Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills

Transcription

1 Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills Appendices Towns of Andes, Middletown, Roxbury & Villages of Margaretville and Fleischmanns (Delaware County) Towns of Olive and Shandaken (Ulster County) February 2013 This document was prepared for the New York State Department of State with funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund

2 Appendix A: Public Participation Plan and Summary of Results Objectives Esopus/Delaware Regional Economic Revitalization Strategy Public Participation Plan March 2012 To build awareness of the Esopus/Delaware Revitalization Strategy. To illustrate the commonality of goals and needs. To create an understanding of regional issues and opportunities for economic development, as well as local initiatives that contribute to the development of a sustainable economy in the region. The theme of think globally, act locally will be promoted. To review the common economic development strategies that have been recommended over the years and over many locations. To engage stakeholders and the public in a discussion that develops common ground for collaboration and action. To gain input on which strategies are considered priorities to move forward for action. Introduction and Project Summary The Esopus/Delaware Revitalization Strategy is a regional project that is intended to promote intermunicipal cooperation and local land use decision making to enhance access to waterways; create linkages between hamlets, waterways and public lands; protect significant scenic and natural resources; and promote sustainable economic development. The project area includes the towns of Shandaken and Olive in Ulster County, and the towns of Andes, Middletown, Roxbury and the villages of Fleischmanns and Margaretville in Delaware County. The upper basins of the Esopus Creek and the East Branch of the Delaware River, both designated inland waterways, connect the project area, as do the adjacent valleys and state highways: Routes 28 and 30. Six of the communities (plus the town of Hurley in Ulster County) have formed the Central Catskills Collaborative, an intermunicipal group dedicated to protecting and promoting the resources of the Route 28 Corridor. A project advisory committee has been formed and consists of: Carol O Beirne, Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce; Margaret Ellsworth, MARK Project; Kent Manuel, Delaware County Planning Department; Dennis Doyle, Ulster County Planning Board; Andrew Labruzzo, NYSDOS; and Alan White, Catskill Center. Nan Stolzenburg, Community Planning and Environmental Associates and Ellen Pemrick, E. M. Pemrick and Company are the consultants hired to facilitate the process. This project intends to build upon the many outstanding recommendations of previous planning processes in the region. In addition to local comprehensive plans, numerous economic development plans have been developed over the years. Although a great deal of planning has been conducted, implementation has been weak due to many factors, including lack of funding and collaboration. This plan has focused on natural resources, in particular the Esopus/Delaware waterways, as a driver for economic development. It attempts to provide a regional perspective, and includes a comprehensive inventory of both the resources in the area and the plans that have already been conducted. Information is provided on environmental resources; land uses; demographic characteristics; Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 1

3 recreational, cultural, and historical resources; infrastructure; the economy; and the results of regional business and second homeowner surveys. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis has been conducted to help illustrate what should be maintained, improved, taken advantage of or immediately addressed. Based on this analysis, the advisory team has identified common threads, and compiled a list of action items and strategies that have been proposed in previous plans and studies. These actions have been organized by category: Business Development Main Street/ Hamlet Revitalization Small Town Character Reliable, High Quality Infrastructure Sustainable Agriculture Tourism Related to Cultural, Historical, and Recreational Resources Unspoiled Environment Strong Regional Partnerships Because the number one goal of the Esopus/Delaware Economic Revitalization Strategy is to give local communities and organizations real tools that can be put to work, the recommended actions have been further classified by type as follows: Capital Improvement (Physical Improvements; Construction Projects) Program Initiative (Initiatives that require staff and other resources) Regulatory Action (Land use regulations) Organizational Structure (Partnerships, administrative entities) Policy/ Other (Municipal policies and actions not covered by other categories) At this stage of the plan s development, further public input is needed to help prioritize the identified strategies so that a doable action list can be included. The Advisory Team has identified seven different constituencies from which input is needed to help ensure that the range of community interests are represented in the final Plan. These are: Full time Residents Part time Residents Municipal Leaders and Agencies Leaders of Community Organizations (See attached list) Businesses Agricultural oriented businesses Process In order to reach the goals articulated above, the following process is intended to reach the desired audiences, allow small local groups to participate in the context of their own community but with a regional underpinning, and involve the general public. Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 2

