Mohawk River Waterfront Revitalisation Program – Colonie
Countryside Exchange – Summary Report
Introduction
Colonie’s stretch of the Mohawk River is a place of natural beauty that is rich in heritage and natural resources. The waterfront is highly valued by local communities and visitors alike. Many layers of history are overlaid on the waterfront area: from native peoples, through to early settlers, revolutionary battles, the Shakers, canal and transportation heritage. This underpinned the development of Colonie as a popular and thriving modern town.
People want to live in Colonie because of the area’s high quality of life. To ensure that the study area remains a valued asset to hand on to future generations there are now hard decisions to be made about limiting the spread of residential and commercial development and promoting and adopting improved environmental practices. There is growing concern in the community that the natural beauty and recreational values of the river, and its surroundings, are being put at risk by a failure to address serious problems around the management of the river.
The community has identified the need to recognise the natural values of the river and to secure and enhance opportunities for access, public recreation and open space. This proactive approach can help to ensure that the river remains a highly valued local and regional asset. The Exchange Team has been impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of local people and community leaders, and by the willing engagement of a wide range of local, county and state agencies.
Observations
Austin Brady |
The Mohawk River and its tributaries remain Colonie’s greatest natural asset. Existing development and land ownership means limited opportunities for significant waterfront development. The current management of the river and canal system is failing to protect its natural and recreational values from impacts such as siltation and invasive weeds.
The Study Area includes moderate to large sized undeveloped parcels that are central to its open, rural character. The future use of these areas is a key land use issue. The Town’s zoning ordinance allows high-density residential development on these lands, which could result in more than 800 new houses. This scale of development would dramatically change the area’s character and conflict with the Local Organizing Committee’s goals of “promotion, protection, and enhancement of the waterfront resources and ecosystems”.
The Town Board has set out to produce Colonie’s first Comprehensive Plan and is working to engage the community in this process. Some parts of the community, however, appear frustrated with the current development review process and are concerned that suburban sprawl continues to encroach on the river and its surroundings. Despite this rapid rate of development there is still a limited window of opportunity to change course.
Colonie has a wide range of recreational opportunities to offer it’s residents and visitors. This includes a major new facility at The Crossings Park. However, there is poor and deteriorating boat access to the river. The bike path is well used and highly valued but limited vistas over the river, and a lack of facilities and linkages along the bike path means that these opportunities are not fully realized.
Colonie is a popular and growing town. Despite this, it does not seem to have a strong community identity or sense of place. There are strong heritage features of local and national significance, which have not been fully developed. Colonie is part of the wider stories of the Mohawk River and Erie Canal system. A number of regional and river corridor programs recognize the importance of the Colonie section of the river and are willing to offer support and funding to develop local projects.
The river ecosystem, its wetland habitats, tributaries and areas of woodland are a valuable natural resource. These resources are often vulnerable and easily damaged. There are concerns among some people that not enough is being done to assess the impacts on wildlife and habitats from changes to land and river management, and from changes in land use and development.
There are many different agencies and non-profits with an interest in the river and the waterfront. Some have expertise and support to offer, and others have funding. Several have already expressed interest in supporting or funding potential projects. There is an urgent need to improve communication and co-operative working between these agencies and the local community.
Recommendations and the Future
River Management
A program of work is required to undertake localised dredging and weed removal to ensure that public boat launches and boating businesses remain viable in the short term.
Work should be undertaken to understand the nature of the river silting problem and the best way to tackle it, and to work with other agencies and the community to explore weed control methods. An integrated approach to management is needed and long term sustainable solutions must be sought.
Continued dredging of the main navigation channel alone is failing to address the area between the river banks and the channel. This is where local recreational users and established businesses are at risk of being excluded from the river.
Recreation must form a key component of any integrated river plan. This must safeguard open space, improve public access to the river, identify links to the town and deal with issues of watercraft noise, speed and environmental conflicts.
