Special Town Board Meeting held August 10, 2009 at 6:00 P.M. at the Town Hall in

Schroon Lake N.Y.

Present:

Town Supervisor: Cathy Moses

Councilpersons: Roger Friedman, Ed Haroff and Clara Phibbs and Mark Whitney

Highway Superintendent: Dana Shaughnessy

Town Clerk: Patricia Savarie

Also Present: See Attached

Supervisor Moses called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M. with a Pledge to the Flag. Councilman Friedman handed out information he had compiled over many years on Affordable Housing in Schroon Lake. Below is the information he handed out.

For years local officials in the Adirondacks have been sounding the alarm about a looming crisis concerning the overall condition of many Adirondack communities and contrary to what many environmental groups have led us to believe this is not about over development or reduced environmental quality, it is about the very viability and sustainability of these communities.

The crisis includes: lack of jobs, affordable housing, shrinking school enrollments, an aging population, diminished economic infrastructures, demise of the timber industry, massive land purchases by the State, attempts to push snowmobile trails off of Wild Forest Land, an attempt to cap taxes on State Land, poor maintenance of Forest Preserve lands and the list goes on.

The recently published Adirondack Park Regional Assessment Project (APRAP) provides the first comprehensive baseline data for understanding trends, projecting future outcomes and planning for the Adirondack Park.

It is incumbent upon each community in the Adirondacks to develop strategies and plans that are goal oriented that will serve as a blueprint for the future of that community. The focus of this paper is on residential housing in the Town of Schroon.

The Background

Over the past 20+ years the Town of Schroon has had continued slow growth in areas in relatively close proximity to the core of the community – Pine Lane, Conifer Woods, Forest Trails and Center Street. In reviewing these areas it is important to note the relatively high percentage of year round residents that live within these areas.

The Town of Schroon desires moderate growth and economic development and therefore needs to make provisions for housing to sustain this growth. Furthermore, the Smart Growth model in which areas in proximity to existing infrastructure and the community’s core should be the focus for future growth.

Affordable housing – a critical priority within the Adirondacks due to the fact that real estate values have increased much more than Adirondack salaries which prohibits many local families from fulfilling the “American Dream” of home ownership – must be factored into the growth cycle. The glaring implication of the current situation is that young families will be literally expelled from the Adirondacks due to this housing crunch. The lack of affordable housing can have profound implications for the future of a community in terms of the local workforce, school, volunteer services and general fragmentation of the Adirondack culture.

In preparing for the future the question is: where can the Town of Schroon grow from here and can this growth be beneficial to the Town?

The following provides a strategic plan for the future residential Smart Growth for the Town of Schroon. While one of the immediate concerns is to provide a partial solution for the affordable housing dilemma in the Town of Schroon, this plan also provides the key for helping to resolve several other challenges currently confronting the Town.

The Process

The Town of Schroon has very few areas for future residential growth. After reviewing all properties currently classified as Hamlet in the Town of Schroon with the availability of Town water and possibly Town sewer, there was only one property of approximately 46.9 acres (Smith) that could be suitable, however the owners have no desire whatsoever to develop or sell this property. There are several other hamlet areas with proximity to the downtown area but for the most part they are impacted by wetlands.

Two contiguous properties (Stapley - 42.26 acres per survey and Slaterpryce - approximately 20 +/- acres) have been identified and appear to have ideal “hamlet type” characteristics for the Schroon Lake initiative: 1) the terrain is relatively level, 2) the soils appear to be compatible for septic systems, 3) Town water can be available, 4) according to Town of Schroon’s zoning the area is currently an R-20 (20,000 square feet for a single family dwelling) and 5) these properties fit the Smart Growth concept for residential development.

However, there are 2 obstacles: 1) Town sewer is not currently accessible to this area and 2) for some reason the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) has classified this triangular shaped property as Low Intensity (3.2 acres for a single family dwelling) although it is surrounded by hamlet on the south, east and north. It is the opinion of several people who have reviewed the land use classifications in this area, that the Low Intensity classification is an error.

Approximately 8 or 9 years ago there were preliminary discussions with both property owners when the Town Board viewed these properties as a possible expansion to the Town’s Commerce Park. For residential development purposes there have been discussions over the past 4 years.

It should be noted that in a 1977 Comprehensive Plan done by ENVICO and the Town of Schroon Planning Board it was recommended that the Adirondack Park Agency’s Land Use and Development Plan in which this area -- the “Low Intensity area between the Hamlet area and the Northway” -- be changed to Hamlet. According to the APA, reclassification would include the entire triangular shaped property on the east side of the Northway.

Action

The first step in implementing this initiative is to have the APA reclassify the area of these two contiguous properties from Low Intensity to Hamlet. In order for this to happen there is an application process in which it must be shown that the resource (the subject properties) can sustain hamlet type development which would be 20,000 sq. ft. for a single family dwelling and with both Town water and sewer as low as 10,000 sq. ft. per single family dwelling.

The lead Agency for this APA map amendment is the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County. The application process includes a portion of work that can be completed by local government, while a portion is to be performed by the L.A. Group – Environmental Planners from Saratoga. If the results of the L. A. Group indicate that the properties can sustain hamlet type development then the application will be submitted to the APA.

The owners of these properties have agreed that in exchange for allowing reduced lot sizes (Low Intensity to Hamlet), that at a minimum 20% of all created future lots will be allocated for affordable housing that will be in the framework of a community trust.

