November 27, 2018
Friends,
It’s been awhile since my last newsletter, so I thought that I’d try to bring you up to date. Much of this is also on the North Hudson web page, northhudsonny.com, under the Supervisor’s Message section.
In March the Adirondack Park Agency’s classification of the Boreas Ponds Tract was approved.
In April we had the groundbreaking of the Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area and a new brewing facility for Paradox Brewery.
In July the DEC’s Unit Management Plan was also approved. Implementation of the plan has begun and when complete it will provide recreational access to the Boreas Ponds including:
- Constructing additional parking areas near LaBier Flow and Boreas Ponds
- A six-car permit only parking area 1/10 of a mile from Boreas Dam will have an informational kiosks and a bike rack
- Four of the parking spots will be available through Reserve America and two will be available for people with (Motorized Access Program for People with Disabilities) permits
- Constructing hand launches at the Boreas Pond dam and on the shores of LaBier Flow
- The launch at Boreas Ponds dam will be ADA compliant and accessible to people with disabilities
- The launch on the southern shore of LaBier Flow will include a drop off area for unloading and loading boats and equipment but not for parking
Frontier Town Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
In October Phase One of the campground was completed, which includes:
- An equestrian camping area modeled after DEC’s Otter Creek facility with space for 33 equestrian camping sites with electrical hookups and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant features;
- Parking for all-season trail access located off Frontier Town Road near NYS Rt. 9, providing year-round parking for 26 vehicles, including spots for 18 vehicles with trailers, six for vehicles only, and two for accessible vehicles;
- Seasonal day-use area along the shoreline of the Schroon River with 34 parking spaces, a pavilion, two playgrounds, a comfort station, and electric vehicle charging stations;
- Entranced ticket booth utilizing solar energy to support part of the ticketing operations; and
- Two staff cabins, a recycling station, a firewood storage building, a water treatment/storage building, and other facilities necessary for the operation of the campground.
Both the campground and brewery hope to be open next spring/summer. We are hoping that this will result in the creation of 30-40 new part-time and full-time jobs.
I am very happy to see these plans come to fruition and am hopeful that it will lead to new business growth and new employment opportunities.
The Town also underwent a State Audit this year. The audit results are also on our web page. We did extremely well and there were no recommendations as a result of the audit and no Corrective Action Plan was required.
Lastly, and as I said in last year’s letter, what has been started will take a few years, longer than I have left on this term and I will not seek reelection. Because of that, I believe that it would be best for someone to come into these projects now and provide the continuity through the next few years to see these projects through to completion. And so again, after months of thought and anguish, I have decided to retire at the end of this year. I have worked as hard as I ever have for the past 7 years as your Supervisor to try to make things better for the town and you, the people who live here. I’ve given my all and did the best I knew how to do the things that I thought were in the best interest of our town, not only for the now, but also for the future. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished and I thank all who have served on the board and have helped steer the course. Special, heartfelt thanks to Jean McKee and Cassandra D’Agostino. Without your support, this job would have been so much more difficult.
So thank you all for allowing me the privilege of serving you as your Supervisor. It’s truly been an honor, sometimes painful, but well worth the ride. After twenty years as an Assessor, Councilman and Supervisor, it’s time for Claire and I to move on. We look forward to the freedom that hopefully retirement will bring and to seeing what the future holds.
Best to all,
Ron