Carl Atkinson |
Planning and Development
Future waterfront development should focus on three opportunities: (1) preserve existing open space, (2) maintain and improve existing public and private recreation facilities, (3) identify and develop new recreation facilities on publicly and privately owned lands. Some of these efforts must involve public/private partnerships with landowners, members of the community, public agencies and non-profit organizations.
Within the next year, a community led masterplan should be prepared for the Study Area. The masterplan needs to address all the relevant issues, including open space preservation, waterfront development, and future land use. Once the Town adopts the masterplan, it needs to immediately amend its zoning ordinance and adopt other ordinances as necessary to put the masterplan into effect. In the interim, the Town should actively consider a moratorium on new development within all or part of the Study Area.
An increase in frequency of flood events and higher flood levels means that continued allowance of building in the floodplain should be urgently reviewed.
Recreation and Access
Initial efforts should focus on improving the existing public and private commercial recreation facilities. More work is needed to explore the recreational opportunities offered by the few areas of riverfront that remain undeveloped, particularly where Town or public land is involved. For example; near to the new water treatment plant, old water plant, sewage plant, Town Park, and Canal Corp land such as the old marina by Crescent Bridge.
There is a need to identify additional public boat launch sites, and also to consider access for local specialist users such as rowing clubs. For example; deeper water near sewage works, and improvements at Town Park. Care must be taken to avoid conflict with local residents.
The islands are a valuable natural resource and wildlife habitat. They are relatively undisturbed compared to some shore-side areas and provide valuable refuges away from development.
The bike path needs new links to the town and to the water’s edge. There is a need to identify viewpoints and vistas along the path, with some vegetation removal, so that views of the river are available. Links to other assets such as Ashford Glen, The Crossings Park and to key heritage areas such as the Shaker site should also be developed. These links could follow tributaries providing new recreation corridors and reinforcing their management for runoff control and buffering.
To maximise the benefits of the path, and make sure it delivers on its regional perspective, some improvements are needed; access to restrooms, wayside seats, shelters, and information panels. Paving of non-paved sections and improvements to car parking should also be pursued. Projects to develop interpretative art could follow on from this.
Education, Interpretation and Local Identity
The new Crossings Park, in its role as a new town centre, can act as a focus for civic pride by promoting and interpreting the waterfront and other local heritage and history through the use of temporary exhibitions.
Town Park should be renamed Colonie Mowhawk River Park and there is a need to review the current charging policy (consider making it free for town resident and visitors on foot or bike) also look at improved linkages to the bike path and other sites.
Identify places that the community use already and use them to promote the waterfront and its heritage. For example, the town library, youth services, malls, sports facilities (especially water based sports clubs), and fishing groups. Consideration should be given to developing a media strategy for this process.
An outreach program should be developed to raise community awareness and understanding of potential impacts on the river and its tributaries from access, recreation and development. A volunteer management structure to encourage local people to get actively involved with waterfront enhancement projects should also be developed.
Fergus Murray & Corinna Woodall |
The Natural Environment
In relation to water quality, the existing tributary environmental buffers must safeguard their integrity – there is a need to ensure that existing, and new, regulations and ordinances that relate to runoff, storm water, tributaries and the river are enforced. The CAC and SEAMAB are key to promoting good practice.
Protection of valued open spaces, habitats and key sections of viewsheds is essential. There is a need to think creatively and form new partnerships. Mechanisms such as Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs) and conservation easements could be used.
Work with organisations like Albany Land Conservancy to identify funding streams, and to broker land acquisitions to deliver the above.
The Future
The Local Organisation Committee should look at how they might properly constitute themselves to act as a delivery vehicle for future planning and implementation. Sub-groups should be used to develop particular areas such as heritage interpretation and so facilitate better links and joint initiatives between sites.
A crucial early task of this potential new body is to prepare and agree a vision that clearly communicates their understanding of the study area and builds on the progress of the Countryside Exchange team.
The successor body must work to meaningfully engage the local community and representatives of Colonie’s policy makers to move this vision to implementation. Once complete, this document will become the principle driver to build further partnerships and to engage State agencies and others to secure grant assistance or co-operation. |
