Harbor Management Plan
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Appendix A Town of Marlborough, NY Harbor Management Plan DRAFT – June 12, 2017 This document was developed as part of a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the Town of Marlborough. The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program is being prepared in cooperation with the New York State Department of State with funds provided under Title 11 of the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. Table of Contents Harbor Management Plan ................................................................................................................. 3 I. Introduction and Purpose ............................................................................................................... 3 II. The Harbor Management Area (HMA) ......................................................................................... 4 A. Issues and Opportunities ........................................................................................................... 4 III. Description and Harbor Management Issues ............................................................................ 6 A. Town and Harbor Description ................................................................................................... 6 B. Harbor Navigation and Safety ................................................................................................... 7 C. Historic Maritime Resources ..................................................................................................... 7 D. Maritime Economy / Commercial & Recreational Users....................................................... 7 E. Waterfront Access & Infrastructure .......................................................................................... 9 F. Flooding. .................................................................................................................................... 12 G. Water Quality and Natural Resources .................................................................................. 14 H. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ............................................................................................. 16 I. Waterfront Zoning ..................................................................................................................... 17 J. Waterfront Land Use and Redevelopment ............................................................................ 19 K. Jurisdictional Effect .................................................................................................................. 20 L. Existing Authorities .................................................................................................................. 21 IV. Objectives and Implementation ............................................................................................... 22 Map 1: Harbor Management Plan Overview Map ....................................................................... 25 Map 2: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Map ..................................................................... 26 Town of Marlborough Harbor Management Plan 2 Section I: Introduction and Purpose Harbor Management Plan I. Introduction and Purpose Increases in the number of commercial and recreational boats, along with the development of other activities and watercraft, have resulted in increased competition for space and conflicts between different water activities along the shores of New York State. Conflicts have arisen between commercial and recreational use of the water, as well as natural resources and water quality. Such conflicts, and a lack of clear authority to resolve them, have undermined the quality of many harbors and their ability to support a variety of different uses. There has historically been a lack of clear municipal authority to adequately plan and regulate activities occurring in nearshore areas. The ability for municipalities to manage activities in nearshore areas has been largely limited to regulating vessel use, speed, anchoring, and mooring. Municipal regulation of other activities on underwater lands varies and is sometimes different for cities, towns and villages and can often overlap with federal and state ordinances. In order to help address these issues and give individual municipalities better control of local harbor issues, Article 42 – the Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act was amended to provide local governments with the clear authority to comprehensively manage activities in nearshore areas through harbor management plans and local laws. Harbor Management Plans are intended to act as a “water-specific” component of a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), which have historically focused on land-use issues only. They are intended to address issues of conflict and competition of space for different uses, public safety and protection of natural resources. Today, harbor management plans are a required component of any new LWRP. Section II: Harbor Management Areas II. The Harbor Management Area (HMA) The HMA includes the portion of the Hudson River and its bays within the Town of Marlborough. The HMA includes both surface waters and the lands adjacent to the surface waters which may influence what takes place on the surface waters and whose use, in turn, may be influenced by what takes place on the surface waters. As shown by the white dashed line on the Harbor Management Plan Overview Map, the eastern waterside extents of the HMA extend out into the river 1,500 feet from the mean low water line, or to the eastern boundary between the Town of Marlborough and the Town of Poughkeepsie if the boundary is less the 1,500 feet from the mean low water line. A. Issues and Opportunities A brief summary of the issues and opportunities identified for the Town of Marlborough HMA include the following: Despite the fact that the entire eastern border of the town abuts the Hudson River, physical constraints and prior land development patterns have provided a limited amount of waterfront available for public access; Prior land development patterns have not taken advantage of the river as much as they could have, and it remains an underutilized resource; The only existing public access pier is in a state of disrepair and needs to be rehabilitated; There is a limited amount of public marina space, launching areas and parking; There is a very limited amount of improved public recreation areas along the waterfront; Waterfront improvements are subject to damage from rising floodwaters and storm events; The Town of Marlborough has no official jurisdiction beyond the high water mark to adequately regulate issues on the water which may impact public safety. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently considering the creation of commercial anchorage grounds at 10 locations along the Hudson River, including within the Marlborough HMA. Providing more access to the river and a diversity of waterfront activities will likely improve the quality of life for local residents, attract tourism and stimulate economic growth. Town of Marlborough Harbor Management Plan 4 Section II: Harbor Management Areas B. Objectives The overall objectives of the Harbor Management Plan are as follows: Strengthen the existing waterfront access points and attractions; Repair and protect the few existing water-dependent uses on the river to ensure they are not lost or damaged; Protect the quality of natural resources along the river, including scenic visual quality, water quality and natural habitats; Update the zoning to plan for new water-dependent uses at select locations along the river which will help attract tourism, stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of recreation for residents; Allow for a greater diversity of uses and water-related activities along the waterfront such as marinas, fishing, picnics, camping, lodging and restaurants; Augment the existing boating facilities to accommodate a wider selection and number of watercraft for tourism and recreation. Properly manage and plan for future growth along the waterfront. (See Harbor Management Plan Overview Map attached at the end of this document) Town of Marlborough Harbor Management Plan 5 Section IV: Descriptions and Harbor Management Issues III. Description and Harbor Management Issues A. Town and Harbor Description The Town of Marlborough is located on western shores of the Hudson River between the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, in southern Ulster County. Due to its location approximately halfway between New York City and the City of Albany this area of the state is known as the Mid-Hudson Region. The HMA includes approximately 5.7 miles of shoreline and adjacent waters of the Hudson River. This portion of the river is also known as part of the Hudson River Estuary, which extends from New York City 150 miles to Troy, NY. Because of its mix of both freshwater and saltwater, the estuary is an important water body as it supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including rare plants and other ecological communities. It provides spawning grounds, migratory and nursery habitat, and its deep channel is one of the largest spawning areas for Atlantic Sturgeon. It also provides habitats for Shortnose Sturgeon, Striped Bass, Blue Crab and various waterfowl. Due to the sloping terrain from west to east, a majority of the Town of Marlborough acts as a watershed which drains down the slope into this portion of the Hudson River. Lattintown Creek in particular, which includes Jews Creek and other smaller tributaries, comprises a significant watershed which covers