeveloped for new uses. Also,the State may revoke grants when the usesproposed are not in conformity with the PublicTrust Doctrine.

The New York State Office of General Servicesis generally the current custodian of public trustlands. They have records of all conveyancesand the original shoreline, which may be of useto communities working on plans or projects tomake the most of their waterfront.

Fishkill Creek, Beacon


Property ownership, including theownership of underwater lands andparticularly lands that were onceunderwater and have been filled

This and similar information will enable you toidentify the opportunities that exist for increasingaccess and recreation. In assessing how realisticthese opportunities are you will need to beaware of the many approaches that are availableto bring about the changes desired. While one ofthe most obvious means of improving publicaccess and recreational opportunities is throughcapital spending by federal, State, or localgovernment - either directly or through grantprograms - there are other available approachesthat should be considered.

Local land use regulations - newwaterfront development can be required,under certain circumstances, to providepublic access or recreational facilities aspart of the development; site planregulations can have standards thatrequire buildings to be sited to protectviews to or from the water; land can bezoned for recreational use only.

Partnerships - partnerships betweenwaterfront businesses and localgovernment can be established withbusiness improvement districts that createpublic waterfront amenities to enhancebusiness and public access.

Nonprofit organizations - nonprofitorganizations, particularly land trusts andenvironmental organizations, can work withcommunities to improve public access.

Underwater rights - any remaining Stateinterest in former underwater lands can beused to provide public access as part ofnew development.

Institutional access - large institutionalfacilities, whether public or private, suchas hospitals or schools, located along theshore can provide public access andrecreation on their grounds.

The Working WaterfrontThe State's working waterfronts include a widevariety of ports and harbors which have manywater-dependent uses. Many uses andbusinesses require a location on the water tofunction, or to harvest living or mineral resourcesfrom coastal and inland waters. Agricultural uses,especially orchards and vineyards, are clusteredalong the waterfront because of the beneficialeffects of the waterbody on climate. Active,economically viable waterfronts have importantcultural, historic, and scenic attributes; andmaritime uses are part of our heritage and canprovide the context for an exciting, vibranttourism industry.

Water-dependent and water-enhanced usesA water-dependent use is defined as “an activitywhich can only be conducted on, in, over, oradjacent to a water body because such activityrequires direct access to that water body, andwhich involves, as an integral part of suchactivity, the use of the water.” The ports andharbors of New York State are where most ofthese uses are concentrated. These water-dependent uses and businesses includeinternational shipping facilities, marinas, mooring

areas, yacht clubs, boat yards, commercial andrecreational fishing operations, facilities forshipping petroleum products and aggregates,ferry landings, and various support facilities forwaterborne commerce and recreation. Together,these uses generate billions of dollars for theState's economy and are vital to the economichealth and character of most waterfrontcommunities. These working waterfronts need tobe protected and promoted as importantelements of a community's maritime heritageand economy. However, because the waterfrontis also an attractive place to live, there iscompetition for the limited land area thatsurrounds ports and harbors that can endangerthese important uses. Competition can also existbetween the uses we make of harbors and thenatural resources they contain.

Communities face hard decisions about how toallocate the limited harbor shoreline and watersamong competing uses. These decisions requirecomplex judgements about:

How best to promote water-dependentdevelopment without compromisingenvironmental quality?

What is the right mix of waterfront usesfor a particular community?

How to balance property owners'expectations with the community's interestin maintaining a sense of maritimeheritage?


Case Study: Lake George VillageWorking in partnership with private landowners and NewYork State, the Village of Lake George has improvedpublic access along the lakefront. Constructed in directresponse to key revitalization needs identified during theLocal Waterfront Revitalization Program planningprocess, these projects have strengthened linkagesbetween the waterfront and downtown, and created anew “front door” for businesses located on the lake.

Between 1995 and 1999, the Village received nearly$300,000 in State grants to complete a variety ofwaterfront improvement projects. These includedconstruction of a 650 foot long pedestrian walkway onthe Lake George waterfront, streetscape improvementsalong three village streets connecting the waterfront tocommercial areas, and conversion of these streets fromvehicular access to pedestrian access to provide saferpedestrian access to waterfront amenities. The Villagewas assisted by a landscape architecture consultant,who prepared all conceptual designs and constructiondocuments, and helped coordinate project completion.

Part of the Village's success resulted from involving theprivate sector. The Village negotiated easements fromfive waterfront property owners, only once using itspowers of eminent domain. The Village also worked withproperty owners to establish a special assessmentdistrict, enabling them to raise money for ongoingimprovements and maintenance through special taxassessments.

What infrastructure and support facilitiesdo water-dependent uses need toremain viable?

How to meet the needs of tourists,seasonal, and year-round residents?

What priority should water-dependentuses be given in land use regulation?

In order to answer these questions, you shouldidentify your community's existing water-dependent uses by type, size, and location.Youshould discuss with the owners or operators ofthese uses the problems they face in maintaininga viable operation.You might then identify theareas suitable for particular water-dependent uses.

You will find that infrastructure needs for theworking waterfront vary widely. Whether theseneeds are a public or private responsibility,opportunities to coordinate maintenanceactivities or to provide necessary infrastructure,such as channel dredging, public docks and ferrylandings, or links to land transportation, canoften be most efficiently met in the ports andharbors where water-dependent uses areconcentrated.

Communities should examine the pattern andtrends of land use change along their waterfrontto determine an effective strategy for retaining orattracting water-dependent uses. You should askthe following questions:

Are the water-dependent uses beingreplaced by uses which do not require awaterfront location, such as residential uses?

Is demand for recreational boatingfacilities increasing?

Are water-dependent industries closingwithout a new water-dependent usemoving in?

Why are these changes occurring?

What is the nature of demand for the useson the waterfront?

While there must be market support to sustainmost water-dependent uses, the market alonecannot be relied upon to assure that the rangeof uses a community desires will be maintainedor attained. Various incentives and disincentives,as well as land and water use regulations, aretools a community can use to promote itsworking waterfront. Choosing the right mix fromamong the tools available will depend upon thetypes of uses desired and the degree andnature of the competition for space on thewaterfront.

The most basic approach to assuring that water-dependent uses have priority on the waterfront isthrough zoning. Once a community hasestablished a list of permitted uses consistentwith the uses it desires and has identified theareas where these uses are appropriate, themost important factor in selecting the besttechnique is the degree of competition for use ofthe waterfront. The specific zoning techniquesemployed can vary depending on the degree ofcompetition. The following general approaches tozoning for water-dependent uses reflect the roleof competition:


New York Harbor

Salmon cleaning station, Lake Ontario

Permit water-dependent uses along withother uses. This is appropriate wherecompetition is low, much open land isavailable, or there is a low demand forwater-dependent uses.

Permit water-dependent use and allowother uses but not those that are mostlikely to choose a waterfront location andthus would compete with water-dependentuses, such as residential uses.

Permit water-dependent uses and allowother uses only by special permit withthe condition that they be part of amixed-use proposal that includes water-dependent uses. This may provideneeded economic support for the desiredwater-dependent uses.

Permit water-dependent use only. Thisapproach is particularly appropriate wherethe waterfront area is developed withwater-dependent uses and there is strongdevelopment pressure to convert to otheruses, generally residential.

Provide for more than one water-dependent use zone with a different set ofuses in each. This is appropriate wherethere may be competition for spacebetween water-dependent uses, e.g.,marinas and commercial fishing, or theuses have different siting needs.

Other tools that communities can use to attract ormaintain the mix of uses that will make the most

of their harbors include use value assessment forwater-dependent uses; public infrastructureimprovements, either directly or through creationof a harbor improvement district; working withState and federal regulators to expedite the permitprocess for water-dependent uses throughperimeter permits for marinas, genericenvironmental impact statements for commonactions of similar harbor uses, or coordination ofdredging projects; and harbor management plans.

A water-enhanced use is defined “as an activitywhich does not require a location adjacent tocoastal waters, but whose location on thewaterfront adds to the public use and enjoyment ofthe water's edge.” Water-enhanced uses areprimarily recreational, cultural, retail, orentertainment uses. These uses are alsoimportant to the economy, character, and publicenjoyment of a community's waterfront. Whendeveloped in association with water-dependentuses they can provide necessary economicsupport; however, they may also compete withwater-dependent uses. A community needs todecide the mix of uses that is suitable for itswaterfront.

Harbor management planningChanges in the State’s recreational boating fleet,changes in the use of harbor shorelines,dredging needs, competition for space, andshifts in global markets affect the efficientoperation of our ports and harbors. Conflictshave increased between passive and activerecreation; between commercial and recreationaluses; and, between all uses and the naturalresources of a harbor.


Stirling Basin, Greenport

Essex, Lake Champlain

Harbor management plans can be used toanalyze and resolve these conflicts and tocoordinate jurisdictional and regulatoryauthorities. They are key to making the most ofthe waterside of your waterfront. The Division ofCoastal Resources can provide technical andfinancial assistance to communities to prepareharbor management plans, as components ofLocal Waterfront Revitalization Programs, toimprove management of harbor uses andactivities. Guidelines on the preparation of aharbor management plan are available from theDivision of Coastal Resources(www.nyswaterfronts.com/waterfront_working_harbormgmt.asp).

While the State and federal governments have the authority to regulate many in-water activities,these regulations are generally for specificactivities or for discrete purposes. Harbormanagement planning enables local governmentto address a wide range of uses and activities inharbor and nearshore areas to improve harborsafety and operation.

To develop a plan for the waterside of yourwaterfront that will complement your plans for the landside, you will need to understand howyour harbor or nearshore areas are being usednow and what constraints exist for new uses.The information you will need includes thefollowing:

details on commercial, industrial, andrecreational water-dependent uses suchas marinas, boat yards, transhipmentfacilities, swimming areas, commercial orrecreational fishing or shellfishing, types

of commercial and recreational vesseltraffic, and vessel anchorage or mooringareas

water quality classifications and usestandards

wetlands and significant habitats

the general pattern of public and privateownership of underwater lands

historic underwater sites or structures,such as shipwrecks or archeological sites

location of underwater cables or pipelines

existing infrastructure, such as navigationchannels and basins, bulkheads, docksand docking facilities, sewage treatmentand vessel waste facilities, public watersupplies, and roadways supporting theharbor area

a description of adjacent existing landuses and zoning

the existing federal, State and localregulations that apply in the harbor

Once you have this basic information you willwant to determine the issues and conflicts thatare affecting your ability to make the most ofyour waterfront. The following lists typical issuesand conflicts that should be considered andanalyzed if they are present in your harbor ornearshore areas:


Tonawanda

Interferences with existing navigationchannels by structures, such as docks,floats or anchored or moored vessels

Public health and safety issues, such asconflicts between shellfishing and vesselanchorage or mooring areas, theoperation of vessels in or near swimmingareas, unsafe vessel speeds, and generalboating congestion

Substandard water quality and a need toimprove water quality for a range ofdesired uses, such as fishing, swimming,or year-round or seasonal shellfishing

Degraded or threatened natural areas,such as wetlands or significant coastalfish and wildlife habitats

A need to maintain or provide harborinfrastructure, such as roadways,navigation channels, bulkheads, boatramps, docks, sewage treatment, andvessel waste pumpout facilities

Limits on public access to or use of theharbor area

A high demand for, but a lack of,appropriate commercial vessel supportfacilities or sufficiently maintainednavigation channel or basin depths

Problems related to dredging anddredged material disposal

The need to protect important water-dependent uses in appropriate areaswithin harbors

Zoning of water-dependent uses for otheruses in areas appropriate for water-dependent uses

Intertidal wetland areas, bays, or otheroffshore or intertidal areas that are usedor zoned for residential or otherinappropriate uses

Based on your analysis of harbor conditions,planning for your harbor should lead to thepreparation of a harbor management chart (awater area map) that indicates how the harborwill function and how specific areas of the harborwill be used. This is similar to a zoning map, andneeds to be supported by a local law. The chartshould show:

existing or proposed navigation channels,fairways, or accessways over the water'ssurface

open water areas

mooring or anchorage areas

marinas

periodic or on-going special use zones,such as areas for water skiing, races orother special events

buffer areas between water surface uses

swimming areas

harbor or pierhead lines and bulkhead lines

perimeter permit areas

major structures, such as groins, jetties,seawalls, bulkheads, and piers

sensitive habitat or shellfishing areas

upland adjacent to the waterbodydesignated for water-dependent uses

proposed public improvements, such asdocks, vessel waste disposal facilities,launch ramps

The harbor management law should alsoaddress regulation of the following:

the use, operation, speed, anchoring andmooring, and other uses of or activitiesassociated with vessels

the siting and construction of docks, piers,bulkheads, or other in-water structures


Oswego

activities allowed or prohibited in sensitiveareas, such as highly productive wetlandsand significant habitats, or in locationswhere public safety is of concern, such asswimming areas

dredging and dredged material disposal,mining, or excavating of subsurfacematerial

swimming, SCUBA diving or other primarycontact in-water recreational activities

Other means of implementing harbormanagement that you should consider include:

Harbor Improvement Districts -establishing harbor improvement districtspursuant to Section 190 of the Town Lawto provide a funding mechanism for publicprojects and physical improvements inand adjacent to the harbor area, such asconstruction and maintenance of publiclaunching ramps, docks, vessel wastepumpout and waste reception facilities,land acquisition, and dredging

Capital projects - identifying commercialor recreational fishing docks, channeldredging, shoreline stabilization, andacquisition of boats and other equipment

Management/Enforcement - appointing aharbor manager or designating someoneto administer and enforce the plan,providing a harbormaster or other person

with the training and authority toadminister the plan, or assigning theharbor responsibilities to existing officialsand boards

Education - providing information torecreational boaters and other users of theharbor area about harbor safety and publichealth, maritime history, uses of theharbor, and natural resources to increasepublic awareness of harbor issues

Actions by federal and State agencies are oftennecessary in order to fully implement andadvance projects in harbors. These actions mayinclude approving anchorage and mooring areas,designating vessel waste no-discharge zones,dredging or maintaining major navigationchannels and basins, constructing or maintainingbreakwaters, funding certain studies, or providingtechnical assistance. These actions should bedescribed in the harbor management plan.

