Irondequoit LWRP

LWRP stands for Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. It is both a plan for our waterfronts and a program that will be used to implement the plan.

In 2008, the towns of Irondequoit, Penfield, and Webster received a grant from the NYS Department of State to update their Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs. Using the grant funds, and following a work plan prepared by the Department of State, the three towns jointly hired a consultant, Ingalls Planning & Design, to revise LWRPs. (Click here to view the intermunicipal agreement.) Each town also created a volunteer steering committee of residents and stakeholders to work with the consultants.

This web page will keep you informed about the update process that will likely last until Fall 2009, when the revised LWRP is expected to be adopted by the Irondequoit Town Board.

All draft documents will be posted below for public review and comment, as well as the dates and times of public information meetings:

November 18, 2008 Vision and Discovery Session Summary

 

PRELIMINARY DRAFT REPORT
Section 1: Waterfront Revitalization Area Boundary

Section 2: Inventory and Analysis

Section 3: LWRP Policies

Why Update Our Local Waterfront Revitalization Program?

1. A blueprint of the future – Irondequoit’s existing LWRP was adopted over twenty years ago in 1988. It is time to take another look at the status of our waterfronts and to make sure we have appropriate strategies to achieve our goals for the waterfronts. (To read our 1988 LWRP, please scroll down to the bottom of this page.)

A Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) is a process by which the Town evaluates its waterfront and community-wide resources, decides on future goals, develops a comprehensive strategy for the best use of these resources, and puts in place a local program to carry out that strategy. With an updated LWRP, Town officials and residents will be better able to respond to future events and opportunities affecting the waterfronts. The LWRP will become a key component of our new comprehensive master plan.

2. A local voice – An approved plan will result in state and federal adherence to the Town of Irondequoit’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan. An approved LWRP means that there will be State and federal compliance with Irondequoit’s program. Without an approved program, actions of these agencies continue to be governed by New York State's coastal policies, and the Town is less able to effectively voice its concerns about what agencies do in our waterfront areas.

The formal process which provides local governments with this unique expansion of control is referred to as "consistency" and is established in the federal and State coastal acts. It works as follows: the Town's LWRP is substituted for the State's Coastal Program within Irondequoit’s waterfront areas. State and federal agencies must then conduct their activities in a manner that is consistent with the policies of Irondequoit’s program. The local policies will contain specific information about Irondequoit's waterfronts and will become the basis for better decision-making at the State and federal levels, as well as the local level. State agencies are responsible for conducting their own consistency reviews of proposed projects and actions, but the NYS Department of State, which administers the State's Coastal Management Program, has been given responsibility for consistency reviews of federal projects and actions. If, after consulting with the local government, the NYS Department of State objects to a proposed federal project or permit activity because it is not "consistent" with the local program, a federal agency may not undertake the action or issue the permit.

For example: The City of Oswego objected to the Oswego Port Authority's proposal to build storage domes for potash which would have degraded the view of the Oswego River and City from historic Fort Ontario. The proposal was modified to mitigate visual impacts as a result of the City's LWRP policy on visual quality and after negotiations involving the City, the Port Authority, and the Department of State.

3. Improving interagency communication on behalf of Irondequoit -- The NYS Department of State will act as an advocate on Irondequoit’s behalf. The Department of State serves as an advocate for waterfront communities by encouraging other agencies to take certain actions which will be of benefit to the community and which will implement local waterfront objectives.

For example: When the Village of Mamaroneck’s zoning law, establishing a priority for water-dependent uses, was challenged in court, the State of New York became a party in the suit to defend the Village's action. The Village won the case in NYS Supreme Court and on appeal.

4. Technical Assistance – in developing measures to achieve local coastal objectives. A representative from the Department of State is assisting Irondequoit in updating our Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, and it will continue to assist in developing local legislation, shaping management measures to carry out these programs, and assisting in the review of complex projects.

5. Education -- The NYS Department of State will continue to inform Irondequoit about matters of concern to the Town, even after the LWRP is adopted. Information will be provided in a number of ways: bulletins on waterfront issues and new management techniques, special reports, workshops, conferences, and the facilitation of exchange with other communities that have similar problems or concerns.

6. Regional Solutions – The LWRP process will allow Irondequoit, Penfield, and Webster to identify waterfront issues which transcend local boundaries and which are best addressed cooperatively, especially regarding Irondequoit Bay. Collective solutions save energy and expense for everyone and are more effective than those which individual communities would be able to achieve.

7. Attraction of funds -- An adopted LWRP can help Irondequoit attract public and private investment in waterfront projects since it demonstrates our commitment to revitalization and resource protection. The recommendations of our LWRP will be incorporated by reference into our new comprehensive master plan. This will help make the development process more predictable and efficient. It will also help convince funding entities and private developers that proposed projects are realistic and that money will be well spent and fits into a comprehensive strategy that will ultimately protect their investments.

For more information, please see:

Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)
http://www.nyswaterfronts.org/aboutus_LWRP.asp

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

2008 Bay Harbor Managment Law

Final Bay Harbor Managment Plan

Biological Study of Irondequoit Bay (2001)