Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Schenectady County
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Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Schenectady County March 31, 2010 Developed and submitted by: Town of Glenville Town of Niskayuna Town of Rotterdam County of Schenectady City of Schenectady Village of Scotia This report was prepared for the New York State Department of State with funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Section I.Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Area Boundary .................................................... 2 Town of Glenville .......................................................................................................... 2 Town of Niskayuna ......................................................................................................... 3 Town of Rotterdam ........................................................................................................ 4 City of Schenectady........................................................................................................ 4 Village of Scotia ............................................................................................................ 5 Section II. Inventory and Analysis ...........................................................................................10 1. Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Area—Local Laws and Regulations ................................. 10 2. Existing Land Use ...................................................................................................... 12 3. Land Ownership Characteristics ..................................................................................... 23 4. Existing Zoning and Land Use Regulations ......................................................................... 26 5. Infrastructure........................................................................................................... 37 6. Important Agricultural Land.......................................................................................... 44 7. Sand and Gravel Mining ............................................................................................... 44 8. Topography/Geology .................................................................................................. 45 9. Environmentally-Sensitive Areas .................................................................................... 48 10. Scenic Resources ..................................................................................................... 52 11. Existing Water Resources............................................................................................ 53 12. Fish and Wildlife Habitats........................................................................................... 54 13. Existing Water Use, Public Access and Recreational Resources............................................... 55 14. Historic Resources.................................................................................................... 64 Section III.Proposed Land & Water Uses and Proposed Projects ......................................................68 Key Issues and Opportunities............................................................................................ 68 Proposed Development Projects........................................................................................ 79 Section IV: Implementation ...................................................................................................88 Implementation Timeline and Potential Funding .................................................................... 88 Proposed Local Laws and Regulations ................................................................................. 91 Appendix A. Public Participation Process..................................................................................94 Appendix B. Mohawk River Boater Survey .................................................................................96 Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Schenectady County INTRODUCTION Schenectady County is located in eastern central portion of New York State, north of Albany and in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. Schenectady is an irregularly-shaped county that is bounded on the north by Montgomery and Saratoga counties; on the east by Saratoga and Albany Counties; on the south by Albany and Schoharie Counties; and on the west by Schoharie and Montgomery Counties (Figure 1). With a population of 145,555 residents (2000 census) and an area of 210 square miles, Schenectady County is the second smallest of the 57 New York counties outside of New York City. The Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Area, which is the subject of this plan, includes land in the five municipalities that are located directly along the Mohawk River in Schenectady County including: Town of Glenville Figure 1. Schenectady County borders. Town of Niskayuna Town of Rotterdam City of Schenectady Village of Scotia Each of these communities is committed to protecting and enhancing Schenectady County’s water resources and leveraging these assets to contribute to the economic strength of each individual community and to the greater Schenectady County community. This plan has been developed to assess the current state of Schenectady’s water assets and to create a blueprint that will guide the future development and management of these areas. The residents of the communities that participated in this plan were encouraged to participate in its development. A summary of this public participation process is included in Appendix A. The Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Schenectady County was developed in a way that seeks to balance: Encouraging economic growth and development Stewardship to the quality of water resources and overall community life Improving public access to and enjoyment of recreation, cultural, and historic resources Participating in regional coordination of initiatives in order to effectively develop Schenectady’s water resources Page 1 Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Schenectady County SECTION I. MOHAWK RIVER WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION AREA BOUNDARY Schenectady County is comprised of the Towns of Glenville, Niskayuna, Rotterdam, Princetown, and Duanesburg; the City of Schenectady; and the Villages of Delanson and Scotia (Figure 2). The Mohawk River flows through Schenectady County in a southeasterly direction and forms a part of the County’s northeastern border. Within the County, the City of Schenectady and the Towns of Niskayuna, Rotterdam, Princetown, Delanson and Duanesburg are located on the southern side of the Mohawk River; the Town of Glenville and Village of Scotia are located on the northern side of the river. As will be discussed throughout this plan, the Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Area is divided Figure 2. Schenectady County, New York. into five sub areas consisting of the communities that directly border the Mohawk River (Glenville, Niskayuna, Rotterdam, Schenectady, and Scotia). The waterfront boundary for each community along the Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Area is shown in Figure 3-5. The existing waterfront access facilities are shown in Figures 6. A brief description of each participating community and its boundary is included below. TOWN OF GLENVILLE The Town of Glenville is located in the northern part of Schenectady County. Glenville was incorporated in 1821 and as of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,183. Glenville has a total area of 50.9 square miles, of which 49.9 square miles is land and 1.0 square miles (1.97%) is water. The Town is split among three public school districts; Scotia-Glenville, Burnt Hills- Ballston Lake, and Niskayuna. Municipal Waterfront Revitalization Boundaries—Beginning at the Town boundary in the Mohawk River; then north along the Town boundary to Touareuna Road, then east along Touareuna Road and Hatcher Avenue; then east along a line of 350 north of and parallel to Route 5 to the point east of Johnson Road where the Conrail tracks cross Route 5 then east along Conrail tracks to Rector Road; then south on Rector Road to Route 5; then east along Route 5 to the Town Boundary with the Village of Scotia at South Toll Street then south and east along the Village boundary to the west side of the Village to the Town of Glenville boundary at Sunnyside Road then proceeding east along Sunnyside Road to the intersection of Freemans Bridge Road; then north on Freemans Bridge Road to Maple Avenue; then west on Maple Avenue to the intersection with Alplaus Avenue; then southeast along Alplaus Avenue to the Town boundary; then south to the Mohawk River; then west along the Town boundary on the Mohawk River to the point of origin. Municipal Waterfront Resources—The Town of Glenville has more than 13 miles of riverfront area. Development in many of Glenville’s riverfront areas is limited due to steep slopes, wetlands, and the presence of railroad lines. The notable exceptions are the commercial nodes located at the Mohawk Valley Airport, Arrowhead Marina, Maalwyck Park, Freemans Bridge Road, and the Maritime Center/Mohawk Valley Marine in Alplaus. While development area along Glenville’s waterfront Page 2 Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalization Plan for Schenectady County is limited, the Town’s residents do enjoy a great deal of access to the waterfront through existing parks and waterfront resources.