AgricultureIn New York State, agriculture often comprises asignificant land use in waterfront communities.Agriculture is important for its economic value, itspositive contribution to the character of thelandscape, as an open space resource, andoften for its role in the history and developmentof the community. While a small percentage of allagricultural land in the State, agricultural land inthe coastal area and along inland waterbodies isoften among the most valuable and productive.These areas include much of the State'sorchards and vineyards which benefit from themoderating climatic effects of the water bodies.

Dairy farms, the largest segment of agriculture inthe State, as well as many other types ofagriculture, can also be found along majorwaterbodies.

Agriculture faces many threats. Agricultural landgoes out of production as a result of regulatedand unregulated market forces and as result ofcompetition from other land uses, especiallyresidential development. This latter threat isparticularly strong in waterfront communitiesbecause of the high demand for homes near thewater. While communities cannot directly affectmarket forces, they can affect the loss ofagricultural land to other uses.

Agriculture can also be a source ofenvironmental problems, including increasednutrient loading, pesticide contamination, andnuisance odors. However, when properlymanaged, maintaining land in agriculture can bean excellent way to preserve communitycharacter and heritage, provide economicbenefit, conserve open space, increase scenicamenities, and protect the environment.

In order to maintain farmland, a communityneeds to first understand the nature of theagriculture that exists. You will need to know:

What is grown and where is it grown?

What are the market forces affecting theprofitability of farming in your community?While you may not be able to affect these,you need to understand the economicenvironment in which farmers areoperating.


What farm support services exist? Is theresufficient farming in the surrounding areato support the suppliers and distributorsnecessary for efficient farm operation?

How strong is the demand for other usesof farmland?

What are the existing land use regulationsof the farmland, what restraints do theyplace on normal farm operations, andwhat other land uses do they permit?

What development restrictions on thefarmland exist, for example, is it in anAgricultural District, or have developmentrights been purchased?

What are the soil types and which soilshave been identified as particularlyimportant for agricultural production?

What is the history of farming in thecommunity; have farms been in the samefamily for centuries?

Are there abandoned farms or old fieldsthat also contribute to the character of thelandscape?

Soil surveys exist for each county and aredeveloped by the Natural Resource ConservationService (www.soils.usda.gov) and they can bereviewed in County Soil Conservation DistrictOffices, libraries, and other public offices. YourCounty Cooperative Extension office can provideinformation about the extent, type, and

economics of local agriculture. In developing yourplan to support the continuation of agriculture inyour community, you should involve all those withan interest in the matter. This would include, inaddition to the farmers, organizations such as theCooperative Extension, New York Farm Bureau,the regional and county farm bureaus(www.nyfb.org), and the American Farmland Trust(www.farmland.org); State and federal agriculturalagencies; local and county government agencies;land trusts and conservation organizations;environmental and community organizations; andother community leaders and decision makers.

The means that you select to maintain farming inyour community will depend upon the type offarming, the nature of the competition forfarmland, and the external forces affecting trendsin the products of the farms. In consultation withall stakeholders, you should select thecombination of approaches that best fit thecircumstances of your community. Among theoptions that can be considered are the following:

Agricultural districts - encourageparticipation in the State AgriculturalDistrict Program, or in individualparticipation in agricultural valueassessment programs

Zoning - enact zoning regulations that at aminimum allow for farming, and wherenecessary, prohibit other uses or establishlarge lot sizes that reflect the agriculturalactivity, e.g., 40 acres, to reduce themarket for competing uses


Southold vineyards

Southold

Development rights - establish orencourage participation in purchase-of-development rights programs

Transfer-of-development rights - provide inyour zoning for the transfer-of-development rights

Eliminate unnecessary restrictions -review your land use regulations andeliminate standards for farms thatunnecessarily restrict normal farmingpractices, for example, aestheticstandards in site plan review for new farmbuildings

Clustering - require the clustering ofdevelopment to preserve the bestfarmland where other uses are allowed onfarmland

Buffer requirements - require new non-farm uses to provide a buffer between thenew use and any farming activity

Runoff reduction - encourageimplementation of comprehensivemeasures to reduce polluted farm runoff

Public education - develop an outreachprogram to increase public understandingof the value of local agriculture and howagriculture and community growth can co-exist

Historic preservation - preserve historicbarns and farm houses


Papscanee Island, East Greenbush

Coxsackie


Case Study: Town of EssexCommunities on Lake Champlain are realizingtheir visions to make the most of theirwaterfronts. They started by sharing their visionof the future in a regional waterfrontrevitalization program. Many of thesecommunities are building on this initiative byimplementing their own local programs.

In the Town of Essex (www.essexnewyork.com)seasonal pressures are building. Increasedferry traffic, tourism, and growing second homeownership are affecting the quality of life in thishistoric hamlet. Use conflicts on the lake areoccurring more frequently as water-basedrecreation grows in popularity. In response, theTown is using its Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram to protect its small town character -balancing historic preservation anddevelopment throughout the Town and makingthe most of its attractive lakefront location.

The Local Waterfront Revitalization Programprotects community character and theenvironmental quality of Lake Champlain,promotes the expansion of public access alongthe shoreline, and raises public awarenessregarding the Town's cultural and naturalresources. The Program is implemented by anew zoning law and a harbor management lawwhich provide clear standards to protect thehistoric character of the Town, to regulateerosion control and shoreline stabilizationmeasures, and to provide local control over

moorings and docks. A site plan review process was put in place for all developmentactivities within a Shoreline Protection OverlayDistrict.

With no planning staff and limited funding, thetask of completing the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program fell to an enthusiasticand dedicated group of local residents, withtechnical assistance from Essex County andthe Division of Coastal Resources. The Zoningand Shoreline Review Committee, withrepresentatives from the Town Board, PlanningBoard, Zoning Board and the Essex CountyPlanner, met weekly for more than three years.All meetings were open to and enthusiasticallyattended by the public, including the Essex Community Heritage Organization, marinaoperators, and permanent and seasonalresidents. This public involvement and supportcontributed to participation, commitment, andapproval by the Town Board.

These volunteers have made a real differenceto the community. By completing its LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program, the Town iswell positioned to achieve its vision ofprotecting its small town historic character.

In this chapter, you’ll work through the following step:

Refining your vision and developinga strategy

By now you have developed a vision to enhanceyour waterfront; built a base of support in thecommunity; and established partnerships todevelop a waterfront revitalization plan. You haveanalyzed your waterfront from four keyperspectives - the developed waterfront, naturalwaterfront, public waterfront, and workingwaterfront - and have collected substantialinformation about your waterfront’s assets,constraints, and opportunities. Use theinformation you gathered to give your vision a“reality check.” What have you learned about howyou can fulfill your vision?

What are the obstacles to your vision?

Have you discovered even more excitingopportunities than you thought existed?

Are your ideas still sound?

Refining your vision anddeveloping a strategyUntil now your vision has been based upon yourinitial understanding of your waterfront and itsrole in the community. Now that you have taken acloser look around and understand how to makethe most of your assets, you canre-evaluate and refine your vision.

When you have refined your vision, it is time tocreate a plan and strategy to help you movefrom vision to implementation. A waterfront planand strategy has ten characteristics:

Realistic - It should indicate what ispossible given available or potentialresources.

Comprehensive - It should address fullythe range of conditions that affect thequality of life along a waterfront includinghuman, economic, social, andenvironmental conditions.

Specific - It should target and addressthe distinct needs of different parts of thewaterfront.

Coordinated - It should be integrated withthe community’s annual operating budget,as well as the capital improvementsprogram or budget.

Partnership-based - It should bringpublic and private interests together in acombined effort to address issues andopportunities.

Citizen-focused - It should enjoy broadcommunity awareness and support.

Understandable - It should be easy toread and understand.

Solution-specific - It should identifycommunity issues and directly proposesolutions which will remedy or addressthese issues.

Change-oriented - It should offer specificstrategies to alleviate identified communityproblems and shortcomings.

Contemporary - It should be updatedwhen necessary to reflect changingconditions, as well as changingcommunity perceptions.

The role of the Local WaterfrontRevitalization ProgramThe Local Waterfront Revitalization Programprovides a means to turn your vision, enhancedby the information you have gathered, theanalysis you have done, and the partnershipsyou have formed, into a plan and strategy thatcan be readily implemented. At the beginning ofthis guidebook we indicated that a LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program is both a planand a program. At this stage you will focus onthe plan.

As a plan, a Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram, or “LWRP” as it is commonly known, isa locally prepared land and water use plan andstrategy for a community's waterfront. It providesa comprehensive framework within which acommunity’s vision for its waterfront can beformalized.

A LWRP may be comprehensive and address allissues that affect a community’s entirewaterfront. Alternatively, it may be issue driven,addressing only the most critical waterfrontissue(s) facing a community, such as public


CHAPTER FIVE:DEVELOPING A STRATEGY

access or water quality, or it may focus on aspecific area, such as the downtown, a harbor, ora critical natural resource area. Communitieswith shared interests or resources areencouraged to coordinate their individualprograms or to prepare a common program. TheDivision of Coastal Resources can help you todetermine the right approach for your community.

Putting it together - preparing an LWRPWorking in partnership with the Division ofCoastal Resources, a community will completethe five sections of a LWRP: the waterfrontrevitalization area boundary; an inventory andanalysis of existing conditions; waterfrontpolicies; proposed land and water uses andprojects; and implementation techniques. Onceapproved by the New York State Secretary ofState, the LWRP serves to coordinate State andfederal actions needed to assist the communityto achieve its vision.

Section I: Defining the waterfrontrevitalization area boundariesThis section includes a map and provides anarrative description of the LWRP’s land andwaterside boundaries.

In developing a LWRP, one of the earliest tasksthat communities complete is the delineation ofthe waterfront revitalization area boundaries. Youwill already have established a geographicboundary for the community’s waterfront studyas a way to focus planning efforts. Using this as

a guide, refine your boundary based on theinformation that you discovered so that theboundary allows you to address all waterfrontissues. If you are in the coastal area, you shouldconsult New York State’s official Coastal AreaMap which designates the coastal boundaries forthe entire State. In many communities, the State-designated coastal boundary is adequate and isthe boundary used in the LWRP. In somecommunities, however, preliminary review ofwaterfront resources, problems, andopportunities may indicate that one or morerevisions to the boundary will be necessary toadvance the LWRP policies and projects. If arevision of the boundary is recommended, theLWRP document should state the reasons forthe proposed change.

Section II: Inventory and analysis of existingconditionsThis section involves data collection, review andanalysis presented in a narrative form andsupported by maps, charts, and photographs.

The LWRP will include the inventory andanalysis of existing conditions that you undertookto help you understand what your waterfront hasto offer. This will cover a brief description offindings related to the developed, natural, public,and working waterfronts. It will outline keywaterfront issues.

Many of these issues will have emerged in yourvisioning and goal-setting activities. Theinventory and analysis will provide information on


Skaneateles Lake

Battery Park, New York City

these issues and begin to outline how they maybe tackled. For example, the community mayenvision a future in which commercial fishing willbe a strong economic generator, but existingzoning and land use regulations discouragecommercial fishing in favor of recreationalboating or residential uses. Or, perhaps newuses have been envisioned, but site evaluationand clean-up must take place before the newuses can be implemented.

Inventory findings will also be used as the basisfor developing local waterfront revitalizationpolicies, identifying land and water uses andprojects, and outlining implementationtechniques and strategies.

Section III: Understanding and reflectingState policiesThis section refines existing statewide waterfrontpolicies that apply to a community’s uniquewaterfront area.

One of the most important roles of the LWRP isto refine New York State’s policies for coastalareas and inland waterways to better reflect localconditions. The New York State WaterfrontRevitalization of Coastal Areas and InlandWaterways Act establishes policies for theappropriate use and protection of the State'scoasts and waterways (www.nyswaterfronts.com/consistency_coastalpolicies.asp).

These policies have been refined to take intoaccount regional and local considerations. OnLong Island Sound, the policies have been

refined in the Long Island Sound RegionalCoastal Management Program. In New York City,the policies have been refined in the City'sWaterfront Revitalization Program(www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/wrp/wrp.shtml).Throughout the State, many communities haverefined these policies through their LocalWaterfront Revitalization Programs.

The following outline of State policies formanaging coastal areas and inland waterwaysprovides the organizational structure for you touse in refining statewide policies.

Developed Coast PoliciesPolicy 1 Foster a pattern of development that enhances community character, preserves openspace, makes efficient use of infrastructure,makes beneficial use of a coastal location, andminimizes adverse effects of development.

Policy 2 Preserve historic resources.

Policy 3 Enhance visual quality and protectscenic resources.

Natural Coast PoliciesPolicy 4 Minimize loss of life, structures, andnatural resources from flooding and erosion.

Policy 5 Protect and improve water quality.

Policy 6 Protect and restore the quality andfunction of ecosystems.

Policy 7 Protect and improve air quality.

Policy 8 Minimize environmental degradationfrom solid waste and hazardous substancesand wastes.

Public Coast PolicyPolicy 9 Provide for public access to, andrecreational use of, coastal waters, public lands,and public resources.

