For Immediate Release: May 6, 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 May 13 and 14 at its Ray Brook headquarters. Highlights for this month’s meeting include an official ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the building renovations, Agency determination for the Whiteface Mountain Unit Management Plan Amendment and the Grasse River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment, a promotional video presentation by the Agency’s Visitor Interpretive Center staff and a tour of the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake.
Thursday, May 13, 2004 –
The Full Agency will convene 9:00 AM to conduct its regular business before adjourning into Committees.
9:10 AM – (Full Meeting Room) The Regulatory Programs Committee will hear a variance request from the Village of Saranac Lake regarding the Bloomingdale Avenue sewage pump building. The building is located between New York State Route 3 and the Saranac River in the Village of Saranac Lake in an area classified Hamlet on the Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan Map. If granted the variance would allow for a greater - than - 25% lateral expansion of the existing building which is presently located within the 50-foot shoreline structure setback.
Next, the Regulatory Programs Committee will consider a permit and variance application for a single-family dwelling. The project site is located between New York State Route 30 and the Sacandaga River in the Town of Hope, Hamilton County, in an area classified Rural Use by the Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan Map. This project involves lands adjacent to a Recreational River and two Critical Environmental Areas. The variance seeks relief from setback restrictions for the construction of the dwelling.
10:15 AM - (Full Meeting Room) The State Land Committee will meet for action on two Unit Management Plans (UMP): the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center Intensive Use Area UMP update and the Grasse River Wild Forest UMP amendment.
The Whiteface UMP is an update to the 1996 UMP and subsequent June 2001 amendment. It represents a strong cooperative effort on the part of ORDA, DEC, conservation science organizations and the APA. Proposed actions in this amendment fall into two major categories: Facility Maintenance and Resource Protection.
Proposed facility maintenance highlights include construction of a new facility for the New York Ski Educational Foundation, a 350-car parking lot for the Easy Acres base area, creating two lower mountain glades for beginners and expansion of hiking, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing trails.
Resource Protection activities focused on erosion and sediment control measures for steep slopes on the mountain and protection of the Bicknell’s Thrush, a species of special concern in New York State. ORDA retained the leading Bicknell’s Thrush conservation science organization, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, to analyze data on habitat needs and prepare recommendations to minimize trail construction impacts. In addition, ORDA is providing an in-kind match on a State Wildlife Grant project for Park-wide boreal bird research in the Adirondacks.
The Grasse River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan represents significant work on behalf of the DEC and APA to comply with the Galusha consent decree. Proposed activities include universal access to a popular waterfall on the middle branch of the Grasse River for persons with disabilities.
12:00 PM – The Agency will break for Lunch.
1:00 PM – (Full Meeting Room) The Enforcement Committee will consider an enforcement matter involving violations of an Agency Permit associated with the construction of a residential property in the Town of Webb, Herkimer County.
3:30 PM - (Site Visit) The Economic Affairs Committee will conduct a site visit to the Trudeau Institute. The Trudeau Institute, an independent not-for-profit organization located in the Village of Saranac Lake, is an important employer for the region. The APA issued a permit in 1998 enabling the Institute to expand their research program. The Committee will tour the facility to see the economic impacts.
Friday, May 14, 2004 –
9:00 AM – An Official Ribbon Cutting ceremony will mark the completion of the APA building renovations. Chairman Whaley will welcome special guests and recognize those responsible for design and construction. A short reception will follow. The event is open to the media.
9:30 AM – (Adirondack Room) – The Legal Affairs Committee will convene to discuss two regulatory revision topics. The first topic for discussion will be land division along road or right-of-way owned in fee followed by lateral expansion of non-conforming shoreline structures.
9:30 AM – (Board Room) - The Interpretive Programs Committee will hear a status report from staff regarding the Visitor Interpretive Center’s comprehensive sign program. This program will establish guidelines to standardize signage at both facilities and improve consistency with Department of Environmental Conservation signage. Following this report the Committee will review the Visitor Center’s promotional video. The video highlights the Newcomb and Paul Smith’s programs and facilities.
11:15 AM (Full Meeting Room)
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 June 10, 2004 at the Adirondack Park Agency, Ray Brook, NY. On June 11, 2004 the meeting will take place at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek, NY. Immediately following this meeting will be a dedication of the Hudson River Interpretive Exhibits.