Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 1 2 Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................7 Federal and State Land Use Policy............................................................9 Comprehensive Planning and Legislative Authority.............................11 Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Sandy Creek ..............................12 Chapter 2: Goals and Recommendations......................................15 Summary Analysis...............................................................................16 Community Vision Statement...........................................................18 Issues of Community Signifi cance.......................................................18 Strengths and Challenges..................................................................19 Community Goals and Recommended Actions.....................................25 Goal 1: Promote Good Governance.................................................26 Goal 2: Economic Development......................................................30 Goal 3: Environment and Natural Resources Protection.................32 Goal 4: Housing and Community Services ...................................35 Goal 5: Recreation and Cultural Development..............................37 Strategic Plan and Catalytic Projects................................................39 Plan Implementation (Short- and Long-term Focus).............................39 Chapter 3: Community Analysis......................................................43 Location...................................................................................44 History of the Community....................................................................47 Village of Sandy Creek ...................................................................... 51 Village of Lacona ................................................................................ 53 Sandy Creek Fair and Grange ............................................................ 54 Population......................................................................................57 Housing...................................................................................59 Economic Base......................................................................................65 Land Use ..............................................................................................69 Municipal Infrastructure and Public Utilities.......................................86 Historic, Scenic and Cultural Resources.............................................109 Natural Resources and Environment.....................................................116 Agriculture and Silviculture................................................................141 Planning in the Town of Sandy Creek .............................................153 Federal, State and Regional Planning Initiatives...............................154 Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 3 Chapter 4: Regional Infl uences......................................................157 Central New York Region..................................................................159 Fort Drum..........................................................................................161 Tug Hill Region..................................................................................164 Colleges and Universities.....................................................................168 Industrial Parks...................................................................................171 Th e City of Oswego.............................................................................172 Th e City of Syracuse...........................................................................173 Great Lakes Seaway Trail...................................................................174 New York State Fair..........................................................................174 Oswego County Fair & Harborfest...................................................174 Salmon River Fish Hatchery.................................................................175 Oswego County Electric/Gas Utilities................................................176 Salmon River and Lighthouse Hill Reservoirs....................................177 Renewable Energy in Central New York...........................................178 Agriculture & Farming........................................................................185 Economic Development Initiatives....................................................187 Appendix A - Conservation Subdivions................................................189 Soil Survey Maps................................................................................ 192 Appendix B - Architectural Survey (Town of Sandy Creek) .................197 Community Survey Summary Analysis, Results and Comments......End 4 Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 List of Figures Figure 1. Ideal Function of Nodes and Recreational Trails...................17 List of Maps Map 1 Regional Location......................................................................45 Map 2 Existing Land Use.................................................................79-83 Map 3 Public Lands .............................................................................85 Proposed Eastern Shore Water System...................................................91 Map 4 Transportation Infrastructure.....................................................93 Railroads in New York State (NYS DOT).............................................95 Map 5 Energy Facilities.......................................................................101 Map 6 Natural Gas Facilities...............................................................103 Map 7 School Districts........................................................................107 Community Resources.........................................................................108 Map 8 Floodplains..............................................................................123 Map 9 Wetlands..................................................................................127 Map 10 Slope......................................................................................131 Map 11 Agricultural Districts..............................................................143 Map 12 Suitability Analysis.................................................................151 Map 13 Colleges/Universities..............................................................169 GIS DATA Disclaimer Th e original source(s) of each dataset is identifi ed on the maps. Due to the diff erent sources and scales of projection, key features such as roads, parcel boundaries and streams may not overlap accurately when comparing several data layers on the same map. Acreage calculations for various parameters in this report were generated through the use of ArcGIS and are an approximation of the actual size. For more precise measurements, contact the Oswego County Planning Department. Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 5 6 Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 Chapter 1: Introduction Farmland along Scenic Route 3 - The Seaway Trail in Sandy Creek Town of Sandy Creek Comprehensive Plan - July 2014 7 Before beginning, plan carefully. - Marcus Tulius Cicero, Roman statesman and orator (106-43 BC). In the book Comprehensive Planning for the 21st Century: General Th eory and Principals, the author notes “Planning is so universal and so much a part of all activities that it is usually taken for granted. Because it is inconspicuous by its universal presence, the process of planning is seldom specifi cally identifi ed and considered [yet] Illustrations of diff erent applications and re sults of planning are almost without limit.” Analysis of planning process shows us that the endeavor is basically the same in all its applications. Within any kind of planning program, including that which this Comprehensive Plan is a part of, a sequence of specifi c actions are formulated and detailed suffi ciently to achieve an objective: (1) collection of descriptive and prescriptive in formation, (2) analysis of this information, (3) reaching conclusions, (4) making decisions, (5) designation and eff ectuation of implementing actions, and (6) comparison of the results of planning with its intentions, and corresponding adjustment or revision as indicated. Th e planning of settlements in North America (cities, towns, and villages) aft er the arrival of the Europeans refl ected both old and new values and ideals that were expressed through a variety of spatial arrangements and cultural compositions. Grid patterns for effi cient movement of citizens and troops were employed in cities like Santa Fe, Mobile and Savannah. New York City, with hundreds of rectangular blocks and no alleys, was conceived to generate the most profi t for land speculators. eTh Washington, D.C. plan of long radiating avenues and grand plazas was designed to communicate to the world through design the greatness of America. Planning practices of recent decades in the United States, with emphasis on zoning, housing, and transportation, grew out of the eff orts of nineteenth century reformers who sought to improve the oft en deplorable conditions of America’s then overcrowded cities with early tenement laws. In the 1890s, a progressive reform