Working Coast PoliciesPolicy 10 Protect water-dependent uses andpromote siting of new water-dependent uses insuitable locations.

Policy 11 Promote sustainable use of livingmarine resources.

Policy 12 Protect agricultural lands.

Policy 13 Promote appropriate use anddevelopment of energy and mineral resources.

Local policies are prepared after thedetermination of waterfront revitalization areaboundaries and completion of the inventory andanalysis of existing conditions. Before beginning towork on local waterfront revitalization policies, youshould contact the Division of Coastal Resourcesfor guidance. Development of waterfrontrevitalization policies is usually a collaborativereview, discussion, and writing process.


Using the language of the State or regionalpolicy statements as a starting point, you willrefine these policies to reflect local conditionsand issues, creating the policy framework toachieve your vision for the community and itswaterfront. Your local policies will generallyreflect statewide policies and include standardsset forth in those local regulations that ensureimplementation of your waterfront program withinthe community.

The policies are critical elements in LWRPimplementation. These policies will guide yourefforts to create and maintain a clean,accessible, and prosperous waterfront. They areused to determine the appropriateness of publicagency decisions that affect the use andprotection of your waterfront, to help set prioritiesfor public and private investment in yourwaterfront, and to improve the management ofyour waterfront. They are a decision-making toolused to evaluate the potential effects of futurelocal, State and federal actions on the waterfront.These actions are required by law to beconsistent with the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program.

Section IV: Identifying the proposed land andwater uses and projectsThis section describes future land and wateruses anticipated as part of waterfrontrevitalization plans and identifies keyimprovement projects designed to stimulaterevitalization and redevelopment. It will besupported by maps, schematic designs, andphotographs.

Determining the proposed land and water usescreates a cohesive, physical plan for thewaterfront area that both reflects and implementsthe policies of the LWRP. The process ofdeveloping proposed land and water uses is oneof synthesis, in which the community’s policies forthe use and protection of its waterfront resourcesare considered along with development potentialand development constraints - each of which isdetermined by several often interrelated, physicaland social factors.

Identifying potential waterfront revitalizationprojects is a key element of the LWRP. Throughoutthe planning process, many potential projects arelikely to be identified that can further your vision.The LWRP provides a framework for presentingthese projects and outlining how they can beimplemented. These potential projects orimplementation actions will be organized underbroad topic areas such as projects to increasepublic access; brownfield redevelopment; or habitatrestoration. Inclusion of projects in the LWRP willenhance the likelihood of successful grantapplications for a variety of State funding sources.

An initial list of potential projects will result fromtaking a look around and understanding whatyour waterfront has to offer. Previouslycompleted local, regional, and statewideplanning documents can provide ideas regardingpotential waterfront revitalization projects. Otherproject ideas may be identified during thevisioning process or in discussions with keystakeholders. A reasonable time frame should beestablished for implementing these projects andoutlined in your LWRP.


Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson River

Harlem, Hudson River

You should consider both short and long-termactions. In identifying project priorities you shouldconsider:

Catalyst projects which pave the way forother recommendations to beimplemented

Showing early successes with projectsthat can be quickly completed,establishing momentum and building atrack record

Projects that include partnerships andcooperation with other stakeholders

Projects that address multiple prioritiesand recommendations

Actions which draw attention to the LWRP

Projects included in the LWRP document shouldbe presented as concise proposals. While projectdescriptions should be brief, it is useful toprepare them in such a way that they can easilybe translated into grant applications or otherfunding requests. Each project descriptionshould include the name of the project, a briefstatement regarding why the project is neededand/or how the project will benefit the communityor waterfront, a description of the key stepsinvolved in project implementation, a summary ofestimated costs, a description of implementationpartners, and an implementation timetable.

Section V: Identifying techniques for localimplementationThis section describes how the community willimplement the vision and policies presented inits LWRP.

Once the projects and other implementationactions have been defined and the timetableestablished, the community should outline thelocal tools and techniques it will use toimplement the plan.

Communities have access to a range of toolsand techniques that can be used to implementthe waterfront plan and make it an essentialdocument for the community.

The tools and techniques for localimplementation can be organized by fourcategories:

Local laws necessary to implement theLWRP

Management structure necessary toimplement the LWRP

Financial resources necessary toimplement the LWRP

Other public and private actionsnecessary to implement the LWRP

As you assessed your waterfront, you alsoidentified the local laws that your community hasenacted. In this section, you will carefully review


Amagansett, East Hampton

Queens West, East River

and analyze existing local laws and the LWRPpolicies and projects. You will determine theextent to which these existing local lawsimplement the LWRP. Your evaluation may showthat new local laws are needed to address anissue, or that an existing local law needs to beamended. Before the LWRP can be approved bythe Secretary of State, the local laws necessaryto implement your LWRP must be enacted by themunicipality.

One of the local laws that will be required is alocal consistency law that ensures that localactions are consistent with the LWRP. This locallaw stipulates which agency reviews waterfrontactions and the criteria used in the decision-making process. Model waterfront consistencylaws can be provided by the Division of CoastalResources.

In addition to adopting implementing laws, thecommunity should determine the bestmanagement structure to implement the LWRPand identify the organization or individuals bestpositioned to oversee implementation andcoordination of the LWRP. This will be discussedin more detail in the following chapter, Taking ItOne Step at a Time - Fulfilling Your Vision.

Your vision will not happen without acommitment to provide the staff and financialresources needed to carry out the plan. In thissection of the LWRP, the community shouldidentify the funds needed to implement theLWRP, including the proposed projects androutine administration of the program. Both

public and private financial resources should beconsidered. In cases where State or federalfunding is needed, the specific funding programshould be identified. Linking the plan with amulti-year capital program and an annualoperating budget is another way to assure planimplementation. As each project identified in theplan is readied for development, detailed budgetswill be developed, and where appropriate,referenced in the community’s CapitalImprovement Program or annual budget process.

Adoption and approval of the LWRPMany State and federal partners view formaladoption as a reflection of the communityconsensus on the LWRP. When the LWRP iscomplete, the local government will formallyadopt it and submit it to the Secretary of Statefor approval. Adoption makes clear that the planwill be a policy document which guidesdevelopment over successive administrations.The Division of Coastal Resources can guideyou through the adoption and approval steps.


Lake George

Tonawanda, Erie Canal

Lewiston, Niagara River


Case Study: RochesterThe City of Rochester (www.cityofrochester.gov) has moved forward aggressively toimplement projects identified in its LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program, undertakingpublic investments in shoreline areas that haveattracted private investment, stimulatedeconomic growth, and substantially increasedpublic recreation and access opportunities.

The Local Waterfront Revitalization Programincluded comprehensive redevelopment plansand identified specific projects:

Developing a mixed-use, waterfrontcenter/festival site and enhancingexisting water-oriented recreational,commercial, and public access points atthe Port Authority site

Developing another mixed-use waterfrontdistrict through enhancement of water-oriented recreation and public accessopportunities, construction of newhousing, and rehabilitation of existingcommercial facilities

Developing a boat launch facility withadjacent public access and water-relatedrecreational activities along the eastbank of the Genesee River

Implementing improvements atnumerous existing park and recreationalfacilities including public accessimprovements, enhancement of existingwater-oriented facilities, and

development of new water-orientedrecreational facilities

One of the primary implementation toolsinvolved zoning modifications. The City's RiverHarbor (RH) zoning district was amended toinclude a purpose statement emphasizing theimportance of preserving and enhancing therecreational character and visual quality of theriver harbor area, preserving and promotingpublic access to shoreline areas, andencouraging tourism in waterfront areas.Allowed uses in the River Harbor district werealso modified to permit a broader range ofwater-dependent, -enhanced and -related usesincluding facilities such as marinas, boatlaunches, docks, and public walkways. A newHarbor Town Design Overlay District was alsoadopted, requiring a certificate of designcompliance for certain types of newdevelopment in the shore zone. Within theoverlay district, design approval is based onspecific design guidelines for landscaping,signage, visual compatibility, site development,and similar factors.

In this chapter, you’ll work through the followingsteps:

Ensuring success - organizing forimplementation

Project planning, financing, andimplementation

Now that you have formalized a plan andstrategy for bringing new life and energy to yourcommunity by enhancing your waterfront, it istime to implement your vision. Your success willdepend on how you organize your communityand manage the implementation of the variousprojects that will fulfill your vision.

Ensuring success - organizing forimplementationCompleting a LWRP or some other type of planfor your waterfront often generates a feeling ofclosure in the community and on the part ofthose involved in the planning work. But if yourplan is going to make a difference - enhancingthe waterfront and revitalizing the community - itmust be used. One way to help ensure successis to put the right organization in place toimplement the plan.

Early in the LWRP development process, mostcommunities establish a coordinating andoversight committee, often known as thewaterfront advisory committee (WAC). If youalready have a committee to guide you throughthe planning process, you should think about

using this committee to oversee theimplementation of the plan. The committeestructure is already in place, partnerships havealready been developed, and everyone is awareof what needs to be done to make the waterfrontvision a reality. If you don't have a committee,then now is the time to ask if one would be helpfulas you set out to implement your plan. Advice onhow to establish an oversight committee can befound in Chapter Two of this guidebook.

If you have a committee in place, this is a goodtime to re-evaluate who is on the committee. Doyou still have the key stakeholders involved? Arethere individuals or groups that should beinvolved now that you are focused onimplementation? You may want to broaden themembership base and consider breaking out intospecific sub-committees focused on particulartopics or projects, for instance, sub-committeesto deal with harbor management, public access,or the redevelopment of a particular waterfrontparcel. Remember, it is important to recruit the“movers and shakers” to be on the committee -the people who others listen to, and have theexperience, personal connections, and resourcesto make things happen.

The committee will now be responsible for overallmanagement and coordination of the LWRP andthe implementation of its policies and projects.The committee's tasks will likely include:

Advising the local government onimplementation, priorities, workassignments, timetables, and budgetaryrequirements of the LWRP

Reviewing direct local government actionsand funding and permitting actionsincluding applications for site plans, zonechanges, subdivisions, and public worksprojects in the waterfront area; andadvising the appropriate agency as to theirconsistency with the LWRP policies

Seeking funding from State, federal, orother sources to finance projects underthe LWRP

Coordinating with other committees, suchas the Planning Board, Zoning Board, andHistoric Preservation Commission, andwith nonprofit organizations andcommunity groups to implement the LWRP

Reviewing proposed actions of Stateagencies within the waterfront area toidentify any conflicts with the LWRP,advising the local government and Stateagency of these conflicts, and participatingin discussions to resolve conflicts

Reviewing proposed federal actionsreferred to the local government by theDivision of Coastal Resources, andadvising the local government on theconsistency of the action

Ongoing monitoring of the LWRP and itsprocedures by developing measurableperformance indicators to review theprogram's overall success in achieving itsrevitalization goals


CHAPTER SIX: TAKING IT ONE STEPAT A TIME - FULFILLING YOUR VISION

In some communities, the development of theplan may have been handled by an existingboard, such as the planning board or aconservation advisory committee, or byassigning the responsibility for coordinating theimplementation of the plan to existing staff, suchas in the Planning Department, CommunityDevelopment or Natural Resources Department.Now is the time to see if this arrangement stillworks. Do you have the staff and expertise toimplement your projects? If you need more help,you may want to consider hiring a waterfrontcoordinator or a planning consultant tocoordinate and advance your projects.

The waterfront coordinator will be responsible for managing, directing, and coordinating theimplementation of a plan and its projects. Thewaterfront coordinator will make sure that allaspects of a project, including additionalplanning, grant writing and administration,design, permits, environmental review andconstruction, are completed in an appropriateand timely fashion. A waterfront coordinator canoversee all contractors and consultants, and alsomake sure that all stakeholders and partners arekept up-to-date and involved in the project.

Project planning, financing, andimplementationEach project identified in your plan will likelyrequire additional planning, feasibility analysis,engineering, design, and consultation before itcan be implemented or constructed. Becauseyou have already done some initial planning as

to how and when your projects should beimplemented, you might be tempted to rush intoaction. However, before you act you need toformulate a carefully considered game plan. Takethe time to discuss and plan your approach withyour partners. This will not only avoid costlymistakes, it will strengthen consensus andsupport for your project.

It is essential to establish an action agenda foreach project as you begin to implement yourvision. But don’t panic - we are not talking abouta repeat of your waterfront planning initiative.This is a concise action-oriented agenda that isfocused on steps that you will follow toimplement your project.

Like your visioning and planning process, projectaction agendas are best developedcollaboratively. Depending on who is involved inyour project, a series of facilitated workshops isoften the best approach to starting a project.Bring together the key stakeholders, diverseinterest groups, resource experts, and otherswho are involved in your project. See if there areothers you want to include to expand yourpartnerships. Remember, it might take severalsessions to reach consensus on your actionagenda, and you will continually need tore-evaluate it as the project advances.


Tuscarora Bay, Wilson

North Tonawanda, Erie Canal


Case Study: MamaroneckThe long-term success of the Town ofMamaroneck and the Village of LarchmontLocal Waterfront Revitalization Program hasbeen made possible by incorporating waterfrontmanagement into day-to-day municipalmanagement.

Adopted in 1986, the Program dealt with floodcontrol, water quality improvements,preservation of wetlands and conservationareas, and public recreation. Grants received asa result of the Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram have supported watershed planning toreduce nonpoint source pollution, to restoresignificant marshland areas, and to stablizestreambeds. In addition, the local program hasserved as a legal foundation for zoningchanges, which were challenged and upheld, inpart, due to their incorporation in the LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program. By the early1990’s, many of the projects identified in theoriginal plan had been implemented. In 1995,the community amended the LWRP providingthe foundation for its continued commitment tocoastal zone management.

