WATKINS GLEN—The county of Schuyler received notice that it has been selected to receive a $22,500 grant through the NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation and the Office of Community Renewal. The Community Planning Grant will fund a strategic analysis that addresses waterfront development along Seneca Lake. 

In response to the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan created for the village of Watkins Glen by Cornell Cooperative Extension, an application for Community Block Grant funding was submitted by the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED) on behalf of the county. The study funded by the grant will look to create an overall management plan for the waterfront and identify opportunities for future development. Areas to be investigated will include current and future land use, harbor utilization, traffic/pedestrian circulation and parking. 

As tourism continues to grow in the Finger Lakes, the Seneca Lake waterfront will be increasingly attractive as a recreational destination. Brian Williams, Community Development Specialist for SCOPED and author of the grant application, states, “We have seen numerous improvements and additions to the waterfront over the last few years. We’re getting to the point where this development could have a more coordinated focus to ensure continued growth. The strategy we intend to pursue will help us to create that focus.”

Once the grant funds are received, a request for proposals will be sent out to start the selection process for a consultant. The study will be commissioned before the end of 2009 and should be completed by 2010. Further details can be obtained by calling the SCOPED offices at 607-535-4341