QUEENSBURY SOUTH BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA PRE-NOMINATION STUDY Prepared for: Prepared by: Town of Queensbury Chazen Engineering, Land Surveying & 742 Bay Road Landscape Architects Co., P.C. Queensbury, NY 12804 This document was prepared for the Town of Queensbury and the New York State Department of State with state funds provided through the Brownfields Opportunity Areas Program ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area Pre-Nomination Study was prepared by an advisory committee that worked cooperatively to develop an understanding of local context, housing conditions and needs, land use patterns, the transportation network, and infill and redevelopment opportunities in order to begin the planning and vision process. The Advisory Committee would like to thank the many citizens of Queensbury for contributing their ideas to the creation of this plan. Advisory Committee Chris Hunsinger Ronald Montesi Joe Strauss John Strough John Wheatley Queensbury Planning Department Stuart Baker, Senior Planner George Hilton, GIS Administrator Consultant Team The Chazen Companies Riverstreet Planning & Development Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1 The Brownfield Opportunity Area Program ..................................................................................... 1 Project Sponsor ................................................................................................................................ 2 Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area ........................................................................... 2 2. Project Description .........................................................................................................................4 Community Involvement in the BOA ............................................................................................... 4 Redevelopment Vision ..................................................................................................................... 6 3. Preliminary Inventory and Analysis .................................................................................................8 Community Overview ...................................................................................................................... 8 Existing Zoning Districts, Land Use Characteristics, and Planning Initiatives ................................ 14 Study Area Business Survey ........................................................................................................... 21 Prior Planning Initiatives ................................................................................................................ 22 Transportation and Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 25 Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 27 Open Space and Recreation ........................................................................................................... 32 Land Ownership ............................................................................................................................. 32 Recent Redevelopment Projects .................................................................................................... 33 Vacant, Underutilized, and Identified Environmental Record Sites .............................................. 34 4. Preliminary BOA Recommendations ............................................................................................. 42 Summary Analysis and Key Opportunities for Revitalization ........................................................ 42 List of Figures Figure 1 Community Context Map Figure 2 Study Area Context Map Figure 3 Brownfield Opportunity Area Map Figure 4 Zoning Districts Map Figure 5 Existing Land Use Classifications Map Figure 6 Transportation Map Figure 7 Infrastructure Map Figure 8 Natural Resources Map Figure 9 Open Space and Recreational Facilities Map Figure 10 Land Ownership Patterns Map Figure 11 Vacant and Underutilized Sites Figure 12 Concept Plan Figure 13 Concept Plan Appendices Appendix A QSBOA Figures Appendix B Focus Group Meeting and Public Workshop Summary Notes Appendix C Queensbury Economic and Market Analysis Appendix D Descriptive Profiles of Brownfield and Underutilized Properties Appendix E Review of Environmental Regulatory Databases Appendix F Hudson-Ciba Waterfront Revitalization Plan 1. Introduction The Brownfield Opportunity Area Program New York State Department of State (NYS DOS) administers the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The BOA program was developed to help address the increasing concern over the impact of brownfields on communities that are trying to identify opportunities for reinvestment and economic development. The BOA program provides municipalities with the planning and decision making tools necessary to develop and implement revitalization strategies for areas impacted by the presence of suspected brownfield sites. The program is structured to be community driven through the participation of local residents, business owners, officials, and not-for-profit organizations. The process results in a revitalization strategy that is formed around a collective vision and identified goals. The complete BOA program is a three step process that includes a pre-nomination study, a nomination study, and an implementation strategy. Pre-Nomination Study – The first step in the BOA program is to get a better understanding of the opportunities and constraints related to brownfields and revitalization efforts within a Study Area. An analysis of existing conditions and as well as preliminary opportunities and constraints are used to begin the visioning and planning process. Nomination Study – The second step in the BOA program takes a more thorough look at the implications of existing conditions on revitalization and the vision established in the Pre- Nomination Study. An analysis of economic and market trends is completed and specific sites are identified as having opportunity for future development based on environmental, community, and economic factors. Based on these findings, specific recommendations for revitalization are identified and implementation strategies are drafted. Queensbury NY | Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area Pre-Nomination Study 1 Implementation Strategy – Based on the previous BOA steps, the Implementation Phase identifies select projects to be undertaken to achieve the vision and goals that were set forward in the Pre-Nomination Study. Individual Nomination (Phase II) site assessments can be undertaken for suspected brownfields in order to better understand existing needs and remediation strategies. Detailed reuse and redevelopment strategies for specific sites are commonly developed in this step of the program. Project Sponsor The Town of Queensbury is the municipality sponsoring the Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area Pre-Nomination Study. The project is funded, administered, and overseen by the NYS DOS, with technical support provided by the NYS DEC. This Pre-Nomination Study focuses on developing a revitalization vision for Queensbury South and is principally focused on data gathering/analysis and engaging the community in a visioning process for the broader Study Area. Concurrently with the preparation of this Pre-Nomination Study, the Town of Queensbury is using NYS DOS Local Waterfront Revitalization Program funds to prepare the Hudson-Ciba Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the reuse of the Ciba-Geigy property. This former industrial site is a Class II Inactive Hazardous Waste site located in the heart of the Queensbury South BOA along the Hudson River. The Hudson-Ciba Waterfront Revitalization Plan will focus on specific redevelopment opportunities that will leverage the site’s location and local infrastructure assets. This work will be informed by an understanding of local context, housing conditions and needs, land use patterns, the transportation network, and infill and redevelopment opportunities as identified in the Pre-Nomination Study. These efforts combined will produce the Queensbury South Vision Plan which will include concept plans and recommendations for the Study Area and for the redevelopment of the Ciba-Geigy site. Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area Regional Context The Town of Queensbury is located in south eastern Warren County, northern most portions of the Town are located within the Adirondack Park (see Figure 1 and Figure 2). The Town is approximately 72 square miles in size (65 square miles when excluding waterbodies) and serves as the southeastern shoreline to Lake George. The Town surrounds the City of Glens Falls and is split by NYS Interstate -87 which provides a direct route from New York City, through the City of Albany, the City of Plattsburgh, and across the Canadian border to the City of Montreal. The Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area (QSBOA) Delaware and Hudson Railroad through Study Area comprises nearly 360 parcels on just under 540 Ciba-Geigy Site Queensbury NY | Queensbury South Brownfield Opportunity Area Pre-Nomination Study 2 acres of land within the Town of Queensbury. The Study Area borders the City of Glens Falls to the