This success can be traced to the strong baseof community involvement. The steeringcommittee for the initial plan was carefullydesigned to ensure that all stakeholders - fromlocal business owners to local yacht owners -had a voice. With over 20 individuals, thecommittee was large, but with the help of a

neutral facilitator it was able to produce aprogram that is still considered visionary bycommunity members today.

Building on this foundation, the Town andVillage were able to institutionalize thecommunities’ commitment to the waterfront bycreating the Coastal Zone ManagementCommission. This bi-municipal commission isresponsible for determining whether Village andTown actions are consistent with the LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program and forrecommending actions and projects to advancethe waterfront program. Members of thiscommission are appointed by the Village andTown Boards, with the chair of the commissionalternating between residents of the twomunicipalities.

In its role of monitoring the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program, the commission hasmaintained liaisons to permitting boards andcommissions in both the Town and Village,ensuring that all decisions in both municipalitiesare consistent with the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program. The commission has alsobeen responsible for producing annual statusreports which have kept the communities focusedon the goals identified in the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program and ensuring that it is adocument that informs day-to-day decision-making.

Your project action agenda will specify thefollowing:

the tasks to be performed

the techniques to be used

the resources needed

the people to be involved and areas ofresponsibility

the time frame for action

By pulling these elements together, your actionagenda outlines how a project will be organized,marketed, managed, and completed - one stepat a time. Your agenda should be documented inwriting, but you do not need to go overboard withdetail. Keep it short and simple. Use tables andcharts where appropriate, and illustrate it withmaps and plans to communicate clearly.

When preparing the action agenda, include abrief summary explaining how the proposedproject relates to the established vision. By doingthis repeatedly as projects are planned, you cananchor the vision statement in the minds ofvarious stakeholders and help the community atlarge to understand how each individual projectis part of accomplishing the overall long-termvision for your waterfront and community.

A project action plan should describe the specifictechniques and tools to implement the projectsyou have identified.

If you are developing an abandonedbuilding or site, your action agenda wouldidentify specific tasks such as “assess thestructural integrity of the building,”“understand the demographic and markettrends,” “review zoning regulations,” “selecta design team,” “determine the phasing ofthe project,” and “determine who willfinance the project.”

If you are developing a park, your actionagenda would identify such tasks as“acquire the land,” “understand the likelyuses and facilities to be provided,” “selecta designer,” “involve the community in thedesign,” “conduct environmental reviewand get permits,” and “arrange financing.”

If you are completing a watershed plan,your action agenda would identify specifictasks such as “establish watershed andsub-watershed boundaries,” “reviewexisting water quality data,” “review landuse and land cover patterns,” “analyze soiltypes,” “establish monitoring stations andcollect original data,” “develop modeling,”“analyze data,” and “developrecommendations and set priorities forimprovements.”

Whatever your project, your action agendaidentifies how to do the project, who will do it,and when.

Your action agenda should also generateexcitement in the community. You will be able touse this agenda to “sell” the project to electedofficials, funding and permitting agencies,stakeholders, and the community. Throughout theprocess of developing your action agenda andimplementing a project, sustaining consensusand community support will remain vital to yourproject’s success.

The community can be involved in projectdevelopment through a series of project planningworkshops and design charettes. In thesesessions, the public can work directly with theproject team to develop the design program, selectmaterials, create public access, and other aspectsof the project. Workshops and charettes also allowpeople to assess various alternatives and providebroad community input. Help create communitysupport for each project by building communityinvolvement into the action agenda that youdevelop.

As you develop your action agenda, you willneed to make an assessment of the scope ofwork necessary to advance the project anddetermine those tasks that can be accomplishedwith in-house staff, and those tasks that need tobe contracted to a consultant. Consultants canbe used to flesh out projects in greater detail,analyze project feasibility, put together financingdeals, analyze market forces and conditionsrelated to project implementation, design andconstruct your projects, and assist in marketingand promotion efforts. Once the assessment ismade that a consultant will be required, you will


use a process similar to the process outlined inChapter Two of this guidebook for selection of aplanning consultant. Remember that this processvaries by community, based upon establishedlocal procurement requirements for contracts ofdifferent types or sizes.

Consultants working on waterfront revitalizationprojects might include:

Architects, landscape architects, andurban designers who can facilitate designcharettes and provide assistance in thepreparation of conceptual designs, finaldesigns, existing conditions reports,working drawings, and specifications forwaterfront projects

Project managers to assist communitieswith project phasing, scheduling, securingconsultants, and provide other servicesneeded to keep projects on track andwithin budget

Economists to help communities analyzemarket strengths and weaknesses relatedto project implementation

Public relations/marketing consultants forhelp with the promotion and marketing ofwaterfront revitalization efforts

Financial consultants who can facilitatefinancing plans related to projectimplementation

Environmental consultants to provideguidance related to brownfields cleanup

Ecological consultants to provideguidance related to natural resourceidentification and analysis

Transportation planners and engineers whocan help understand transportation needsand help in project assessment and design

Project financingYour action plan will outline how you will fund theimplementation of your projects. Communitiesuse many different creative funding strategies tofinance projects. Depending on the size andscope, some projects will have one designatedfunding source, while others will have multiplesources of support. Some projects may be fullyfunded at the outset, while others will be phasedwith only initial funding available and will requireongoing fund-raising and grant writing to ensurecompletion. Increasingly, many communities willbe called upon to develop partnerships whichleverage and combine an array of public andprivate sector sources of funding.

Communities rely heavily on grant assistance tocomplete many waterfront plans and projects.The Environmental Protection Fund, CleanWater/Clean Air Bond Act, CommunityDevelopment Block Grant, and CommunityRenewal funding are good examples ofprograms that can help you enhance yourwaterfront and revitalize your community. Byusing their own capital funds, staff costs, in-kindservices, and the value of community volunteersas a match to public and private grants,


Schoen Place - Pittsford, Erie Canal

Oswego

Battery Park, Manhattan


Case Study:KingstonLocated at the confluence of the Hudson Riverand the Rondout Creek, the City of Kingstonadopted its Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram (LWRP) in 1992 and has beensuccessfully implementing it ever since. The Cityhas sought public and private funding forprojects identified in its LWRP and the result isa lively waterfront.

The City’s primary focus has been onrevitalizing the Rondout Creek area. Since theLWRP was adopted, Kingston has made greatstrides in bringing people to the waterfront,attracting residents and visitors to therestaurants and small businesses which havecapitalized on the water-based recreationalprojects sponsored by the City. Thetransformation is highlighted in the West andEast Strand sections along the Creek. Aframework for implementing these projects wasformalized in the Kingston WaterfrontDevelopment Implementation Plan prepared in2002 with a Department of State EnvironmentalProtection Fund LWRP grant.

Kingston has learned that it is important toinvolve local stakeholders, particularlywaterfront property owners, to create solutionsthat work for all. The planning process wasoverseen by a Steering Committee that includedproperty and business owners, Scenic Hudson,the Division of Coastal Resources, waterfrontmuseums, nonprofit organizations, and the

City. Community meetings at each step of theprocess have incorporated resident andstakeholder input. A series of meetings withwaterfront owners created understanding ofshort- and long-term needs.

As outlined in the LWRP and ImplementationPlan, the City’s goal of making the Rondoutwaterfront an attractive, culturally vibrant district,is now a reality, with shops, restaurants,recreation, events and waterfront amenities.Through adoption of design standards, newdevelopment must be consistent with the area’snatural and historic character. Incentive zoning,created during the LWRP process, allowsKingston to obtain public easements fromprivate property owners on the waterfront.These easements have been key to creating acontinuous walkway along the Rondout Creek.Brownfields, such as the L&M Auto RecyclingFacility, have been cleaned up and new usesare proposed for former industrial sites such asthe Forst Meat Packing Plant. Odor andappearance problems associated with theadjacent wastewater treatment plant are beingmitigated. The last Creek-side oil tanks alongthe Kingston side of the Creek were recentlydemolished and for the first time in 75 yearsthese tanks do not block waterfront views.

Public funding spent in this area is credited withencouraging private investment. For every publicdollar invested on the waterfront there are $8 ofprivate money dedicated to projects there, now

totaling $10 million. As a result, Kingston'swaterfront is alive with activity. This waterfrontrenaissance has brought the City a long wayfrom the boarded-up, neglected place it oncewas. Kingston's success shows othercommunities how they might revitalize their ownforgotten waterfronts.

The City is now turning its attention to itsHudson River shoreline as several large parcelsare being proposed for mixed-use developmentprojects.

communities are able to leverage funding toachieve their vision of an enhanced waterfront.

Successful completion of public improvementscan be supplemented by a wide range of fundingand implementation techniques to encourageprivate redevelopment on the waterfront.Common financing tools that encourage public -private partnerships are low-interest loans, taxincentives, Empire and Enterprise Zonesprograms, joint venture partnerships, landownership, and lease arrangements. Amunicipality can aid a development project bydirecting municipal capital and public worksexpenditures to coincide with the needs of thedevelopment.

Grant assistanceThe majority of community waterfront plans willbe funded, at least in part, by grants. There aremany grant programs available from the federaland State government, nonprofit groups, andcharitable foundations that can help you achieveyour vision. Some examples include grants for:

waterfront and community planning

the redevelopment of underusedwaterfronts

the cleanup of brownfields and contaminated sites

the redevelopment of abandonedbuildings

public access and recreation

improvements to protect water quality andrestore natural habitats

low-income families to restore residentialbuildings

the rehabilitation of historic buildings

As you look for grants and other fundingassistance, it is important to:

Know what you want to achieve with thefunding you are seeking

Identify possible sources of fundingassistance for what you want to achieve

Identify the scope of the grant program

Find out if the wants on your list and thepossible sources are compatible

Make sure you can meet the requirementsthat come with a grant award, especiallywith regard to local match

Grant awards are highly competitive. Most grantsrank proven capacity as a crucial factor, so it isimportant to establish credibility with the grantmaking organizations. They need to know whoyou are and to learn about your project and yourcapacity to make it happen.

Once you have found a grant program that mighthelp you, identify the requirements for the grant

and ensure that you are eligible or can partnerwith someone who is. The key to successfullycompleting a grant application within theapplication deadline is to be as organized aspossible, and to think the project through, inadvance, to the greatest extent possible:

Make sure that you can meet any matchrequirement. In most cases, the grantmatch will be a cash contribution, perhapsderived from municipal revenues or aprivate donation. Sometimes it is in theform of donated land, buildings, goods,services, or facilities rental.

Be as organized as possible and use theguidance provided in the application to fillout the relevant forms.

Make sure that you answer all thequestions, provide all the supportinginformation that is required and that yourbudget information and schedules arerealistic.


Wilson

Graphic materials such as architecturaldrawings, plans, maps, and photographscan help the grant reviewer to understandyour project and letters of support fromcommunity groups, government agencies,and nonprofits will show widespreadsupport for your project.

As you pull your application together,make sure you have all the requiredforms, certifications, and signatures, andmake sure you follow the submissionrequirements.

Remember, being successful in obtaining grantassistance requires that you target the grantprograms that are right for your project, or acomponent of your project. No matter what thegrant program, you should always make sure thatyou clearly specify why your project is worthdoing, what is involved in successfullyimplementing it, and what end result and benefitsof project implementation can be expected.

Finding out about grants andfunding assistanceOpportunities for grant assistance from public andnonprofit agencies are generally distributed bydirect mail or announced in press releases,newsletters, or websites. Make sure you are onthese mailing lists and collect information on grantprograms. Keep a calendar with grant scheduleson it so that you are aware of your opportunitiesand deadlines. You should also talk to others whohave received grants and discuss your ideas with

those who award the grants. They will probablyknow of additional sources of funding.

Federal grants are usually announced in theFederal Register (www.gpoaccess.gov/fr), andState grants in the State Register(www.dos.state.ny.us/info/register.htm). Anotherway of finding out about grants that might beavailable is to visit a grants clearinghouse on theInternet. The New York State Smart Growthwebsite (www.SmartGrowthNY.com) providesinformation and links to State agency fundingprograms. The online Catalog of Federal DomesticAssistance (www.cfda.gov) gives you access to adatabase of all federal programs available to Stateand local governments; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofitorganizations and institutions; specialized groups;and individuals.You can search this database tofind grant and funding opportunities meeting therequirements for your project. Another excellentsource of information on all aspects of grants is theFoundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org). Itsmission is to promote public understanding ofphilanthropy and to help grant-makers and grant-seekers succeed. The center is a valuable resourcefor a wide range of information on grantsmanshipand provides training on the grant-seeking process.A full range of grant possibilities are discussed inthe Appendix.

One of the first grant sources you shouldexamine is the New York State EnvironmentalProtection Fund. This is the State's firstpermanent fund dedicated to addressing a broad


Buffalo Beach, Lake Erie

Lake George

Syracuse Inner Harbor

range of environmental needs. Through theEnvironmental Protection Fund’s LocalWaterfront Revitalization Program, the Division of Coastal Resources can fund planning, design,feasibility studies, and construction projects that advance preparation or implementation ofLocal Waterfront Revitalization Programs. Anymunicipality located on the State's coastal waters or on a designated inland waterway iseligible, although some restrictions apply.Program details and priorities are reviewedannually, but eligible activities generally include grants to:

Initiate a community participation programthat introduces local leaders andcommunity residents to the waterfrontplanning process, generates a communityconsensus for the future of the waterfront,and develops a vision and revitalizationstrategy

Complete or implement a Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program, including projectspecific planning or design andconstruction of projects

Prepare and implement redevelopmentstrategies for urban waterfront areaswhere redevelopment can provide newpublic access, spur economic activities,and improve environmental quality

Develop and implement waterbodymanagement plans

Implement the New York State CoastalResources Interpretive Program by

developing interpretive signage, and startor expand educational and interpretiveprograms designed to build publicawareness and stewardship of coastalresources

Plan, develop, and market blueway routes

Constructing improvementsUsing the action plan for each project as a guide,you are ready to start constructing theimprovements to your waterfront. Obviously, theway you approach each project will vary withproject types. For instance, different partners willbe involved in different project types; differentregulations will apply; and simple projects mightnot need to go through every step. But it helps tobe organized and take the implementation of aproject one step at a time. Below is a typicalapproach you might follow on many constructionprojects, from a simple access and drainageimprovement at a street end to a large parkdevelopment or the redevelopment of anabandoned waterfront parcel. Implementation ofthe project might be completed by municipalstaff, but more often a community will hire aconsulting architect or engineer to design andmanage the improvements.