4 Methods for Public Input The public input process will use four methods of engagement: interviews, small group meetings and large group meetings. website/social media; individual 1. Task 1: Social Media/Websites: From the MARK website, create a dedicated project webpage and a Facebook page. All documents, maps, meeting announcements, presentations, etc. should be posted on the webpage with links to the Facebook page. This page should be linked from as many other home pages as possible such as towns, villages, chamber, agencies and other organizations. This page could be used not only to make all data accessible, but to gain input. An online survey could be developed with a link to this page, and the general public could participate in indicating the level of consensus about the direction, themes, and goals for regional and local economic development as well as to prioritizing actions. Work to link this project webpage with the Watershed Post as a priority. 2. Task 2: Small Group meetings: (Note all written materials will be made available to participants prior to the meetings so that they will be prepared. These materials include the draft plan, maps, summary of project, and action items. All meeting notices will also refer to the project web site. A letter of invitation, along with the Project Summary will be mailed to all potential participants.) a. Task 2a: Hold a small group meeting in each of the seven communities. All municipal officials, community organizations, and other interested local groups should be invited to attend those meetings. Local businesses in that locality would also be invited. b. Task 2b: While the local small group meetings are being held, hold one roundtable discussion on agriculture and agricultural economic development with farmers. This will primarily be for Roxbury, Andes, and Middletown, but farmers from all areas would be welcome. This should also involve agricultural organizations like the Watershed Agricultural Council, Farm Catskills, Cooperative Extension, Etc. c. Task 2c: After the local small group meetings and the agriculture meeting has been held, hold one roundtable discussion or workshop with regional agencies and organizations. This could include organizations such as the DEP, DEC, County planning and economic development agencies, FEMA, Catskill Watershed Corporation, Western Catskills Revitalization, chambers of commerce, regional tourism and economic development agencies, etc. d. Task 2d: Work with a subcommittee on second homeowners to conduct a second homeowner focus group. The agenda for this meeting is similar to the others to identify priority actions and gain insight into ideas for implementation. It is anticipated that a chairperson for that stakeholder group will organize and facilitate this focus group, with input from project consultants. Upon completion of that focus group, an interview will be conducted with that chair to discuss the results of this effort. 3. Task 3: Conduct individual interviews: For groups that are not represented at the regional oriented small group meeting (Task 2(c), conduct interviews with the director or appropriate staff member to gain input from that organization s perspective. The interviews would be used Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 3

5 to gain input from organizations or stakeholders who were not able to be at any of the small group meetings. 4. After all the small group meetings, we will compile the results and show priority actions by short term and long term status, and then mail these results out to all participants and ask them to go on survey monkey or write in with ideas on how to implement these. Really short who should be involved, what funding is needed, etc. 5. Task 4: Hold two large group meetings. After the small group meetings and interviews are finished, and after the input from those efforts have been compiled and translated into preliminary results and a draft plan developed, hold two large group meetings: one for the Delaware County towns and villages, and one for the Ulster County towns that are within the study area. These meetings would be open to the public including all organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders. The purpose of these meetings would be to present the entire draft plan and specifically the prioritized actions and gain feedback on it from a larger audience. At the same time, the draft plan will be placed on the websites and open to additional input from anyone. Using the four methods described above, it is anticipated that all stakeholders will have an opportunity to add input and become involved. By concentrating in small groups locally, but to be done with an eye towards how those local areas fit into the larger region, it is hoped that the project can build local support, enthusiasm, and groundwork for local implementation at the same time as establishing a regional blueprint they all work off of together. Format of Small Group Meetings Notes a) to efficiently use the time with participants, provide all materials needed to familiarize participants ahead of time. b) For the Agricultural focus group, the topics will be largely limited to agricultural related actions and topics. c) the second homeowner focus group to be conducted separately and facilitated by Carolyn Konheim prior to the interviews should use the same format as described below. 1. Introduction to project, overview of work to date, hand out the summary already completed (20 minutes) 2. Place around room 8 different newsprint size posters that have a list of potential actions. Those 8 posters are topic oriented (corresponding to the 8 comment elements previously identified (from previous studies and plans and input from the Steering Committee). Give all participants 24 stickers and they go to each poster to put their stickers on the top 3 actions for each of the 8 categories and add any other ideas they have for that topic. (25 minutes) 3. Take a short break (with refreshments) and during the break, compile the list of actions that get the priority stickers. These become the actions with the highest priority to move forward. (15 minutes) 4. After the break, have an open discussion on how these actions can get implemented locally and regionally. This section will attempt to elicit ideas on who, how and when these actions should be implemented. (30 minutes) Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 4

6 5. General Discussion/Discussion about how to use the regional plan applied locally. (30 minutes) The outcome is a list of priority actions, and possible steps to implement them. Format for Large Group Meeting 1. Introduction to project. (20 minutes) 2. Overview and highlights of plan. (40 minutes) 3. Break/Refreshments (10 minutes) 4. Q and A, and discussion of draft. (60 minutes) Logistics for Successful Meetings and Interviews Task Who When Upload all documents to Website Establish and find effective ways to use and advertise social media (Facebook) Small Group Meetings (10) Find location for meeting and set date and time Develop invitation letter Develop invitation list Mail/ invitations (with RSVP s and project summary and document links) Accept RSVP s Develop press release, develop press release distribution list, distribute press release Distribute meeting notices for posting on websites as appropriate Create project summary handouts and other materials Create powerpoint presentation to be used to highlight project and facilitate meeting Gather equipment (screen, computer, projector, tape, stickers, sign in sheets, pencils, index cards, easels, flip charts, markers, etc. Develop local scale maps, one for each locality Develop topic posters and print one set for each locality Refreshments for each meeting Facility and room set up Prepare meeting agenda Be on site to conduct meeting Compile and summarize results of small group meetings Prepare mailing of results for all participants and develop survey on implementation Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 5

