The town of Bolton was awarded nearly $1.8 million in two state grants for revitalization of its Lake George waterfront area.
Bolton will receive $1.725 million from the state’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), and $50,000 from the state’s Smart Growth Planning and Zoning grant program.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Dec. 29 announced over $22 million in grant funding was awarded to 76 communities across the state through Round XII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative to promote smart, sustainable and equitable community growth.
The funding will help communities revitalize their waterfronts, clean up and redevelop abandoned industrial sites and create neighborhoods that are environmentally sustainable through three state programs including the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and the Smart Growth Planning and Zoning grant program.
The $1.725 million is for Veterans Memorial Park improvements. Bolton will advance its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program by designing and constructing the second phase of the Veterans Memorial Park Master Plan.
Improvements include a new multi-use waterfront recreation building which will house visitor information services and accommodate special events throughout the year, pedestrian access connections into the park, and stormwater management improvements for continued water quality protection of Lake George.
The Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan funding will help Bolton update its 20-year-old Comprehensive Plan using a robust planning approach and public outreach initiative framed by Smart Growth Principles, officials said.
The plan will help Bolton develop objectives, goals and recommendations for future development activities and provide a solid framework for future land-use law to address increasing development and unprecedented residential growth resulting from the COVID pandemic, officials said.
The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) provides grants to communities to develop a community-driven plan with a vision for their waterfront, guided by several environmental policies to ensure projects work in harmony with waterfront natural resources and ecosystems.
The projects will help local communities expand public access and protect the environment, while also boosting tourism and economic development opportunities.
“We continue to invest in smart, sustainable, and equitable growth in communities across the state to give New Yorkers a cleaner, brighter future,” Hochul said. “This funding will help revitalize waterfronts, clean up and redevelop abandoned industrial sites, and create environmentally sustainable neighborhoods—all key aspects a thriving and vibrant community.”
“Our state’s economy is continuing to grow stronger than ever, and the Regional Economic Development Councils are at the ready to help however they can,” said Lt. Gov. Delgado. “These diverse grants have a broad, sustainable scope from boosting underused waterfronts to cleaning up and developing overlooked fields. These projects pay dividends to the communities they serve and to all those who visit them.”
The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program awards cover a variety of planning, design and construction projects that focus on economic, community, environmental and recreational improvements, reinforcing Hochul’s commitment to improving both local economies and the environment.
The Smart Growth Planning and Zoning Grant Program provides grants to communities to develop municipal-wide comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances, as well as targeted area plans and zoning, such as downtowns, central business districts and transit-orient development districts. Communities must commit to incorporating the principles of Smart Growth into their planning and zoning, including walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly streetscapes; compact, mixed-use community design; vibrant downtowns and other municipal centers; a diversity of housing options for all incomes, ages and abilities; safe, accessible public spaces; ample parks and outdoor recreational opportunities; and green buildings and infrastructure.
All the awards are funded through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, which Hochul increased from $300 million to $400 million in the Enacted Budget for Fiscal Year 2023. The Department of State, through the Environmental Protection Fund, provides matching grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities throughout New York state and its coasts or designated inland waterways for planning, design and construction projects to revitalize communities and waterfronts.