Freeport’s Nautical Mile

East River


Case Study: GreenportGreenport, Long Island has a rich and colorfulmaritime history. But, by the 1970's, thedecline of traditional industries caused thewaterfront to deteriorate. In 1979, a proposalto convert a former shipyard intocondominiums forced the Village to makedecisions that would shape its future.

Controversy raged over whether or not thetraditional maritime commercial waterfront wouldbe converted into a residential waterfront.Village residents realized that Greenport'seconomic health depended on its waterfront.

To protect its waterfront's future, the Villagedeveloped a Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram with a vision to use Greenport'sidentity as a historic and working waterfrontcommunity to revitalize the Village. Throughoutthe planning process, Village Trustees revieweddraft documents and held regular publicmeetings to involve and inform residents andobtain their support for waterfront revitalizationplans. Additional meetings were held withcommunity groups, such as the GreenportRotary Club, Greenport Merchant's Association,the Chamber of Commerce, property owners,boaters, and others.

Following extensive public involvement, theVillage revised its zoning laws to protecttraditional commercial and industrial uses of thewaterfront, adopted a historic preservation law,

and has developed numerous partnerships tocreate a working waterfront that respects itsheritage.

Illustrating the private sector response to theprotection of waterfront commercial zoning anduses, a single investor has redeveloped thevacant Barstow Shipyard into the state-of-the-artStidd Systems shipbuilding facility, employing 40people and manufacturing a wide range ofproducts for civilian and military clients.

The downtown has also come alive, spurred onby the success of Greenport's key project -Mitchell Park. In 1988, the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program recognized that theabandoned Mitchell parcel could be the key torevitalizing the community and identified theneed for a harborwalk. Today, the centerpiece ofGreenport's revival is Mitchell Park and theharborwalk from one end of the downtownwaterfront to the other.

The Village acquired the vacant site throughforeclosure proceedings and in 1995 held ahighly successful design competition for thereuse of the site. Following collaboration withpublic and private sector partners and fundingfrom at least five government agencies, the firstphase of the park was completed in 2001.Improvements include a harborwalk,amphitheater, and a stunning glass pavilionhousing a turn-of-the-century carousel. Moreimprovements are to come.(www.greenportvillage.com/mitchellpark.html)

Mitchell Park is part of a reinvigoratedwaterfront that is attracting tourists, generatingsustained growth for Greenport's tax base, andstimulating reinvestment in surroundingneighborhoods. Managing the Village's successand maintaining quality of life for all residentshas become Greenport's biggest challenge.

Land assembly techniques -acquiring key parcelsNo matter if the project is being implemented bythe public or private sector, a common challengeto waterfront revitalization is the fact that areastargeted for improvements or redevelopment oftenconsist of separate parcels of privately ownedproperty. It is often a challenge to accommodatethe individual schedules and interests of thevarious owners and organizations to assemble thekey parcels of land. In overcoming this challenge,communities have tried a number of successfulapproaches including:

Community visioning sessions which buildshared agreement about how and whereredevelopment should occur - convincingproperty owners to sell, transfer or donateproperty

Acquisition of land through simplecontractual negotiations for land purchaseby the municipality or a developmentauthority

Purchasing available parcels or workingwith local and State government agenciesto work out a land swap, or similar deal,essentially trading one parcel for anotherto accommodate needs and goals ofbuyer and seller

Tax and mortgage foreclosures

Relocation planning and financing whichcan assess current property owners'needs and identify appropriate sites andfinancing

Bringing the various owners together withthe redevelopment agency to reach anegotiated agreement regarding thetransfer and redevelopment of targeted land

Development of a Real Estate InvestmentTrust (REIT) in which individual propertyowners use their land to become investorsin the redevelopment entity and share inthe profits of redevelopment as land issold or leased

Eminent domain proceedings, thatmunicipal entities and certain developmentauthorities may use to condemn propertyfor a compelling public purpose or toaddress a health and safety threat

Conducting a site reconnaissanceIt is crucial that project participants have at leasta preliminary analysis of the conditions of thesite as early as possible in the project. The initialanalysis will generally take the form of a writtenand illustrated report that includes the followingcomponents:

site survey showing extent of projectboundary

identification of ownership/grant/leasestatus of any lands to be incorporated intothe design

soil and, as appropriate, core samplingsto determine site stability

topography and hydrology

natural resources, including location ofmature trees

condition of man-made structures orfacilities on or adjacent to the site

above and below ground infrastructure

environmental conditions

access to local transportation network

view corridors

historic and archeological resources

indication of any critical conditionsrequiring immediate stabilization or repairand including a cost estimate for therecommended work

It is especially important to understand thepotential impact of the current ownership and ofthe zoning and other regulations on the proposedproject. You should try to identify potentialobstacles that might occur down the road.

Who owns the project site? If it is notalready in public ownership, will thecurrent owner help facilitate or hinder theproposed project? Is it for sale or lease? Ifso, what are the asking price and terms?Would the owner consider being a partnerin the project? What are the currentproperty taxes? Are back taxes owed onthe property? Are there anyencumbrances (mortgages, liens,easements)?


Is the existing zoning of the site conducivefor the proposed project? If not, what isinvolved in securing zoning and site planapproval? Will the community support theproposed project and help facilitate anyregulatory approvals? Is the site a knownor potential brownfield? If so, whatinvestigations have been completed andwhat is known of the potentialcontaminants? Is the building or site listedon the State or National Registers ofHistoric Places, or eligible for listing?What permits will be needed?

At this stage, the scope of work specifically doesnot include the preparation of plans andspecifications, construction documents or costestimates except for any emergency stabilizationwork that may be needed.

Conceptual or schematic designAfter you have fully understood what you have towork with, it is time to begin to discuss designalternatives. Schematic designs establish theconcepts and design characteristics of a projectand are prepared based on the pre-designconsultations and an analysis of projectrequirements. Preliminary cost estimates shouldbe prepared which can help determine a scope,cost, and schedule needed for each project.Zoning and planning requirements and relatedpermitting processes should be checked andother research may be undertaken. Options maybe presented and alternatives evaluated.Coordination with permitting and fundingagencies is essential at this stage in design

development to ensure that your project isacceptable. It is important to document thefederal, State, and local permit andenvironmental review requirements for yourproject and how the requirements will besatisfied by the design. Early in the projectdevelopment process, prepare a project timelineincorporating as many permit approvalschedules as possible. Revise it periodically asthe timeline progresses. Remember thatconstruction on a project cannot commence untilthe SEQR process is complete and all requiredpermits have been issued.

Detailed designDesign development follows as conceptual plansand schematic drawings are worked up in moredetail to evaluate alternative approaches andreflect programmatic needs, technical aspects,site requirements, and materials. Site plans, floorplans, elevations, landscaping plans, and plansfor related infrastructure improvements aredeveloped. Key dimensions and materials will beestablished. Best management practices shouldbe identified to avoid or reduce water qualityimpairments from upland runoff or in-wateractivities. It is essential that coordination withpermitting and funding agencies continuesthroughout this stage in design development.


Port Jefferson, Long Island Sound

Syracuse Inner Harbor

Hudson

Working/contract documentsThis is the most work-intensive phase of projectdesign and involves preparation of detailedworking drawings and specifications to describethe project for contractors who may bid on theconstruction of the project. These drawings willalso be used to obtain permits, which will beneeded before the project can progress to thenext step. The drawings typically include all typesof construction details, such as:

site and drainage plans

floor plans, elevations and cross-sections

framing plans and structural details

plumbing and electrical details

landscaping

A written specification is also prepared whichmay include conditions of contract.Documentation is sometimes split into twostages with minimum drawings for consentpurposes followed by supplementary drawingsproviding the added detail required for pricingand construction.

Bidding phaseThe next step is securing competitive bids to hirea contractor to build your project. Your designteam will assist in selecting building contractors,obtaining competitive pricing, and formalizing acontract. This process is typically specified by

local procurement and contracting requirementsand, if grant funding has been made available, byrequirements established by the funding agency.

Make sure that you widely advertise theavailability of the bid package. The bid mustclearly outline the scope of work; an explanationof the preferred format for bid submissions,including required forms; a process for proposingalternates; and logistical information about thebidding process such as how, when, and wherebids should be submitted, the type of contractthat will ultimately be used, and insurance andpermit requirements.

Make sure that you follow your procurementpolicy. Notification regarding the availability of bidpackages is usually sent out to contractors thecommunity has worked with before. Solicitationof bids is also advertised in local newspapers aswell as publications such as the New York StateContract Reporter.

Construction phaseAt the construction stage, what was on papernow becomes a building or project. Before youbegin constructing your project it is essential thatall your environmental reviews, permits, andother approvals are in place.

The design team can help oversee construction,administer the contract, and carry out variousfunctions, such as:

project initiation

scheduling

regular site visits and meetings

clarifying details with the builder

monitoring construction progress andadherence to documents

processing variations and change ordersto the contract

certifying progress claims

final inspections and preparation of apunch list

checking final accounts

closing the project

For larger projects (typically over $5 million), aconstruction manager may be used. A generalcontractor is hired earlier in the process and ismore involved in the design phase of the project.Using knowledge from a capable constructionmanager in the design phase can reduce costs,save time later in construction, and reduce thepotential for change orders.

It is important that everyone involved in theproject understands their roles andresponsibilities. Municipal staff also need tomonitor the performance of consultants andcontractors on an ongoing basis and maintain allrecords associated with the disbursement ofmunicipal revenue and compliance with all grantsand permits.


Ongoing management andmaintenanceCompleted projects need management andmaintenance. For instance, park improvementprojects need to be kept clean, grass needs tobe mowed, landscaping watered, trash collected,and events coordinated. The redevelopment ofabandoned buildings will involve ongoingmarketing, property management, andmaintenance activities. Wetland restorationprojects will need close attention to make surethe plantings survive. Implementation planningmust address how a project will be managed andmaintained. These activities are bestincorporated into a formal plan that assignsresponsibilities, creates a schedule, and sets abudget. This plan should be developed at anearly stage in the design of your project.

Interpretation and educationprojectsInterpretation is explaining - in easy tounderstand, imaginative, and entertaining terms -the historical, natural, cultural, or recreationalresources of the waterfront. Interpretationexpands awareness, understanding, andappreciation for the waterfront and its resources.It can be used to attract visitors to an area,educate residents and visitors about localcultural and natural resources, and extend theirvisits by keeping them interested in theirsurroundings. Information can be communicatedthrough interpretive signs and exhibits, audio-

visual presentations, live presentations, andpublications.

Consideration should be given to the range ofaudiences that will use interpretive andeducational materials. Potential audiences include:

visitors to the waterfront, including first-time and repeat visitors

shoppers in commercial districts

recreational enthusiasts

families on vacation

children and adults in school groups andenrichment programs for all ages

residents

Concepts and themes for interpretive andeducational materials can be developed usinginformation gathered when the inventory andanalysis of existing conditions is completed. Forexample, communities may have unique or rarecoastal habitats, or commercial districts andresidential neighborhoods characterized byhistorically and architecturally significant andunique buildings. Identified concepts and themescan be communicated in brochures, signs, andother media, describing resources andrestoration efforts, outlining walking and drivingtours, and providing information on a wide rangeof topics. Interpretive and educational materialscan be developed by in-house staff, consultantsand volunteers.

Signage - The New York StateCoastal Resources InterpretiveProgram (NYSCRIP)Interpretive sign systems are designed to inform.You can use them to tell a story or communicateinformation in a short period of time. Theeffectiveness of the interpretation depends on anumber of factors: whether the signage has beenwell-planned; how well organized and engagingthe information is; if it has been sited in a highvisibility area; and whether the photographic orillustrated imagery is graphically interesting.

Across New York State's coasts and waterfrontsa series of interpretive signage systems haveappeared. Some are localized, while othersencompass many miles of shoreline spanningseveral communities. In many cases, there islittle to no coordination among these systems,with no design element linking them.

If you are thinking of creating an interpretivesignage program for your waterfront, you shouldconsider the New York State Coastal ResourcesInterpretive Program (NYSCRIP). The NYSCRIPsignage system is designed to provide thatcoordinating link. Developed by the Division ofCoastal Resources, this is New York's firstcomprehensively-designed interpretive signagesystem for use in all coastal and waterfrontcommunities. Whether your community is locatedon marine or fresh waters, NYSCRIP can beused to interpret common themes that defineNew York's coasts and waterfronts.


If a person views a NYSCRIP sign on Long Islandand then views another on the Hudson River andthen another on the Seneca Lake, that person willrecognize that all the signs feature the samedesign look and the messages are similar, yetunique for the community. They are part of aState-wide system.