7 Task Who When Large Group Meetings (2) Find location for meeting and set date and time Develop invitation letter for key players (like elected officials and representatives from the groups included above) Mail/ invitations (with RSVP and project summary and document links) Develop press release, develop press release distribution list, distribute press release, notices on websites Distribute meeting notices for posting on websites as appropriate Create poster for placement around the area Create project summary handouts and other materials Create powerpoint presentation to be used to highlight project and facilitate meeting Gather equipment (screen, computer, projector, easels, flip charts, markers, etc.) Decide which maps are needed, print Copies of draft plan on websites and print paper copies Deliver paper copies to library, municipal buildings, mail one to each supervisor/mayor, etc. Refreshments for each meeting Facility and room set up Prepare meeting agenda Be on site to conduct meeting Compile and summarize results of large group meetings Interviews (number to be determined after small group meetings) After small group meetings, identify who/which organization/other stakeholders that did not participate yet Prepare letter to each requesting time for interview Call each to set up interview time via telephone or in person and arrange to have materials and document links sent Conduct interview Compile notes of interviews Develop summary of public input suitable for a section or appendix in the draft plan. Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 6

8 Constituencies and Stakeholders for Meetings, Roundtable Discussions, and/or Interviews Method of engagement > Website/ Social Media Individual Interviews Small Group Meetings Large Group Meetings Full time residents Part time residents 2d Individual businesses Farmers 2b Municipal leaders individuals 2a Chambers of commerce: Delaware County Chamber Central Catskills Chamber 2c Belleayre Region Lodging and Tourism Association Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Tourism agencies: Delaware County 2c Ulster County (Tourism Office) Planning departments: Delaware County Planning Dept 2c Ulster County Planning Dept Economic development agencies: Delaware County Economic Development Agency / IDA 2c Ulster County Economic Development Watershed organizations: Catskill Watershed Corporation Watershed Agricultural Council 2c/2b NYC Dept of Environmental Protection (DEP) Community revitalization groups: Andes Works/Andes Business Group Roxbury Business Group/Rotary/Roxbury Arts Group Arkville Business Group Margaretville Rotary/Shop Local Group 2a Fleischmanns First Pine Hill Main Street Committee/Community Center Phoenicia Business Group/Rotary/Festival of the Voice MARK Project 2c Catskill Center for Conservation and Development 2c Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council [Corp.?] 2c Delaware Opportunities, Inc. 2c Shandaken Revitalization Plan Committee, Inc. 2a Catskill Park Resource Foundation, Inc. (Dean Gitter initiative) 2c Water Discovery Center 2c Farm Catskills 2b Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County 2b Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District 2b Central Catskills Collaborative 2c Catskill Mountainkeeper 2c Catskill Heritage Alliance 2c NYC DEC 2c FEMA 2c AS NEEDED BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THE SMALL GROUP MEETINGS Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 7

9 Community Meeting Notes Town of Shandaken Saturday, June 9, 2012 Infrastructure o Primary need is infrastructure it has to be done before anything else o Phoenicia infrastructure issue needs to be addressed NYC has withdrawn funding for sewer project o Need [adequate] infrastructure to keep people here Disconnect between communities and NYC/NYS (DEC, DOS, DEP ) o There is a disconnect between agencies o There is too much fragmentation there has to be strength in numbers look at the entire Catskill area bring the communities together Addressing the needs of the Catskills region o Trouble translating our needs to outsiders o Communications are difficult geographic separation also separates communities o Outsiders don t understand our needs o The region is split into different economic development councils confusing o Need to deal with cohesion issues and fix the lack of institutional capacity Identify assets base economic development on real natural resources Go to DOT Region 8 for more funding to put into effect planning and actions We should have access to NYC revenue for providing them with water o Our actions need to be tied to protection of natural resources this should be a priority action to put into place o Must be an overlay of economic development and natural resource protection o Water Board in NYC is potential source of $$ (new $$ is being collected and all of it goes to NYC and none back to the area) we need to have a share in this Consolidate our action list into fewer categories, especially those related to environmental and stormwater Add Belleayre project to the list of priorities Trails o Have DEC and hiking organizations coordinate with towns to share in the maintenance of trails will internalize that trail system and give ownership to locals. o Would be good to connect towns with trails to bridge the gap between communities; use trails to link towns and villages. For example, create walking tour of Pine Hill and connect to Belleayre trails this needs to be created locally o Trails that exist are not well marked or advertised The maps are very useful. How can we make them even more so? Make full set of all maps for each community. Make the GIS data available to other organizations working in the area. Make maps available to public to use. Tap into DEP GIS capabilities to set up as an open access data base to let people build their own maps. Identify the items on these lists that are already being done. How de we get more clout within the regional economic development council to get more $$ for some of these projects? Have to package smaller actions together into a large one There are very few truly regional organizations maybe just the Catskill Center now. They could have a much larger role Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 8

