"A November Brown Catskills," by Dennis Schvejda. Posted to the Watershed Post Flickr group.
The Catskills Center for Conservation and Development has good news for Andes, Olive, Shandaken, Arkville, Margaretville, Middletown, Fleischmanns, and the Delware and Ulster Railroad: a long awaited half-million dollars earmarked for "smart growth" in towns located within Catskill Park has finally been released.
A press release announcing the grant, which is being doled out from the 2008 Central Catskill Park/ Mountains Smart Growth Program, says that the funds will pay for Anti-Rent War history improvements in Andes, a new picnic park in Olive, "gateway enhancements" at the Delaware and Ulster Railroad in Arkville, among other things.
The money has been a long time coming. Applications for the funds were turned in back in July of 2008. But political and budgetary pressures on the pot of money behind the grant, the state's Environmental Protection Fund, have held up dispersal for over two years. (In 2008, Governor David Paterson proposed reducing the EPF's budget by $50 million.)
In a bit of sad irony, the state agency that administers the Smart Growth Program, the Department of Environmental Conservation, is currently in the grips of a budget crisis itself. By the end of the year, the DEC will slash 45 jobs from its state-run Belleayre Mountain ski resort, and none of the Smart Growth funds, which come from an entirely different pot of money than the DEC's operating budget, will prevent that from happening.
Still, getting an infusion of $500,000 into the Catskills region is nice. Here's the press release from the Catskill Center:
Six communities from Olive to Andes along the Route 28 Corridor have been awarded $500,000 for capital improvement projects under the state’s Central Catskill Park/ Mountains Smart Growth Program. The funding, earmarked in 2007, is designed to encourage hamlet revitalization through streetscape improvements, signage, pedestrian amenities, and other projects that reinforce the historic land use pattern of the corridor.
“These projects will help strengthen downtown areas, enhance connections with outdoor recreation opportunities, and enhance the visitor’s experience” said Alan White, Executive Director of the Catskill Center.
In Andes, the community will get behind its role in the historic Anti-rent Wars and make several improvements throughout the hamlet. Town Supervisor Martin Donnelly commented “The Town of Andes is excited to learn that the resources for the Central Catskills Smart Growth Program are being distributed. We have been eager to begin a project that will interpret and promote our community’s unique heritage.”
In the Town of Olive a new roadside park is being created. Berndt Leifeld, Town Supervisor, offered that "A picnic park will help bring a hometown meaning back to our scenic byways and hamlets. Route 28 is a life-line for our community. A picnic park along Route 28 will be a resource available to all travelers who can learn about and then experience what we have to offer."
Other projects include Arkville gateway enhancements at the Delaware and Ulster Railroad; welcome signs, benches, and planters in the Town of Middletown; plantings and lighting along Bridge Street in Margaretville; and replacement of historic railings, benches, and lighting in the center of Fleischmanns. Fleischmanns Mayor Dave Morell remarked, "Fleischmanns is elated to receive the long awaited announcement of Smart Growth funds for our village. This comes at a critical time in village history as we embark on a funded NY Main Street Project and look to revitalize our lovely park.”
Peter Manning, Catskill Center Regional Planner said, “Since 2008 this smart growth program has been a catalyst for cooperation among Route 28 Corridor communities. The announcement of these awards strengthens this collaboration because it enables the communities to implement the tangible changes they’ve envisioned.”
The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development is a member-supported nonprofit organization serving the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. The Catskill Center stimulates, conducts, and supports integrated actions to protect vital ecosystems and unique landscapes, to enhance economic opportunities for all the region’s residents, to preserve cultural and historic assets, and to further a regional vision and spirit.