NYSCRIP signage will be used by communities to:

Connect people living along New YorkState’s coasts and waterways

Encourage residents and visitors to travelalong New York State’s coasts andwaterways and visit historic, cultural,natural and coastal resources

Heighten awareness of the environmental,social, and economic value of New YorkState’s coastal and inland waterwaysresources

NYSCRIP establishes detailed signage designguidelines and construction specificationsincluding layout, color schemes, and design, andoffers grants for signage development. Theprogram outlines five interpretive themes for usein the development of signage. These themesdefine the waterfront by use and how this useaffects a sense of place.

Living on the Waterfront - Coasts andwaterfronts are habitats, not just for plantsand animals, but for humans as well. Thistheme explores the natural rhythms of lifealong both natural and developed coastlines.

Working on the Waterfront - Manywaterfronts have been developed forcommercial purposes. While some peopleharvest and use the natural resources oflakes, rivers, and oceans, others build andrepair boats, move cargo, process fish,provide lodging, develop and build homes,and cater to tourist business.

Enjoying the Coast - The coasts, andbodies of water adjacent to them, providea great variety of recreational opportuni-ties. This theme can be applied wherethere is swimming, fishing, boating, hiking,bird-watching or where the coast is usedfor relaxation and rejuvenation.

Protecting the Waterfront - Both thenatural and historic resources of thecoasts and waterfronts are worthprotecting. This theme illustrates whatmeasures are being taken to protectsensitive habitats so that they may remainnaturally productive.

Historic Coasts - Along our coasts andwaterfronts are important cultural andhistoric landmarks from our nation’s past.These include lighthouses from as farback as the 18th century, forts from theearly years of the republic, historic build-ings, early industrial sites, and waterfrontsthat played a part in battles of the Ameri-can Revolution. This theme addresses thehistoric significance of the site and theefforts to protect and preserve it.

When a community participates in NYSCRIP it isrequired to use the themes and approved

signage designs but may make changes, withapproval from the Division of Coastal Resources,to text content and images to reflect localvariations.

BrochuresMany communities have developed brochures tocommunicate various messages and inform thepublic about waterfront amenities and resources.Some communities have created brochures toeducate residents about the Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program or specific aspects of theprogram, such as habitat restoration,preservation of historic resources, orenvironmental conservation efforts. Brochurescan be simple tri-fold pieces consisting of blacktext on white or colored paper with maps,photographs and other graphics, or they can bemore expensive, full-color pieces. The criticalissue is that they communicate key messagesabout the community’s waterfront and relatedresources to the public.


This guidebook has described for you the techniques and resourcesavailable to make the most of your waterfront and revitalize yourcommunity. We began with a discussion of vision and finished with aguide to project implementation. Each of the sections provided guidanceand lessons on how to make opportunities happen.

Communities with a vision succeed. It starts by recognizing that thewaterfront belongs to the community. Take a closer look at yourcommunity. Local officials, community and neighborhood groups,nonprofit organizations, and the private sector are learning that arevitalized waterfront can create many benefits for their community. ALocal Waterfront Revitalization Program is the means for turningcommunity visions into reality. Take it one step at a time - and stayfocused on your vision. Patience and persistence pay off.

You can make the most of your waterfront when...

You see your waterfront as the way to bring new life and energy toyour community.

You have generated a sense of community ownership of thewaterfront.

You know where you want to go.

You have created a clearly defined vision for the future of yourwaterfront.

The people who live and work in the community have bought in toyour vision.

You have begun building a foundation of public support andconfidence.

You have established partnerships and gained commitments fromall stakeholders.

You know what you have got to work with.

You take advantage of all your resources, assets, and opportunities.

You have developed a detailed plan and strategy for implementingyour vision.

You have the patience and persistence to work through the manyphases of waterfront revitalization - one step at a time.


CONCLUSION

Lake George Oswego

Where to find potential partners forwaterfront revitalizationLocal governmentsLocal governments - whether county, city, town orvillage - may have planning, design, engineeringand economic development staff, and localcommittees who can be instrumental in helping yourevitalize your waterfront. They can provide localplans and consultant studies, such as appraisals,cost estimates, feasibility studies, market studies,reuse analyses, engineering reports, land usestudies, and marketability studies. They can alsoprovide technical assistance at all stages ofdeveloping and implementing a Local WaterfrontRevitalization Program.

The New York State Conference of Mayors andMunicipal Officials (www.nycom.org) canprovide technical assistance to its members andholds a Main Street conference annually thataddresses many issues related to theredevelopment of waterfronts and how they canlink to downtowns. The Association of Towns ofthe State of New York (www.nytowns.org) canprovide technical assistance to its members andmay be able to help with your project. The NewYork Association of Counties (www.nysac.org)provides information on local governments andcounty links.

Local governments - whether county, city or town- may have an Industrial Development Agency(IDA) to help develop the economic environmentand support infrastructure in their municipality.

An IDA is a corporate governmental body,constituting a public benefit corporation createdpursuant to General Municipal Law, Article 18-A.They are an important financing vehicle. You cancontact your municipality's communitydevelopment or planning office to see if yourcommunity has an IDA.

IDAs work to provide appropriate financialincentives and assistance to eligible private-sector businesses to induce the construction,expansion, or equipping of facilities to stimulatecapital investment and job creation for a widerange of commercial and industrial projects.Financial assistance may involve issuance of tax-exempt or taxable bonds to cover the costs ofconstruction, rehabilitation, and equipping of awide range of projects. Further financing benefitsthat IDAs may offer are sales, mortgage, and realproperty tax abatements, and lease backagreements. Other types of assistance mayinclude expediting the local development reviewand permitting process.

Regional organizationsDue in part to the geographic diversity of NewYork State, there are many regional planning andenvironmental organizations. The New YorkState Association of Regional Councils(www.dos.state.ny.us/lists/rgcoplan.html) fosterscoordination among neighboring communitiesand provides a regional approach to issuescrossing municipal boundaries. The New YorkState Metropolitan Planning Organizations(www.nysmpos.org) provides regional planning

assistance. Other regional groups which can behelpful are Save the Sound(www.savethesound.org); the Peconic EstuaryProgram (www.peconicestuary.org); theAppalachian Regional Commission(www.arc.gov); the Adirondack Park Agency(www.apa.state.ny.us); the Lake GeorgeWatershed Coalition (www.lakegeorge2000.org/); the Adirondack NorthCountry Association (www.adirondack.org);the Tug Hill Commission (www.tughill.org);the Catskill Watershed Corporation(http://cwconline.org); the Catskill Center(www.catskillcenter.org); the Regional PlanAssociation (www.rpa.org); the Great LakesCommission (www.glc.org); Great LakesUnited (www.glu.org); Rochester Environment(www.rochesterenvironment.com); Finger Lakes- Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance(www.fllowpa.org); and Scenic Hudson(www.scenichudson.org).

Nonprofit organizationsThere are several nonprofit organizationsspecializing in waterfront planning andrevitalization. The Waterfront Center(www.waterfrontcenter.org), the MetropolitanWaterfront Alliance (www.waterwire.net), andthe Working Waterfront Association(www.workingwaterfront.org) are good startingpoints. The Glynwood Center(www.glynwood.org) helps communities tobalance economic development andconservation of natural and cultural resources.The New York Planning Federation


APPENDIX

(www.nypf.org) has information on planning andzoning for local communities.

Another source of assistance is local land trusts.Community-based land trusts are experts athelping interested landowners find ways to protecttheir land in the face of ever-growing developmentpressure. The Land Trust Alliance provides a fullarray of advice on land trusts and how they canhelp communities (www.lta.org). The Open SpaceInstitute protects significant recreational,environmental, agricultural, and historiclandscapes in New York State (www.osiny.org).The Trust for Public Land (www.tpl.org) isanother resource for information. Local land trustsin your area should be contacted as well. TheAmerican Farmland Trust (www.farmland.org)should be contacted if your community hasagricultural resources.

Some conservation organizations may be usefulin providing information on protecting or restoringnatural habitats and river or stream corridors.The Conservation Foundation(www.theconservationfoundation.org) providesassistance on land and watershed protection.The Society of Wetland Scientists(www.sws.org) provides links to other wetlandsorganizations. The National Audubon Society(www.audubon.org), The Nature Conservancy(www.nature.org) and the Sierra Club(www.sierraclub.org) are also all good sources ofinformation and assistance.

Resource-specific organizations may be useful.These include the Association of State

Floodplain Managers (www.floods.org) and theCenter for Watershed Protection(www.cwp.org).

Parks, greenways, trails, heritage corridors, andother public spaces are important elements inwaterfront planning and implementation. TheProject for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) is auseful resource. The Center for LivableCommunities (www.lgc.org/center) andPartners for Livable Communities(www.livable.com) provide information onenhancing community quality, and restoring andrenewing communities. The SustainableCommunities Network (www.sustainable.org)and Smart Growth (www.smartgrowth.org) arealso good resources.

Community development organizations are alsoan important potential source of assistance.Resident-led community-based developmentorganizations are instrumental in transformingdistressed neighborhoods and communities intohealthy places to live and work. Talk to yourmunicipality's planning or communitydevelopment office to find these organizations.

Your local Business Improvement District(BID) may also be in a position to provideredevelopment assistance. A BID is apublic/private partnership through which aspecial assessment is used to financeimprovements or services within a designatedcommercial area, for instance in Albany(www.downtownalbany.org). Frequently, BIDsplay a role in boosting local redevelopmentefforts.

If your waterfront area contains historicproperties, the National Trust for HistoricPreservation can be an important partner. TheTrust is a national nonprofit organization thatprovides leadership, education, and advocacy tosave diverse historic places and revitalizecommunities in the United States. On its website,the Trust (www.nthp.org) provides details of itsprograms. It also provides links to otherprograms that can help with your rehabilitation.

If your waterfront is close to your community'smain street or downtown, one important programthat can help you understand your role in therevitalization of your community is the NationalMain Street Program (www.mainstreet.org).This program seeks to help communitiesrevitalize their traditional commercial areas,using historic preservation and grassroots-basedeconomic development. It serves as the nation'sclearinghouse for information, technicalassistance, research, and advocacy onpreservation-based commercial districtrevitalization.

The Preservation League of New York State isa nonprofit organization dedicated to theprotection of New York's diverse and richheritage of historic buildings, districts, andlandscapes. On its website, the PreservationLeague (www.preservenys.org) provides detailsof its own small grant program and summaries ofother grant programs that deal with the historicpreservation aspects of your vision.


UniversitiesThe Center for Community Design Researchis an outreach program within the StateUniversity of New York, College of EnvironmentalScience and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Departmentof Landscape Architecture. The Center works inpartnership with communities, elected officials,agencies, and nonprofits to provide technicalassistance, educational programs, and researchprojects that build community capacity tomanage sustainable futures. SUNY ESFprepared the SUNY Sourcebook of CommunityAssistance Programs (www.esf.edu/la/ccdr). TheSUNY Sourcebook provides a list of SUNY-wideresources to address your redevelopment issues.

Cornell University through CooperativeExtension (www.cce.cornell.edu) and theCommunity and Rural Development Institute(http://devsoc.cals.cornell.edu/outreach/cardi)provides assistance to communities ondevelopment, environment, and agriculturalissues. The Community and Rural DevelopmentInstitute (CaRDI) located at Cornell Universityhas partnered with Penn State University tocreate the Community and EconomicDevelopment Toolbox. This website contains awide variety of resources and information thatcan strengthen community capacity and provideyou with information that will help in yourredevelopment project. Pace University's LandUse Law Center (www.law.pace.edu/ landuse)provides assistance on the development ofsustainable communities in New York State. TheRegional Institute is a unit of the University of

Buffalo Law School, partnering withgovernments, foundations, businesses, civicgroups and nonprofits (www.regional-institute.buffalo.edu).

State and federal agenciesMany New York State agencies provide an arrayof technical and financial assistance that cansupport waterfront revitalization from planningthrough implementation. The New York StateSmart Growth website (www.SmartGrowthNY.com) is an easy-to-use directory or ‘portal’ tothese State agencies with brief descriptions ofservices and links to the appropriate agencywebsite pages. Organized by “QualityCommunities Principles,” the website providesguidance on State agency funding programs thatcan help you to revitalize your waterfront.

You will find information on economicdevelopment; revitalization; transportation andneighborhoods; conservation and environment;planning; technology; and partnerships.Guidance is available here on State agencyassistance including grant and financialinformation, technical assistance, and data andregional inventories.

The federal government offers a range ofeconomic development programs to distressedurban and rural communities for economicrenewal. The online Catalog of FederalDomestic Assistance (www.cfda.gov) gives youaccess to a database of all federal programsavailable to State and local governments,

domestic public, quasi-public, and private profitand nonprofit organizations and institutions;specialized groups; and individuals. You cansearch this database to find grant and fundingopportunities meeting the requirements for yourwaterfront project. You can then contact the officethat administers the program and find out how toapply. Also available on this site are several aidsto guide you in the writing of a proposal to applyfor assistance.

The National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) is the source of awealth of information relevant to waterfrontcommunities and coastal managers. It is throughNOAA that many of the nation's coastalmanagement goals are addressed. NOAA worksto protect marine fisheries and endangeredspecies, produces charts to aid in air andnautical navigation, and partners with states toprotect coastal resources. State and local coastalresource managers are one of NOAA's primarycustomers, as their programs play an importantrole in determining the fate of the nation's coastalresources. NOAA's Coastal Services Centermaintains information on “Funding Opportunitiesfor Coastal Managers” by compiling informationon a variety of federal and other grant programsof interest (www.csc.noaa.gov/funding).

To carry out NOAA's responsibilities under theCoastal Zone Management Act, the Office ofCoastal Resources Management works directlywith coastal states and territories to support thedevelopment of new Coastal ManagementPrograms and National Estuarine Research


Reserves, to provide technical and financialassistance to coastal programs and reserveoperations, and to promote coastal stewardshipon a variety of critical coastal issues. Suchissues include: coastal habitat protection andrestoration; coastal hazards; public access to theshore for recreation; sustainable development ofcoastal communities, including urbanwaterfronts; and polluted runoff.

NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) canprovide support and information for coastalmanagement related to coastal and oceanscience, management, response, restorationand navigation (www.nos.noaa.gov). Alsoincluded in NOS is the Coastal Services Center(www.csc.noaa.gov). The Center serves coastalresource managers and the State coastalprograms bringing information, services, andtechnology to the nation's coastal resourcemanagers.

The Coastal Zone Management Program(www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/programs/czm.html)is a federal-state partnership dedicatedto comprehensive management of the nation'scoastal resources, ensuring their protection forfuture generations while balancing competingnational economic, cultural and environmentalinterests. It addresses policy issues and providesState coastal management programs withtechnical and financial assistance inimplementing their programs. New York's

partnership with the federal government ismanaged by the Division of Coastal Resources.

The Department of State's Division of CoastalResources can provide assistance on all aspectsof waterfront and community revitalization to helpyou make the most of what your waterfront has tooffer. The Division can provide technical andfinancial assistance to help communities expandpublic access, reinvigorate urban waterfronts,restore habitats, protect scenic resources,preserve historic resources, manage water uses,improve water quality, protect against flooding anderosion, and strengthen local economies(www.nyswaterfronts.com). The Division of CoastalResources is the first place to contact if you areinterested in revitalizing your waterfront.

The Division of Coastal Resources can help youdevelop partnerships with other state and federalagencies who can provide the specificinformation as well as technical and funding assistance - from planning throughimplementation.

The following summary covers some of the mainState and federal agencies that you might turn tofor help, organized by topic area to enable aquick search and fast results, from these linksyou will be able to navigate the Internet to findmany other sources of information.

The Developed WaterfrontLand use and development

New York State

The Department of State's Division of LocalGovernment can provide training assistance tomunicipalities related to zoning procedures inaddition to other practical legal and technicaladvice (www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss).

The Adirondack Park Agency can provideassistance related to land use managementwithin the boundary of the Park(www.apa.state.ny.us/About_Agency).

If you are located on the Hudson River, you maybe able to seek funding from the Hudson RiverValley Greenway. The Hudson River ValleyGreenway Communities Council providescommunity planning grants and technicalassistance through the “Greenway CommunitiesGrant Program” and the “Greenway CompactGrant Program.” These programs help eligiblecommunities develop and achieve a vision fortheir future and assists in the development of theGreenway Compact, a regional planning strategyfor the Hudson River Valley(www.hudsongreenway.state.ny.us).

Empire State Development (ESD) can provideassistance on economic development issues(www.nylovesbiz.com/default.asp).


Empire Zones are designated areas throughoutthe State that offer significant incentives toencourage economic development, businessinvestment and job creation (www.nylovesbiz.com/Tax_and_Financial_Incentives/Empire_Zones).

For economic development activities directedtoward neighborhood revitalization and economicdevelopment, New York State's Office ofCommunity Renewal may also be an importantpartner (www.nysocr.org). The Office administersthe Community Development Block GrantProgram for the State of New York whichprovides grants to eligible cities, towns, andvillages with a population under 50,000 and tocounties with an area population under 200,000in order to revitalize neighborhoods, expandaffordable housing and economic opportunities,and/or improve community facilities and services.

Department of Transportation (DOT) canprovide assistance related to promotingeconomic growth by planning, coordinating, andimplementing strategies to improve the State'stransportation network (www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/policy-and-strategy). TheEnvironmental Analysis Bureau of DOT works inpartnership with regional environmentalpersonnel to promote safe, effective, balanced,and environmentally sound transportationservices (www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/engineering/environmental-analysis).

The Environmental Facilities Corporation canprovide public and private entities withassistance in complying with federal and Stateenvironmental requirements (www.nysefc.org).

The New York State Energy Research andDevelopment Authority (NYSERDA) is a publicbenefit corporation created in 1975 by the NewYork State Legislature and provides a widevariety of funding opportunities (www.nyserda.org/funding) in support of theirprograms ranging from agricultural innovation,environmental protection, communityrevitalization, and alternative transportation.NYSERDA administers the New York Energy$martSM Program (www.nyserda.org/programs).

The Division of Housing and CommunityRenewal (DHCR) is responsible for thesupervision, maintenance and development ofaffordable low and moderate income housing inNew York State. DHCR has a number of capitalprograms with funding available for thedevelopment of affordable housing in New YorkState, including the Housing Trust Fund (HTF),the HOME Program, New York State HousingFinance Agency (HFA), Homes for WorkingFamilies (HWF), Senior Housing Initiative (SHI),Housing Development Funds (HDF), LowIncome Housing Credit Program (LIHC), andHouseNY (www.nysdhcr.gov).

The New York State Canal Corporation(www.nyscanals.gov/welcome) actively seeksindividuals and businesses interested in playing arole in the economic revitalization of the NYS CanalSystem. The Canal Corporation created the CanalRevitalization Program to foster economicdevelopment in municipalities along the Canal, andprovides information about a wide variety of Stateand federal grants and direct assistance programsfor Canal development strategies(www.nyscanals.gov/corporation/community.html).

Federal

U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) can provide assistance ona range of economic development andcommunity renewal programs(www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/index.cfm).

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Green Communities Program can provideassistance on sustainable communitydevelopment (www.epa.gov/greenkit).

U.S. Department of Defense Office ofEconomic Adjustment can provide assistanceto communities adversely impacted by significantDefense program changes(www.oea.gov/OEAWeb.nsf/Home?OpenForm).

The National Park Service Rivers, Trails andConservation Assistance program helpscommunities work together to improve theirspecial places (www.nps.gov/phso/rtcatoolbox).

U.S. Department of Energy Smart CommunitiesNetwork can provide key planning principles aswell as resources for strategies, tools, and civicparticipation to help your community withsustainable land use planning (www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/landuse/luintro.shtml).

The Transportation Planning CapacityBuilding Program (TPCB) is a collaborativeeffort of the Federal Highway Administration(FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration(FTA) as well as various other public and private


organizations, to help state and localtransportation staff meet complex political,social, economic, and environmental demands.The program can provide information, training,and technical assistance related to localtransportation systems(www.planning.dot.gov/default.asp).

Abandoned sites and buildings

New York State

If you have identified abandoned buildings in yourcommunity, the Division of Coastal Resources’guidebook “Opportunities Waiting to Happen: Redeveloping Abandoned Buildingsand Sites to Revitalize Communities” can help you. This guidebook describes thedevelopment process, techniques and resourcesavailable to redevelop abandoned buildings.It begins with developing a vision for your buildingand finishes with a step-by-step guide to projectimplementation. Each of the sections providesguidance and lessons on how to make opportunities happen. Contact the Divisionof Coastal Resources at (518) 474-6000 if youwould like a copy, or visit www.nyswaterfronts.com/communities_guidebook_ab.asp.

If your waterfront project is going to involveenvironmental remediation, you will want to reviewthe Department of EnvironmentalConservation’s brownfields manual. This providesassistance to municipalities and the private sectorin the redevelopment of brownfield sites in New York State (www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/brownmanual.pdf).

The manual outlines State, federal, and privatefunding and financial incentives, as well astechnical assistance and liability protectionavailable for the cleanup and redevelopment ofbrownfield sites. Funding is available forenvironmental restoration, with grant assistancecovering up to 90 percent of the cost ofinvestigating and cleaning up contamination atabandoned sites (brownfields) that are municipallyowned. These properties may then be marketed bythe municipality for redevelopment or used by themunicipality for a variety of activities includingindustrial, commercial, or public use. For moreinformation on the New York State brownfieldsprogram contact the Division of EnvironmentalRemediation staff at (518) 402-9711.You may alsowant to visit the brownfields web page at:www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/brownfields.html.

The Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program,administered by the Division of CoastalResources in cooperation with the Departmentof Environmental Conservation, helpscommunities and qualified community-basedorganizations to complete area-wide approachesto brownfields redevelopment planning. Throughthe Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program,communities can address a range of problemsposed by multiple brownfield sites and toestablish the multi-agency and private-sectorpartnerships necessary to leverage assistanceand investments to revitalize communities byreturning idle areas back to productive use andrestoring environmental quality(www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8447.html).

Federal

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA) Brownfields Program(www.epa.gov/brownfields) provides assistanceto link environmental protection with economicand community revitalization. USEPA alsoparticipates in the Brownfields EnvironmentalDevelopment Initiative (BEDI)(www.hud.gov/nofa/suprnofa/supnofa2/bedi.cfm)in partnership with the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development.

Historic resources

New York State

The Historic Preservation Office of the New YorkState Office of Parks, Recreation and HistoricPreservation can help you understand thehistoric value of your waterfront and what youneed to do to protect it(www.nysparks.state.ny.us/shpo/planning). If yourwaterfront project includes a historic property,the New York State Office of Parks, Recreationand Historic Preservation may be able to helpwith funding for protection and improvements(www.nysparks.state.ny.us/grants). Through theEnvironmental Protection Fund, and in somecases in partnership with federal grant programs,grant assistance is provided to municipalities(including State agencies) and nonprofitorganizations. Grant assistance is availablethrough the Historic Preservation Program forthe acquisition and/or rehabilitation of propertieslisted on the National or State Registers ofHistoric Places. The Heritage Areas Program


provides funds for facilities, exhibits, andprograms in legislatively designated HeritageArea (www.nysparks.state.ny.us/heritage/herit_area.asp).

The New York State Council on the Arts(NYSCA) is a State funding agency that canprovide support for activities of nonprofit arts andcultural organizations (www.nysca.org).

Federal

The National Park Service’s HeritagePreservation Services(www.nps.gov/history/hps) helps individuals andcommunities identify, evaluate, protect, andpreserve historic properties for futuregenerations. It provides a broad range ofproducts and services, financial assistance andincentives, educational guidance, and technicalinformation in support of this mission. If you’reworking with a historic building, HeritagePreservation Services will be able to help withalmost every aspect of your project, fromplanning and evaluation to repair andrehabilitation. The National Park Serviceadministers grant programs focused on culturalresources and historic preservation(www.nps.gov/history/hps/hpg), including theLand and Water Conservation Fund, managed inNew York by the Office of Parks, Recreation andHistoric Preservation, which is intended to createand maintain a nationwide legacy of high qualityrecreation areas and facilities, and stimulate non-federal investments in recreation resources(www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/lwcf).

The National Park Service manages the“National Heritage Area” program. These areasare places designated by the United StatesCongress where natural, cultural, historic andrecreational resources combine to form acohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arisingfrom patterns of human activity shaped bygeography. Congress has established 40National Heritage Areas around the country inwhich conservation, interpretation, and otheractivities are managed by partnerships amongfederal, state, and local governments and theprivate sector. A “management entity” is namedby Congress to coordinate the partners'voluntary actions. This management entity mightbe a local governmental agency, nonprofitorganization, or an independent federalcommission. The National Park Service providestechnical assistance as well as financialassistance for a limited number of yearsfollowing designation (www.nps.gov/history/heritageareas). Three areas have beenestablished in New York State - the Niagara FallsNational Heritage Area (www.nps.gov/nifa), theErie Canalway National Heritage Corridor(www.nps.gov/erie) and the Hudson River ValleyNational Heritage Area (www.nps.gov/hurv).

The Advisory Council on HistoricPreservation can provide assistance related tothe preservation, enhancement, and productiveuse of our nation's historic resources (www.achp.gov).

Scenic resources

New York State

Department of Transportation (DOT) can provideassistance related to State Scenic Byways(www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/programs/scenic-byways).

The Office of Parks, Recreation and HistoricPreservation (OPRHP) can provide assistancerelated to the protection of historic landscapes(www.nysparks.state.ny.us).

Federal

U.S. Department of Transportation FederalHighway Administration can provideassistance with the federal Scenic BywaysProgram (www.byways.org).


The Natural WaterfrontFlooding and erosion

New York State

Department of Environmental Conservation(DEC), Division of Water, Bureau of FloodProtection and Dam Safety is the State’s point-of-contact with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersfor shore protection, and includes the designatedState Floodplain Manager(www.dec.ny.gov/lands/311.html). The Bureauaddresses coastal storm impacts, flooding, anderosion, and manages the State's CoastalErosion Hazard Areas and program.

The State Emergency Management Office(SEMO) organizes disaster response,emergency preparedness, and hazard mitigationfor New York State (www.semo.state.ny.us).SEMO is the primary contact for municipalitiesworking with FEMA. SEMO prepares the StateHazard Mitigation Plan and manages FEMAgrants for local hazard mitigation plans.

Federal

The NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC)serves coastal resource managers and the statecoastal programs. The mission of the CSC is tosupport the environmental, social, and economicwell being of the coast by linking people,information, and technology (www.csc.noaa.gov).The National Data Buoy Center provides near-realtime wave and meteorological informationfrom buoys located in the Atlantic Ocean, Long

Island Sound, and the Great Lakes(www.ndbc.noaa.gov). Additional coastalobservations and forecasts can be found at:www.nowcoast.noaa.gov.

Information on present and future tides andcurrents can be found at the National OceanService website (www.nos.noaa.gov), along withother coastal information.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA), part of the Department of HomelandSecurity, is a primary source of federalassistance in the event of a disaster. FEMAadministers several programs to reduce hazardrisk, including the Flood Mitigation AssistanceProgram which provides funding for preparationof State Hazard Mitigation Plans. FEMA alsoawards Hazard Mitigation Grants, which providepartial funding in support of projects that reducepotential future damages. FEMA also coordinateshazard mitigation loans from the Federal SmallBusiness Administration (www.fema.gov).