10 Increase human capital here to attract people to live here. Use techniques like conservation subdivisions and clustering to help appropriate and affordable development and preserve open space link these together Give full time residents a tax break so they can stay here Put bike racks throughout region and this would be an easy short term action; biking packages are needed to be built for weekend uses to increase use of hotels, restaurants, etc. Work with bus companies to decrease the amount of time it takes to get here from NYC Do not give up the natural resource asset base this is our great opportunity After flooding allow for building up of buildings on same footprint as old one and allow living quarters on the upper floors Town of Andes Monday, June 11, 2012 Cell phone coverage we have none DEP access to lands o Flynn Brook [DEP property] is open for hunting only would like to see it open for hiking o Pepacton Reservoir o Should require public access when selling land e.g., create trails on agricultural land as a condition of sale to NYC DEP Create user friendly maps, for tourism and other purposes More lodging is needed for tourism Need funding for building work money for restoration was diverted after Irene Mixed use is not much of an issue in Andes Signage o Already doing at the railroad depot o Need signage to direct visitors to NYC reservoir o Welcome to town signs o Signs to town library, museum o Signs to Big Pond and Little Pond [state campground] o Connect the dots of the entire town, not just Andes hamlet o Historic markers through Middletown Historical Society expensive o Common design of signs would connect the region Low level of unoccupied store fronts/commercial here more of a regional problem State should spearhead business recruitment in the region use state funding/resources to connect the watershed with consumers and businesses in NYC There is a lot of bureaucracy example cited of using the water drop icon on signs; struck down by local opposition County divisions and areas served by regional development corporations are arbitrary visitors do not see them need to promote the region as a whole unify, but retain individuality Comments about the lack of full time residents at this meeting o Change in workshop venue would help recruit a different demographic (suggestion to use the fire hall) o Andes Community Day talk to Andes Works! 2 nd or 3 rd Saturday in August o Use different type of announcement e.g., County Shopper o A column in the paper might help promote project and get more involvement o Long time locals are threatened by some ideas initial reaction is to balk at most anything on the charts Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 9

11 o o o Fear of losing home rule Use positive spin describe benefits not too academic Communicate after priorities are done, go to long time locals Village of Margaretville Wednesday, June 13, 2012 Business development: [a local businessman] has a plan for a new hotel on Route 28 Internet is an issue need high speed. It s OK in the village, but not outside it. Last mile issue today s Catskill Mtn News has an article on MTC seeking a federal grant for this. Margaretville business needs o Need restaurants for dinner, open weeknights; affordable, quality, sit down restaurants o Owners of [a successful business] want to retire o Let people to know what s available for sale, vacancies get new entrepreneurs to take over existing businesses o Need aggressive entrepreneurs partnership with culinary school?? o Difficulty finding a chef Shandaken diner Who should spearhead business recruitment effort? Usually taken on by the chamber, County Planning; have County Economic Development encourage any kind of business! Need F/T, year round jobs at a living wage Tourism is great but provides a lot of low paying, seasonal jobs Business ideas: o Wood products see catskillwood.net o Furniture manufacturing o Energy industry o Assisted living facility CWC comment: Many actions are already underway, especially under agriculture need to coordinate and advertise these activities Need better coordination among stakeholders working on agriculture recognition that it s more effective for them to work together rather than compete for grants Farmers need help distributing products Lots of seasonal activities, but need to fill the gaps need year round interest For slow times, sell local products online Need to promote everything that s going on locally Capitalize on health care/hospital Connect Belleayre visitors with Margaretville o People don t know we re here o Need better signage for those coming off the mountain o Link villages and hamlets Old buildings are expensive to fix up, heat, and maintain inadequately insulated buildings impact business profits Belleayre lodging issue o Owners can no longer manage don t know how to market and update o Many are in transition burned out, looking for direction o Need people who understand the region to help and follow through on marketing o We don t even have a current list of lodging by Belleayre o Aesthetics, updating need attention Model businesses can they share expertise? o Peekamoose Restaurant is a great model know their customers, have a marketing plan Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 10