At this point in time the owners of these properties have no plans to develop their properties, but the successful reclassification process might facilitate further planning on their part. Due to the extremely high costs and risks associated with land development which include but are not limited to subdivision engineering and layout and the installation of roads, water, sewer and power it is assumed that the future development will have a master plan but implementation would be on a section by section basis. It is assumed that build-out might take 10 – 20 years.

Several questions have been asked as to 1) who will live in this new neighborhood and 2) where will local residents come from who will qualify for the affordable housing component?

It seems to be a safe projection that similarly to other Schroon Lake neighborhoods, this area will be have a blend of year round residents, second home residents and those using their Schroon Lake home 6-9 months out of the year and retreat to warmer climates during the winter months. Proximity to the downtown area will be a convenience for the residents and beneficial to the Town of Schroon.

The affordable housing initiative should attract mostly (but not limited to) younger families ranging from Town of Schroon and county employees, school teachers, employees of new local businesses as they might develop in the area and families that are looking for a quality community and prepared to commute to work.

THE RANGE OF BENEFITS GO WAY BEYOND AFFORDABLE HOUSING!

• AFFORDABLE HOUSING. This proposed plan is an opportunity for the Town of Schroon to provide a perpetual affordable housing element in the form of a community trust.

• RESIDENTIAL GROWTH. This proposal identifies what may be the only remaining area in the Town of Schroon to have “hamlet” characteristics (according to the Adirondack Park Agency standards) with immediate proximity to the downtown portion of the community.

• SEWER UNITS. The Town of Schroon has just completed the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant which was built with a huge capacity that should be able to handle all future growth within the sewer district. Local government had little choice but to go ahead with the construction of this new plant due to the fact that the old plant was failing. However, the lack of grant funds has created a situation of exceedingly high user fees for municipal sewer. One of the Town’s goals is to add new units and when municipal sewer is brought to this site and as development takes place, the new sewer units will help alleviate the current steep user fees for this service. In addition, approximately 8 years ago the Town developed a new municipal groundwater system with capacity for future growth.

• TAXES. Since most Adirondack communities have such a limited commercial tax base, the one thing that has countered rising taxes has been residential real estate development. No matter what side you take on the “real estate” debate, the bottom line is that real estate development – the creation of new lots and the construction of new homes – expands the tax base. This plan should provide over $10,000,000 in new assessed valuation to the tax rolls of the Town of Schroon.

• SCHOOL. Most Adirondack communities are seeing a reduction in school enrollments. Schroon Lake Central School is not immune from this situation. A desirable result of the Smart Growth initiative would be to have several new families with children move into Town and help bolster the enrollment at Schroon Lake Central School.

  • BOOST THE RETAIL COMMUNITY. What is more important than to preserve the downtown area – the core of the Hamlet? The economy of Schroon Lake, although predominantly tourist related, can be defined as not much more than subsistence. During the past few years the Main Street has had a mini-Renaissance. Several new businesses have opened, new street lighting installed and many significant upgrades to the contiguous lakeside park have been completed. This plan, which creates a new neighborhood, will help bolster the Main Street business area and the local economy. The multiplier effect of new dollars into the community is a major plus.

• COMMERCE PARK. Currently there are no available sites in the Town’s Commerce Park. However immediately to the north of the old Commerce Park and immediately to the south of the area that needs top be reclassified there are approximately 20+/- acres currently used as a sand pit. It has been suggested that in the future the Town and/or the Essex County IDA acquire this property for a Commerce Park. Thus, with the installation of infrastructure for the residential initiative, municipal services, i.e. water, sewer, would be available for the new Commerce Park.

• HOT SPOTS ON SCHROON LAKE. For many years, the waters of Schroon Lake have been annually tested. Traditionally there has been a “hot spot” (coliform) in an area where the current owners would love to have access to municipal sewer. With the installation of municipal sewer for the proposed expansion, municipal sewer could also be installed to reach this “hot spot” area and resolve this chronic issue.

• SNOWMOBILE TRAIL. This area contains a portion of one of the Town of Schroon’s snowmobile trails. This plan will attempt to make this portion of the trail permanent and non-revocable.

• GREEN ZONE. It is the intent of this plan to create a buffer area towards the rear of the property towards the Adirondack Northway. If possible, a pedestrian/bicycle easement in this area could be linked to a scenic wetland area to the south which connects to walkways and roadways into the downtown area.

• REDUCED TRAFFIC. Currently Cedar Hill Drive, a residential street serves as the only access and exit for the fire department, emergency squad and the Commerce Park. This plan will create at least one if not two other access and exit points.

Although there are no immediate miracle cures to counter the ongoing Adirondack trends as described in the Adirondack Park Regional Assessment Program, the above proactive plan should help our community retain its balance and optimistically face the future.

Alan Slaterpryce stated that his family moved here in 1947 and his family would try to hire local people in the community to run their business and that they always have been community minded and he would like to see the community grow.

Supervisor Moses stated that the Board had three options to pay for the proposed study that needed to be done for the APA Map Amendment.

1. The Town of Schroon pays for it.

2. The Property owners pay for it.

3. The three parties pay for it ( Slaterpryce, Stapley and the Town of Schroon )

There was much discussion amongst Board Members. Councilman Haroff moved to adjourn at 7:10 P.M., seconded by Councilman Friedman; carried.

I, Patricia J. Savarie, do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true and correct transcript from the minutes now on file in my office and of the whole such original minutes.

Dated: August 18, 2009

Patricia J. Savarie - Town Clerk