Photos on the front cover, from left to right: Greenport, Rochester, New York City, Braddock Bay TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: CHAPTER SIX: INTRODUCTION ... 1 TAKING IT ONE STEP AT A TIME - FULFILLING YOUR VISION ... 67 Who should read this guidebook Ensuring success - organizing for implementation About this guidebook Project planning, financing, and implementation How is the guidebook organized New York State Department of State - Division of Coastal Resources CONCLUSION ... 82 What is a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Looking ahead APPENDIX ... 83 CHAPTER TWO: Where to find potential partners for waterfront revitalization The Developed Waterfront DEVELOPING A WATERFRONT VISION ... 7 The Natural Waterfront Planning for community involvement The Public Waterfront Understanding what you have to work with The Working Waterfront Developing a vision Reaching consensus on the vision Charting 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 New York State Department of State, Office of Coastal, Local Government and Community Sustainability 5 Wilson, Lake Ontario CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION With patience and persistence... You can make the most of your waterfront. New York State’s waterfronts are exciting and diverse - from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point; from New York Harbor to the lakes of the Catskills and the Adirondacks; from the Delaware River to the Finger Lakes; and from the 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 wide variety of economic activities concentrated in the communities along its waterfronts - from the largest cities to the smallest hamlets - the waterfront plays a vital role in the lives of New Yorkers. Our waterfronts are rich in natural resources - with abundant fish and wildlife as well as bluffs, beaches and, wetlands, forests, and farmlands. More and more people are recognizing that their waterfronts can bring new life and energy to their communities. They are doing this by creating new Queens West, East River economic activity, redeveloping historic and abandoned structures, improving waterfront recreation, and restoring and protecting natural resources. They have found that the keys to making the most of their waterfront 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 York City neighborhood - can take full advantage of their waterfront is by using New York State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Through this Program, communities are building consensus and implementing visions for the future of their waterfronts. These communities are part of a successful waterfront renaissance that is occurring throughout New York State. Helping you to achieve that success is the goal of this guidebook. Pittsford, Erie Canal New York State Department of State, Office of Coastal, Local Government and Community Sustainability 1 Who should read this guidebook This guidebook is intended as an introduction waterfront; or whether the primary goal is to waterfront revitalization. Readers are waterfront redevelopment or natural resource This guidebook is designed to inspire and assist encouraged to use this information to seek protection. all New Yorkers - whether they are municipal further advice by following the links to the officials, community or nonprofit organizations, relevant agencies. The sequence in this step-by-step guide to businesses, or anyone with an interest in the enhancing your waterfront and revitalizing your waterfront - who want to make the most of what How is the guidebook organized community may not fit every community.You may their waterfronts have to offer. Working together, want to create partnerships first, and then work these groups can revitalize a community’s The sections of this guidebook follow a step-by- together to understand your waterfront’s issues, natural resources, as well as its built step process to help you make the most of your or you may want to wait until after you environment. This guidebook will help define the waterfront. These steps include: understand more about the condition of your roles and responsibilities of each group as they waterfront to develop your vision. Taking a Developing a waterfront vision - come together in a partnership. different approach is fine. The critical message is highlighting the importance of generating a sense of community ownership of the that all of these steps are important. About this guidebook waterfront and defining its future This guidebook is the print component of a New York State Department of multi-media package designed to provide readily Establishing partnerships - showing how State - Division of Coastal accessible information on how to protect, restore to strengthen the community’s Resources and revitalize New York’s coasts and waterways. involvement in the revitalization of your waterfront and ensuring the key players The other components include a video and a The Department of State's Division of Coastal are on board website (www.nywaterfronts.com). This package Resources works with communities throughout New York State to help them make the most of will provide guidance on how to make the most Taking a look around - helping you to of your waterfront - sharing lessons learned, what their waterfronts have to offer. The Division understand your waterfront, its assets, works in partnership with community groups, specific techniques that have worked, sources of and key issues and opportunities information and assistance, and the experiences nonprofit organizations, and all levels of of communities that have succeeded. The Developing a strategy - showing you how government to strengthen local economies, guidebook provides information on the benefits to pull it all together to fulfill your vision protect the environment and improve the quality and requirements for participation in New York of life. Whether you live in a rural town or a New State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Taking it one step at a time - providing York City neighborhood, you can take full and shows how a community can use a Local detailed guidelines for implementing your advantage of your waterfront by working with the vision Waterfront Revitalization Program to help it Division of Coastal Resources. achieve its vision. This multi-media package will These steps are appropriate whether the be supplemented by similar packages of Since 1982, the Division has worked with local community is large or small; whether the concern guidance that focus in more detail on specific governments and communities to prepare Local is with one issue in one area or with a wide community issues. Waterfront Revitalization Programs that define a range of issues for a community’s entire local vision for the waterfront. The Division has 2 Making the Most of Your Waterfront provided technical and financial assistance to Planning for the prevention and mitigation communities for plans and projects that have of coastal flooding and erosion expanded public access, reinvigorated urban waterfronts, restored habitats, and strengthened Protecting and restoring coastal habitats local economies. The Division is involved in a wealth of activities, including: Planning for the preservation of historic resources, maritime heritage, and scenic resources Implementing the federal Coastal Zone Management Act in New York State Implementing New York's coastal policies through consistency review Implementing the State's Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Investing in improvements to waterfront Waterways Act areas through State and federal grant programs Developing Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs and Harbor Management Plans with over 200 municipalities You are eligible to participate as a partner in the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program if you Planning and technical assistance for are a coastal community - in other words, if your Hudson River from Olana redevelopment of buildings and community is on Long Island Sound, the Atlantic deteriorated urban waterfronts Ocean, New York Harbor and the waters around New York City, the Hudson River, the Great Revitalizing community centers Lakes, Niagara River or the St. Lawrence River; or if your community is located on an inland Regional planning for the Long Island waterbody, such as a major lake, river or the Sound shore and the South Shore State Canal, that has been designated by the Estuary Reserve State Legislature under Article 42 of the Protecting water quality through Executive Law. intermunicipal watershed planning As you organize your waterfront revitalization Developing and applying remote sensing efforts, the Division of Coastal Resources can and Geographic Information Systems help in many ways: technology Organizing the planning process Interpreting coastal resources and promoting tourism Establishing a waterfront advisory committee Northport, Northport Bay New York State Department of State, Office of Coastal, Local Government and Community Sustainability 3 Assisting with data collection and analysis which a community’s vision for its waterfront can Program. This “consistency” provision is a strong be formalized. Working in partnership with