12 o Roxbury Motel too Some regional plans have suggested a 100 room hotel with an indoor pool to draw a different crowd. B&Bs are not as attractive to the younger generation; would make Delaware Co. more attractive for families Need activities for kids Sell the fact that some areas are off the grid Town of Middletown (Arkville meeting) Saturday, June 16, 2012 Overall needs o More electronic access to information o Better restaurants o Biking facilities and routes from NYC. o Lodging is a problem there is not enough of it o Not enough for people to do once they get here o A ski trail with shuttle service to Pine Hill so you can ski back to your inn. What is the status of the pool center in Arkville? Why is that going to be a pool when that was the only industrial area in the town? Need services for tourists and weekend homeowners, but also affordable housing and healthcare are critical o Services for non tourists are different these people can t afford to own a home and their needs are not being met o Zone so houses can be less expensive o On the other hand, some feel that zoning such as in Middletown is a barrier for development (5 acre lot size) o Coordinate economic development and housing: affordable housing is a huge need that needs to be reflected as a priority for economic development and in our strategy o Include a plan for seniors and people with disabilities housing must be available regardless of age or ability Transportation o Need alternative ways to get to jobs; better interior transportation is vital for locals and visitors o Promote biking o Need a bus to take tourists from mountain to town, a train to take them around for the weekend once they re here; there is no place to go for food when transportation is limited. Should also serve locals Regenerate activity in center of town, re open ice skating rink and find ways to deal with insurance issue. Develop a management center for the recreation center someone needs to do it. This can help with the insurance needs Lower tax burdens on locals Main Street enhancement o Look at planning of main streets need to drive traffic to main street by putting specific hub of stores o Create a boilerplate that can be used on any main street to incubate businesses o Use hubs as a draw for other businesses similar to a mall o Support a few businesses to move forward Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 11

13 Need winter marketing need to create excitement to keep businesses alive all year. Need lodging for people in the winter. Tourism is here but how do we get people to stay? Need to create more businesses like Roxbury Motel. What else is there to do here? Towns need to be prepared for the future better. Can t be a no place, but a yes place and be prepared and make plans for more tourism and more growth. Must be more business friendly Marketing is critical More daily life things needed for young families and professionals to get them to locate in area Capitalize on the fact that nothing is open along Route 28 when 2cnd homeowners arrive. Stores and restaurants need to be open on weekends and late. This is a big problem. Businesses have to restructure to meet the needs of all the clientele that are in the area. Closing up on weekends is a big problem. This is an untapped market for businesses. There is a great need for business education and business planning. Organization for marketing is critical needs true collaboration. Middle ground isn t being found. Too many extremists fighting. Look at the big picture. Need an organization to unite the region and engage people who use the area. Make them part of the process. Must cater to all the populations of the area. Belleayre project may not benefit the region. People will come and stay there and not venture into any town. Second homeowners brought poverty to the area. Consider developing a generic environmental impact statement to pre analyze impacts to make it easier for new businesses to come in and get permitted in a quicker manner. Get rid of the us vs them mentality. We are all here, and we are interconnected. Second homeowners are important for business. Towns need to realize the real diversity of the population and capitalize on it. Common thread of the discussion was that marketing was the key as was collaboration and finding middle ground. May need a new organization for the region to make all this happen. This organization has to bridge the fact that there are no links between Ulster and Delaware County Ec. Development projects. We need to start acting regionally. Village of Fleischmanns Monday, June 18, 2012 Issue of high sewer charges based on water usage o Large sewer bills hinder businesses that use a lot of water cost is an extra $1,000 $1,500 per year o City subsidies apply more heavily to residential users than businesses o Mayor has discussed with NYC, but the City won t renegotiate o Alternative: set up own (village) fund to subsidize business/commercial users maybe $30,000 $40,000 per year to start o Can CWC assist with this? o Offer as a business start up incentive that works like a rent subsidy, with a gradual reduction each year (i.e., 20% in year 1, 10% in year 2, 5% in year 3, etc.) We take for granted that people know how to run a business, but they often don t o People don t know what they don t know : bookkeeping, paying bills on time, marketing o Sometimes it s the right person in the wrong business, or the wrong person in the right business o Mentoring? Businesses don t think they have a problem, or are afraid to ask for help Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 12

