For Immediate Release: February 9, 2004
Contact:
Keith P. McKeever | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
RAY BROOK, NY - The Adirondack Park Agency will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on February 12 and 13 in Lake Placid in the Whiteface meeting room of the Olympic Arena on Main Street. Highlights for this month’s meeting include: three new projects before the Agency for determination, including the Harrietstown NYS Route 86 reconstruction, a dedication of the new maintenance center in honor of former Agency employee Mr. George R. Farrell, and a presentation by DEC on the draft comprehensive snowmobile plan for the Adirondacks.
It is important to note the Snowmobile presentation is a briefing to the Agency board by DEC and not one of the nine scheduled public hearings, DEC as lead agency, is conducting. Any public comments in reference to the snowmobile plan will therefore not be collected as part of the ongoing SEQR process for this comprehensive plan. Those interested in making public comments for the SEQR record should attend one of the nine public hearings scheduled throughout the State.
The Agency’s meeting will begin at 9:00 AM on Thursday with a motion to dedicate the new maintenance center as the “George R. Farrell Maintenance Center.” Mr. Farrell was a dedicated employee for the Agency. He was well respected and beloved by all who had the pleasure to work with him. The dedication will be Friday, February 13, 2004 at the Ray Brook Agency headquarters.
At 9:30 AM, the Regulatory Programs Committee will discuss three proposed project. The first project involves a 234 acre parcel of land located at the end of Woods Lake Road in the Town of Benson, Hamilton County. The project consists of the subdivision of 234 acres into 11 new building lots. The project is in association with LapLand Lake Cross Country Ski and Vacation Center.
The second project involves the reconstruction of approximately 3.9 miles of Route 86 in the Town of Brighton and Harrietstown between the hamlet of Gabriels and the intersection of NYS Route 86 and 186 at Donnelly’s corners. The project will include reconstruction of the travel lanes and shoulders, replacement of several small cross culverts, re-establishment of the highway drainage and improvement of highway intersections and the construction of a parking area for a scenic overlook. The third project is a municipal water system located in the Town of Keene, Essex County. The project site includes portions of the New York State Department of Transportation right-of-ways on NYS Routes 9N and 73.
Finally, the Agency will hear an application for a second renewal permit for Rotenone treatment of Polliwog and Frog Ponds. DEC is the applicant for this permit.
Thursday at 1:00 PM, the Department of Environmental Conservation will brief the State Land Committee with regard to the draft comprehensive snowmobile plan for the Adirondack Park. Robert Messenger, Supervising Forester with the Department, will provide an overview of important aspects of the plan. Agency members will have the opportunity to pose questions to DEC staff. This is not a public hearing on the plan but a briefing for Agency members. No public comment will be heard during this presentation.
Thursday at 2:00 PM, the Local Government Services Committee will hear a presentation from staff on the Governor’s Office for Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program. This program is a federally funded program authorized by Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The presentation will identify benefits for the Park region and detail important application requirements. The Agency hopes that through greater awareness of this program it can assist Park communities secure community development funding.
Following the Small Cities discussion staff will present the Agency Public Outreach Plan. The goal of this plan is to increase public understanding and role of the APA in protection of the Park’s natural resources through the regulation of development and regional planning. Finally, the Local Government Services Committee will hear an update on the Town of Chester Map Amendments and the Local Government Pilot Project. The Pilot project involves review of existing Agency model zoning and subdivision ordinances to standardize and update these ordinances in order to ensure ease of local administration and integration with Agency review activities.
At 3:30 PM, the Administrative Committee will discuss the Code of Ethics for Per Diem Board. This policy is intended to describe the implementation of Article 74 of the Public Officers Law which describes standards of conduct for members of per diem boards such as the Adirondack Park Agency.
On Friday at 9:00 AM, the full Agency will hear a presentation from the September 2003 US-Adirondack Exchange team on their recent visit to the Republic of Buryatia and the Tunkinsky National Park in Eastern Siberia, Russia.
At 10:15 AM, the full Agency board will convene to hear committee reports and take actions as appropriate. Following its usual practice, the Agency will end its meeting with public comments.
The next Agency meeting is scheduled for March 11-12, 2004 at the Olympic Arena in Lake Placid.