The FEMA National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP) (www.fema.gov/business/nfip) enablesproperty owners in participating communities topurchase insurance protection against lossesfrom flooding, if a floodplain managementordinance in identified flood risk areas is adoptedand enforced. FEMA has also developed theCommunity Rating System (CRS)(www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm) tocorrelate community standards for reducing floodrisks with rates for flood insurance, and helpcommunities reduce insurance premiums.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)has long been a source of assistance for shoreprotection information and project funding, andhas a special interest in maintenance of federalnavigation projects. The USACE can provideassistance related to shore protection, projectfunding, and maintenance of federal navigationprojects (www.usace.army.mil/public.html).

The USACE, New York District, (www.nan.usace.army.mil/index.htm) operates gauges tomonitor sea and shore conditions in the LongIsland region (www.lishore.org). In addition, theUSACE Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory is anexcellent source for information related to coastalengineering (http://chl.erdc.usace.army.mil)..

The USACE Detroit District maintains informationand forecasts water levels in the Great Lakes(www.lre.usace.army.mil/index.cfm?chn_id=1400) for weekly levels or for monthlylevels (www.lre.usace.army.mil/index.cfm?chn_id=1450).

Since 1995, the Atlantic Coast of New YorkMonitoring Program (ACNYMP), a cooperativeeffort of the NYS DOS, USACE New York Districtand New York Sea Grant, has collected data onbeach changes and coastal processes along the135 mile shoreline from Coney Island toMontauk Point, to inform coastal managers,regulators, government officials and the public.(http://dune.seagrant.sunysb.edu/nycoast).

The International Joint Commission (IJC) isstudying options for regulating water levels on


the Great Lakes. A number of investigationshave been completed including benefits andimpacts of current regulations and potentialresults from several alternative plans. The IJCwill present its findings for public review prior toselecting a preferred regulation plan. Informationabout the current status of the study can befound at: www.losl.org/about/about-e.html.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)can provide information related to hazardsreduction including dredged materialmanagement and smart growth(www.epa.gov/owow/oceans).

The USGS Coastal and Marine GeologyProgram, with offices in Menlo Park/Santa Cruz,California, St. Petersburg, Florida and WoodsHole, Massachusetts, maintains a researchprogram on issues of coastal erosion, sea levelrise, and storm impacts. Information on thesetopics and others can be downloaded(http://marine.usgs.gov).

Water quality

New York State

Department of Environmental Conservation(DEC) can provide assistance with conserving,improving, and protecting natural resources andthe environment, and controlling water, land, andair pollution (www.dec.ny.gov). Of interest towaterfront communities are the funds forprotecting clean water. A variety of funds are

available for municipal wastewater treatmentimprovement, pollution prevention, andagricultural and non-agricultural nonpoint sourceabatement and control. Significant support isavailable to acquire open space that protectswater resources, and to acquire public parklandsand protect farmland. Funding is also available tohelp small businesses protect the environmentand to address flood control for smallmunicipalities and improve the safety of damsthroughout New York (www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/grants.html).

The Stormwater Phase II Program (www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8468.html) requirespermits for stormwater discharges frommunicipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s)in urbanized areas and for construction activitiesthat would disturb one or more acres.

The Environmental Facilities Corporation's(EFC) mission is to promote environmentalquality by providing low-cost capital and experttechnical assistance to municipalities,businesses, and State agencies forenvironmental projects in New York State. Itspurpose is to help public and private entitiescomply with federal and State environmentalrequirements (www.nysefc.org). EFC's primaryactivities are the State Revolving Funds (SRF),the Industrial Finance Program (IFP), andTechnical Advisory Services (TAS). EFC alsoadministers the NYS Clean Vessel AssistanceProgram to increase the availability, publicawareness, and public use of pumpout stations

for marine recreational vessels(www.nysefc.org/home/index.asp?page=21).

The Department of Transportation funds andimplements environmental benefit projects thatimprove water quality, restore wetlands, promoteeco-tourism, protect fish and wildlife, andenhance transportation corridors through itsEnvironmental Initiative (www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/engineering/environmental-analysis/environmental-initiative)

Federal

In 1990, Congress established a new programrequiring coastal states such as New York toprepare a coastal nonpoint pollution controlprogram to implement a series of managementmeasures (www.epa.gov/owow/nps/MMGI).United States Environmental ProtectionAgency (USEPA) can provide information onwater quality programs and assistance withplanning and managing watersheds, waterquality, and wetlands (www.epa.gov/water).

Natural resources

New York State

The Department of EnvironmentalConservation (DEC) (www.dec.ny.gov)administers a wide variety of programs andactivities designed to conserve, improve, andprotect the State's natural resources andenvironment, and control water, land, and airpollution. Natural resource related activities


include fish and wildlife management and permit programs under the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources(www.dec.ny.gov/about/634.html); water qualitypermitting and watershed planning andprotection under the Division of Water(www.dec.ny.gov/about/661.html); andacquisition and management of public lands andoutdoor recreation under the Division of Landsand Forests (www.dec.ny.gov/about/650.html).

The Hudson River Estuary Program is a uniqueregional partnership designed to protect,conserve, restore, and enhance the estuary(www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html). The heart ofthe Hudson River Estuary Program is the Hudson River Estuary Action Plan(www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5106.html), a set oftwenty commitments intended to protect andconserve the estuary's natural resources andecosystem health, clean up pollution and otherimpairments, and promote public use andenjoyment of the river. Grants are available fromthe Environmental Protection Fund to helpcommunities implement the action plan andprotect and enhance the Hudson River Estuary.

The Hudson River National Estuarine ResearchReserve (www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4915.html),established in 1982, protects four exemplarywetland sites on the estuary. Spaced along theriver from the brackish Tappan Zee to tidalfreshwater shallows north of the City of Hudson,these sites provide ideal settings for education andcomparative research. The reserve is managed inpartnership by NYS DEC, and the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration(http://nerrs.noaa.gov/HudsonRiver).

The Sea Grant Program encourages the wisestewardship of marine resources throughresearch, education, outreach, and technologytransfer. Sea Grant can provide assistance withresearch, education, and outreach on coastalissues ranging from fisheries, environmentalquality, coastal processes, and development.A cooperative program of SUNY Stony Brookand Cornell University, New York Sea Grant(www.seagrant.sunysb.edu) has 10 officesthroughout the State that work with partners“bringing science to the shore”(www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/NYSMap).

Federal

The National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) (www.noaa.gov)conducts a wide array of research, mapping, andmanagement programs related to weather,oceans (www.noaa.gov/ocean.html), remotesensing, fisheries (www.noaa.gov/fisheries.html),climate, and coastal resources(www.noaa.gov/coasts.html). The agency isresponsible for the nation's marine andanadromous protected species(www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr). NOAA's RestorationCenter (www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration)also sponsors a number of useful fundingprograms fostering community-based fisheriesrestoration.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)(www.fws.gov) administers most of the nation'sfish and wildlife management programs,including terrestrial and freshwater endangeredspecies protection (www.fws.gov/ endangered)and migratory bird management. USFWS

manages public lands and outdoor recreation(www.recreation.gov) as part of the NationalWildlife Refuge system (www.fws.gov/refuges).USFWS also offers several funding programs(www.fws.gov/grants), including Coastal WetlandConservation Grants and North AmericanWetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA) (www.epa.gov) works to protectenvironmental quality through a variety of air, water,pollution, and toxics and chemicals managementprograms. The agency works along waterfrontsprimarily through its Office of Wetlands, Oceans andWatersheds (www.epa.gov/owow). USEPA alsoadministers the National Estuary Program(www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries), which includesthree estuaries in New York: New York/New JerseyHarbor Estuary Program (www.harborestuary.org),Long Island Sound Study(www.longislandsoundstudy.net), and PeconicEstuary Program (www.peconicestuary.org).

The Public WaterfrontWaterfront access and recreation

New York State

If your waterfront project includes parkacquisition, park development, or traildevelopment, the New York State Office ofParks, Recreation and Historic Preservationmay be able to help (www.nysparks.state.ny.us/grants). Through the Environmental ProtectionFund and, in some cases in partnership withfederal grant programs, grant assistance isprovided to municipalities (including State


agencies) and nonprofit organizations.

The Parks Program can be used toacquire and/or develop parks andrecreational facilities and for the protectionof open space.

The Acquisition Program for all threeprogram areas for projects whereacquisition is of more importance thandevelopment.

The Recreational Trails Program for theacquisition, development, rehabilitationand maintenance of trails and trail-relatedprojects.

The Greenway Conservancy for the HudsonRiver Valley provides grants to municipalities andnonprofit organizations. The projects grants programprovides funding for trail planning, construction andamenities, historic landscape preservation, andregional and local partnerships as well as manyother resource enhancement and economicdevelopment projects(www.hudsongreenway.state.ny.us/funding/funding.htm).

The Hudson River Valley Greenway is establishing aHudson River Water Trail stretching from BatteryPark in the Village of Waterford, Saratoga County, toBattery Park in Manhattan. The trail will provideaccess for kayaks, canoes, and small boats along156 miles of the river. As part of the “Hudson RiverGreenway Water Trail Program” the GreenwayCommunities Council provides financial andtechnical assistance to site owners to help completethe Hudson River Water Trail. Launch and campsiteowners located along the Hudson River and withinthe designated Greenway Area and who are, or

wish to become, a part of the water trail system areeligible to participate in the program. Site ownerscan undertake a variety of projects under thisprogram(www.hudsongreenway.state.ny.us/commcoun/Greenway%20Community%20Grant%20 Application.pdf).

Federal

The National Park Service Land and WaterConservation Fund Program can provide fundingassistance for the acquisition, development,and/or rehabilitation of outdoor park andrecreation facilities. Funds are available tomunicipal public agencies and Indian tribalgovernments (www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/lwcf).

The National Park Service Rivers, Trails, andConservation Assistance Program can provideassistance to conserve rivers, preserve openspace, and develop trails and greenways(www.nps.gov/rtca).

The National Park Service Federal Lands toParks Program helps communities create newparks and recreation areas by transferringsurplus federal land to State and localgovernments (www.nps.gov/flp).

The Working WaterfrontHarbor management planning

New York State

The Office of General Services (OGS), RealProperty Management and Development, canprovide assistance related to grants or otherconveyances of State interests in land underwater, and the construction of commercial docks,

wharves, moorings, and permanent structures inState-owned underwater lands(www.ogs.state.ny.us/RealEstate/permits).

The Department of EnvironmentalConservation (DEC) can provide informationregarding wetlands, protected species, waterquality classifications, and State environmentalregulations that may apply to your harbor and its existing or proposed uses(www.dec.ny.gov).

The Department of Transportation (DOT) canprovide information about transportationinfrastructure, including roadways, bridges, andbicycle and pedestrian paths, ferries and publictransportation, in your harbor area(www.nysdot.gov).

The Office of Parks, Recreation and HistoricPreservation (OPRHP) can assist in identifyinghistoric underwater sites or structures, such asshipwrecks or archaeological sites. The Divisionof Marine and Recreational Vehicles can provideinformation regarding State reimbursements forsome municipal navigation law enforcementexpenses. OPRHP may also be a waterfrontlandowner in your community, managingrecreational activities and access to the harbor(www.nysparks.state.ny.us).

Federal

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is a critical partnerin harbor management with information aboutmarine safety, security and environmental protection (www.uscg.mil). USCG approves aids to navigationand regulatory markers such as buoys, andapproves certain anchorage and mooring areas.


USCG sponsors local Harbor Safety Committees aspart of the federal interagency MarineTransportation System.

The National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) can provide harbormanagers with a variety of charting and navigationtools and information (www.noaa.gov/charts.html).NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service hasinformation about Essential Fish Habitats, marineand anadromous protected species, andcommercial and recreational fisheries in your area(www.nmfs.noaa.gov).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) canidentify federally maintained navigation channelsand other federal projects, such as breakwaters,and provide information and regulatory guidance ondredging and dredged material disposal, floodprotection, wetlands, and waterways(www.usace.army.mil). New York's coastal areas andinland waterways are covered primarily by the NewYork District (www.nan.usace.army.mil) and theBuffalo District (www.lrb.usace.army.mil).

The U.S. Department of Interior (www.doi.gov)includes both the National Park Service (NPS)(www.nps.gov) and the Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) (www.fws.gov), both providing valuableinformation for harbor management planning. NPSis a good source for cultural resources information(www.nps.gov/ history). It has a submergedresources center(http://home.nps.gov/applications/submerged), andmay own or manage a National Park, Seashore, orMonument in your harbor area. USFWS can provideendangered species consultation, habitat

assessment and restoration assistance(www.fws.gov/habitat), technical input in evaluatingimpacts to fish and wildlife, and may own ormanage a National Wildlife Refuge in your area.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)can provide information on air and water qualityprograms and regulations related to the dischargeof wastes from boats and marinas(www.epa.gov/owow/nps/marinas.html), beachclosures and monitoring (www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches), and assistance withplanning and managing watersheds, water quality,and wetlands (www.epa.gov/water).

Agriculture

New York State

The Department of Agriculture and Marketsadministers several funding programs including theNew York State Agricultural Nonpoint SourceAbatement and Control Program (ANSCAP), theAgricultural and Farmland ProtectionImplementation Project Program, and the FarmlandViability Program (www.agmkt.state.ny.us).

Federal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, NaturalResources and Environment, can provideassistance with rural development and helpcommunities with natural resource concerns,such as erosion control, watershed protection,and forestry (www.ers.usda.gov/Browse/NaturalResourcesEnvironment).


Montauk Point Lighthouse

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