14 o Need incentives to get people to participate in existing programs use carrot andstick approach Comments by [owner of a business in Fleischmanns] o NYC regulations o NYC taking land off the market o Assessment issues o City should take care of sewer plant, b/c it s their problem Pine Hill and Margaretville have sewer systems o Business has 20 employees serves second home industry Industrial jobs example of Providean in Hobart. County once looked at a building in Fleischmanns for a company to build fiberglass tubs Senior housing is a need, waiting list in Arkville, but also need downtown amenities, which are lacking Assisted living facilities provide better jobs Buy local (restaurant) = also being open later at night. Rotating operating hours? Lack of cell signal hindrance to searching for places to go while driving; limits motel search, restaurant search Mom & pops don t have money for marketing and advertising Need reconnection [from Fleischmanns] to natural resources in the Catskills Joint marketing strategy better connection with natural resources vs. Old Catskills (Sullivan County) Dealing with vacancies o Building owners aren t in a position to market o Identify underutilized and dilapidated buildings and decide what to do with them o How to get the right entrepreneur seasonality of business = high turnover o Improving existing businesses might draw in new businesses to fill vacancies Delaware Co. IDA o Our end of the county is forgotten; we re in the corner of a dairy county o Look at Greene Co. website and all they are doing! o Todd works more with MARK than with the IDA Getting people off Route 28 is an issue traffic bypasses the village; limited visibility from Route 28 Town of Olive, Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Lack of cell service in Samsonville issue of cell coverage came up during Irene There IS no town center in Olive Boiceville has most of the businesses, but was flooded DEP wouldn t deepen the channel DOT plans to issue new signs to direct people from Route 28 to trailheads on local roads within the next 3 years also working on uniform trailhead signs Need for maps? o Current sources of tourism info and maps stores, apps, websites, Ulster Publishing Almanac o Lots of specialty maps, but need better overview maps Farm markets are being developed in various areas? Boiceville? Maybe not? [No consensus on this issue] Buy local initiative: second home owners are not aware of the local network of below the radar businesses Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 13

15 Main street/hamlet signage needed for places of interest Infrastructure cell service, internet service; Verizon does not want to upgrade its hardware. Might benefit if region works together as opposed to working town by town Town of Roxbury, Wednesday, June 20, 2012 Improve signage o Little plaques so people know what they re looking at o You Are Here kiosk o Historic markers o Maps of POI (points of interest) o Subtle signage to off the beaten path businesses Buy Local crafts and agriculture Need inventory of local resources, places to buy Agriculture o Pure Catskills in Delaware County outdated, needs work o Agriculture is more prevalent in Roxbury compared to other towns in the region o Need to educate locals on how to support and develop it Why have these ideas not happened? In Roxbury a split community Roxbury could be a gateway from the North, as Phoenicia is from the Southeast Limited funding available Population problem limited, so prices have to be higher Railroad depot is a lynchpin Workforce training is critical Set the tone for consumer experience Need a menu of items to buy, visit, use (golf course placemat example) Need another restaurant in town, need a choice Housing is difficult $. Second homeowners drive prices up Telecommute would help tremendously Social infrastructure needs for younger generation: theaters, meeting places There are more accessible cultural activities in the Catskills than on Long Island, but they don t know that DEP sewage infrastructure is an asset could not develop without it Concentrate on tourism development. Maybe? Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 14

16 Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills Regional Economic Revitalization Conference October 17, 2012 Participants: Alan White, Catskill Center for Conservation and Development Art Christie, Planning Board, Town of Shandaken Barbara A. Puglisi, Catskill Watershed Corporation Bill Stanton, Mayor, Village of Margaretville Bob Kalb, Town of Shandaken Bud Gladstone, Town Board, Town of Andes Carol O Beirne, Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce Diane Galusha, Catskill Watershed Corporation Don Brewer, Planning Board, Town of Shandaken Doug Kadow, Ulster Delaware Railroad Historical Society, Roxbury Duncan Martin, Delaware County Planning Department Faye Storms, Planning Board, Town of Shandaken / Real Estate Agent Glen Pederson, WIOX Community Radio Iris Mead, Trustee, Village of Margaretville Jason Merwin, Catskill Watershed Corporation Jeff Senterman, NY/NJ Trail Conference Jill Cline, Catskill Mountain Artisans Guild Jill Ribbich, Long Woods Business Association, Roxbury Jim Thompson, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Jim Waters, Catskill Forestry Association Joann Kalb, Planning Board, Town of Shandaken Kathleen Rostad, Trustee, Village of Fleischmanns Kent Manuel, Delaware County Planning Department Larry Reilly, Planning Board, Village of Fleischmanns Leigh Melander, Board, Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce / Andes Works Liz Mezzetti, ORDA Maggie Cullen, Roxbury Arts Group March Gallagher, Ulster County Planning Department Marjorie (Marge) Miller, Supervisor, Town of Middletown Mark Birman, Board, MARK Project Mary Beth Silano, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Peg Ellsworth, MARK Project Phil Sireci, Catskill Watershed Corporation Rob Stanley, Supervisor, Town of Shandaken Robert Selkowitz, Town of Olive representative to Central Catskills Collaborative Rolf Reiss, Zoning Board of Appeals, Town of Shandaken Susan Dey, Board, MARK Project / Andes Works Velga Kundzins Tan, Western Catskills Revitalization Council Presenters: Nan Stolzenburg, Community Planning & Environmental Associates Ellen Pemrick, E.M. Pemrick and Company Andrew Labruzzo, NYS Department of State Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 15

