January, 2018
Hello everyone and Happy New Year.
This is the first Supervisor’s Message on our new website and I hope that it will keep you informed as to the issues and events here in North Hudson. So, as we begin this year of 2018, I thought that I’d start by taking a moment to do a recap of happenings in 2017 and give a little look forward as to what we hope to see happen in 2018.
We didn’t have a great start to 2017 as our outdoor wood boiler failed. We were able to work with the Northern Forest Center and NYSERDA to qualify for a number of incentives and are now in the process of having a pellet boiler installed. When complete, we hope to have an Open House for all to see it in operation.
In January, Governor Cuomo announced the Master Plan to establish a Gateway to the Adirondacks at Exit 29 of the Northway. At the time he said, “The Gateway to the Adirondacks will be a world-class tourism hub at a strategic location to attract new visitors to the Adirondack Park and drive economic growth in the North Country.”
The Paradox Brewery will relocate to the site and create many new jobs. This cornerstone hopes to begin construction in the spring.
The Boreas Ponds Tract classification is still being considered by the Adirondack Park Agency. We hope that a recommendation will be announced soon. Once the classification has been determined, the Department of Environmental Conservation will develop a Unit Management Plan for the area; what recreational activities will be permitted and where.
In the November election three propositions were on the ballot for consideration. The third one had to do with a Health and Safety Land Bank Account that would create a 250-acre land bank that would be used for approved local municipal projects on state forest preserve in the Adirondack and Catskill State Park. Such projects could include broadband infrastructure, utility lines, highway and bridge improvements and municipal water supplies. It is important to us in the park that this amendment was approved, as it previously required an amendment to the constitution, a minimum of 2-3 years, to be able to begin these projects that would cross the forest preserve.
On Thursday, January 11th, the Adirondack Park Agency unanimously approved the campground to be known as the Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area. This will be located on Town land that is adjacent to and to the south of the old Frontier Town village. The Town will convey to the State a Conservation easement for this purpose. Construction is expected to begin in February with a completion date scheduled for the fall. Frontier Town Road will be closed during the construction period.
This past May a Request For Proposals was issued seeking proposals to establish a world-class tourism destination at the former Frontier Town site and serve as a “gateway” to the Adirondack Park. Those proposals are now in review and we hope to hear of the plans soon.
In the coming year we will see the construction of the Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area. We hope to see construction of the Paradox Brewery and the beginning of the development of the former Frontier Town lands. We will see a classification and Unit Management Plan for the Boreas Ponds Tract, which will allow for the construction of the community connector trails between the 5 Towns of North Hudson, Minerva, Newcomb, Indian Lake and Long Lake. Imagine being able to snowmobile from North Hudson through those 5 Towns and beyond.
As we begin this New Year, I am very excited to see these plans come to fruition and I hope that you are to.
Until the next time, best wishes to all.
Ron
