Dec. 23—The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on Monday announced awards of more than $28 million through the state-funded Environmental Protection Fund to support 65 projects through the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. Area counties will get some of that money.
“The 14th round of REDC grants will fund transformative recreation and historic preservation projects in 38 counties, strengthening the fabric of daily life for New Yorkers and driving investment and growth,” said OPRHP Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons in a statement. “Our agency concludes its Centennial year by working with the Regional Economic Development Councils to help communities achieve their goals and realize a brighter future for New York state.”
The Environmental Protection Fund Grant Program for Parks, Heritage and Preservation supports matching grants for the acquisition, planning, development, and improvement of parks, historic properties, and heritage areas located within New York. Funds are awarded to municipalities or not-for-profits with an ownership interest. The program is administered by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
In Otsego County:
* An Oneonta city-town partnership will get $1,669,135 to construct pedestrian and bike improvements along the James F. Lettis/Leslie G. Foster Highway and state Routes 23 and 28, linking the city’s urban center and the town’s Southside commercial area.
* The town of Oneonta will get $476,800 to replace two undersized culverts on Butler Creek. The replacements will increase flow capacity to promote flood resilience and restore aquatic organism passage within the Otego Creek watershed, according to a news release.
* The town of Oneonta will get $337,600 to replace two undersized and perched culverts on Oneonta Creek. The replacements will increase flow capacity to promote flood resilience and restore aquatic organism passage in the headwaters of the Susquehanna River, the release stated.
* The Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District will get $500,000 to construct a salt storage facility in the town of Pittsfield to cover the currently exposed salt pile. The storage building is expected to protect the Unadilla River and nearby wetlands.
* The city of Oneonta will get $2.3 million to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility including the control building, influent pumps, headworks, clarifiers and trickling filter, and add an alkalinity feed system.
* The city of Oneonta will get $135,000 to update its comprehensive Plan. The plan “will establish a new vision supported by goals and objectives that support the City’s desired future. The City will assess current conditions in the community and incorporate Smart Growth principles to appropriate plan for a sustainable and equitable future for residents and visitors,” according to the news release.
* Hartwick College will get $50,625 to undertake planning and design to expand its Table Rock trail system in Oneonta. Plans will assess its current five-mile-long network of trails and “create a model shared, free, system for hiking, mountain biking, running, and snowshoeing with the intention of extending the trails,” the release stated.
In Schoharie County:
* The town of Schoharie will get $90,000 to develop its Schoharie Gateway area plan, which aims “to transform 350-acres into a vibrant mixed-use district blending economic growth, sustainability, and community well-being at a commercially zoned intersection of I-88, NY Route 7 and NY Route 30A,” the release stated. The plan will “form-based codes for high density compact development, align with the community housing needs and mitigate viewshed impacts.”
* The village of Sharon Springs will get $675,000 to restore Main Street’s historic Chalybeate Park to provide an accessible entertainment area and recreational facilities to include public access to the village’s famed mineral water. The village will construct a new event pavilion, improved lighting, landscaping, restrooms, pathways, benches and a community gathering space in the heart of downtown, according to the release.
In Delaware County:
* Friends of the Upper Delaware River Inc. will get $1 million to restore a degraded segment of Fish Creek in the town of Hancock. The project includes replacing an undersized bridge, constructing in-stream habitat and stabilizing the streambanks. “This project will restore high quality habitat for native and wild trout, as well as restore floodplain connectivity,” the release stated.
* The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District will get $500,000 to replace two undersized and deteriorated culverts in the town of Harpersfield. The project will “install properly sized culverts to reduce flood risk, connect fish passage, and reduce erosion in the Lake Brook watershed,” the release stated.
* The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District will get $529,744 to replace an undersized culvert in the Village of Hobart. Due to the culvert being undersized, a large scour pool has developed and the culvert is unable to withstand large storm events, the release stated.
* Trout Unlimited Inc. will get $400,719 to replace three high-priority culverts in the town of Roxbury. The replacements will reconnect more than six miles of high quality brook trout habitat, as well as improve infrastructure to promote flood resilience on the Batavia Kill within the Upper East Branch Delaware River watershed, the release stated.
In Chenango County:
The city of Norwich will get $180,000 to develop a Brownfield Opportunity Area Plan for a 500-acre industrial and commercial area of the city. “The goal is to develop a plan that coordinates reuse and cleanup of vacant and potential brownfield sites, spurs investment, creates new jobs, improves quality of life, provides needed housing for seniors and new younger populations, provides economic opportunity, and promotes new access to the waterfront for outdoor recreation,” according to the release.
Funding for the program was included in Round XIV of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Investing in regional projects that offer innovative, long-term solutions is vital to addressing statewide challenges and creating opportunities that benefit all New Yorkers. The Regional Economic Development Councils know their communities’ needs best, and their track record of fostering collaboration and forward-thinking ideas at the local level are essential towards strengthening our state’s future.”