17 General Comments Forests are our largest natural resource; potential for jobs, energy generation. Don t overlook forests and forestry businesses as a resource for economic development Emphasize Catskill Park it is an asset that is underutilized. Comments: Existing Initiatives List Add Fleischmanns Centralized Heating District; seeking funding for feasibility study of communitybased biomass heating system Arts are missing from the list; arts festivals and related initiatives are a huge economic engine for region Scenic byway approved by all communities except Olive and Shandaken; designation would allow us to apply for grants for enhancement of the corridor. Secured $380,000 grant through Maurice Hinchey to develop the Catskill Interpretive Center, which will motivate people to cross over into Delaware County. The Catskill Park is an underutilized asset and needs to be recognized Add Ulster County Revolving Loan Fund for gap financing, and post Irene grant programs. Also just finished CWC funded Main Street program in Shokan, Phoenicia, and Pine Hill. Contact March Gallagher for additional information Comments: Barriers to Economic Development and Community Revitalization, and How to Address NYC DEP regulations Hard for businesses to understand people don t know where to go DEP does not have a point person, no ombudsman to help CWC serves this purpose NYS DEC regulations DEC doesn t bend now they are not only protecting wetlands, but also potential habitat People can t use their properties Someone needs to work to help people get through regulatory process Lack of communication Many groups reinventing the wheel lots of duplication Barriers in village/town and town/county relationships Need more communication among all parties; it s hard to get information out Control and turf issues A big problem that prevents growth Our own passion : it s my baby, my project Need to approach issues collectively, not individually CWC is a tremendous resource, but we need to get beyond providing information on what s available Need business counseling CWC doesn t have the staff to do this Need social media training SBDC is also a potential resource for businesses The Artisans Guild is trying to drive tourism to the area, but Main Streets aren t ready It s a catch 22 situation Main Streets not functioning very professionally Businesses could be doing well Businesses need assistance Delaware County e center offers business classes and training at its Delhi center, but Margaretville businesses won t drive to Delhi to take a course Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 16

18 Margaretville e center opening in a few weeks Unfortunately, some businesses don t realize they need training Central Catskills Collaborative as a model Idea was to work together, build consensus, apply for funding An important experience for all of us Must build relationships person by person, build trust but it takes time Gave us a larger voice in meeting with DEP and DEC, and getting signs for tourism oriented destinations (TODs) and hiking trails Now developing an audio tour Communities are disconnected geographically People fear giving up their identity Need to create connective tissue to celebrate each community s individuality but also build the region Gateway Communities conference [in Delaware County] hit the right note We re all taught to hate the DEP and DEC, but we need to work with them must change this mindset SEQRA review is a barrier people use it as a weapon to stop development Want to see Crossroads project (at Belleayre Mtn.) built 13 year approval process has discouraged other potential developers Telecommunication issues Lack of telecom access is detrimental for both part time and full time residents; if we had better access to broadband, weekend visitors would stay longer We have customers who won t buy real estate unless Internet access is available [from a real estate agent] Collaboration technology can help with communications, but requires broadband MTC, MARK, and Western Catskills Revitalization Council have been working together on this issue and have submitted Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) to bring broadband to underserved areas. Model will include property owner surveys to get buy in. MARK to post information online on how everyone can help with this effort by writing letters and sharing information with constituents Woodstock Film Festival as a model This year s event was held in multiple venues and communities a good example of working together for the common good Central Catskills Chamber hopes to eventually involve multiple communities with its new Outdoor Recreation Festival taking baby steps Barrier: how leadership is organized Supervisors in Delaware Co. are part time makes it difficult to get things done Structure of leadership: small group of people run everything People who don t live here full time, or who run businesses, don t have the time to get involved, serve on boards, etc. How can we do a better job to bring more people into the conversation? Sidebar discussion: Collaboration and communication tools Need high tech tools to communicate access to collaborative technology (Q: What is this?) Generally software: e.g., access to a cloud based server Must be more than a phone conference need direct face time School districts all have broadband access that could be used awaiting changes to state law Produce short video for all constituencies people don t have the time to read Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 17

19 People need to have a reason for collaboration incentives to collaborate (e.g., flood, limited funding, CFA requirements) Share costs this is an incentive Start early collaborating/talking to each other don t wait until the last minute Adirondack Partnership might be a model; serves as a forum for groups to talk together [NYS DOS] Communication is the biggest problem The money issue we re competing against larger projects Have to explain to funding agencies that 9 new jobs in Margaretville has as much impact as 300 jobs in Ithaca Mindsets and negative attitudes We re limited by our own community The public needs to know what s going on, to avoid cynicism and negativity Business owners must take responsibility for themselves If you re good at business, you should be successful there IS opportunity here! High school kids in Roxbury blame second homeowners for everything Lack of quality lodging in Delaware County We re spending tons of money on tourism and marketing, but there are only 800 units in the entire county Also lack of quality customer service Sidebar discussion: How to share information? Social media? traditional media? Create a Facebook group something like the Catskill Regional Communication Group and use it to start and spread communications A LinkedIn group might be a better collaborative tool it s not necessarily open to the public, but allows you to identify skill sets of members, and you can create discussion forums ANY type of social media is helpful; it does not have to be limited to one tool WIOX streaming radio can be used forums and public service announcements We could have different tools for communicating: one for the public, one for organizations Conferences and meetings e.g., networking events, supervisors meetings are excellent tools Word of mouth Have inter community business mixers on a regular basis; have business groups conduct outreach to other groups in the region Have interactive meetings to develop initiatives List all groups and organizations in an appendix to the plan, so each can see all the others and know who does what The Delaware County Chamber has multiple websites and is willing to post information and listings for events and activities if people let them know info is also shared with other chambers of commerce Use Watershed Post Use newspapers, although the papers mirror the local culture. Sit down with the news media and figure out ways to connect/engage everyone Circulate contacts and e mails to all conference participants Links on each other s web pages but there may be too many websites. Put together a master list. Consider developing a portal to other websites; this was proposed at one time, but we d need funding to do this Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 18

20 Need Main Street managers to take care of and manage business districts Use funding to advertise each Main Street as a single entity Could be (managed) by each municipality, or could be public/private Circuit rider very successful in the past, but ended because the funding ran out; need sustainable funding Non Main Street businesses need to be brought into the fold. They need to network and collaborate, too Question of how chambers of commerce fit into this scenario why not considered for Main Street management positions? Perceived as a threat Need to define a role for the chambers Question of whether to create an organizational structure to bring municipalities and organizations together Example of Lake Placid Business Association cited by ORDA: don t recreate organizations, use what already exists, find ways to share resources All counties have IDAs and economic development staff; maybe they need to be more focused or re focused on Main Street needs Tap into SUNY students for assistance with Main Street managers Too many entities may need to consider merging and consolidating organizations Must get each Main Street to work on themselves first before they can work together; develop a marketing strategy Brainstorming: Implementing Priority Actions #7 Develop a Buy Local initiative Distribution provided for marketing [?] Community canning distribution [?] Use BALLE model (for developing a Buy Local campaign), connect with Pure Catskills Distribute a free pamphlet on where to purchase items locally PA Wilds campaign did a great job for local branding need to do that here Develop a directory on businesses/services that goes out to new property owners Offer a welcome wagon for people who move to the area Community arts spaces pilot program Create YouTube videos on the area Yearly farm to table event using local foods Get supervisors to increase funding to Delaware County tourism it s far less than what Ulster Co. spends on tourism #12 Business recruitment Focus on creative community in NYC (assuming we have broadband!) Sell the area s low cost space Grow businesses locally identify what types of businesses are needed and train people to run them Help local alumni come home Work with realtors to create an e mail database that can be used to get the word out Recruit virtual office people by promoting the area s quality of life Support the East Branch stream access project #8 Opening up NYC watershed areas for recreation Spread word about the opening up of the Pepacton Reservoir Coordinate stream stabilization and flood resilience efforts Market business success stories advertise our successes Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 19

21 Implement a collective ad campaign targeted to NYC and Albany markets to promote tourism as well as business opportunities in the Catskills the Adirondacks market themselves so much more! Get the media to write about efforts to get broadband to the area and support MARK funding application Expand the reach of the Middletown Small Business Development Fund offer $5,000 $10,000 Create a regular liaison to the NY Times Market the free experience (in the outdoors) in the Catskills Target Gen Y in marketing Need to bring part time residents into the conversation. How? Get them to mentor kids Let kids hear about why they are here Create a TED Talks pilot program bring local people into the schools in different communities Issue of tourism market and business development Quality of service issue need hospitality training, but also business owner training, to educate Re introduce a Secret Shopper type program As a condition of funding, require businesses to attend some sort of training Joint marketing if the business gets good ratings, it s eligible for a larger ad Make the Catskill Park more visible as a resource e.g., recreational app, signage Get businesses to install suggestion boxes for anonymous comments Schedule one day a month that businesses will stay open late rotate among the hamlets Stamford has a Pop up Farmers Market on occasional Fridays do something similar here Provide transportation to/from NYC and between the communities regional transportation system Revitalizing the Esopus/Delaware Region of the Central Catskills APPENDIX Page A 20