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Alliance
Guiding Principles Blueprint Process Blueprint Points: 1. Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species 2. Acid Rain 3. Global Climate Change 4. Main Street Revitalization 5. Water, Sewer and Storm-water Infrastructure 6. Marketing and Entrepreneurial Development 7. High-Speed Telecommunications 8. Workforce/Community Housing 9. Transportation Infrastructure 10. Energy 11. Effective Governance and Policy Framework 12. Land Use Change 13. Property Taxes 14. Primary Healthcare Crisis Appendix Procedures and Schedule Founding Sponsors Alliance Core Team July 2007 Forum Participant List |
BLUEPRINT FOR THE BLUE LINETHE
COMMON GROUND ALLIANCE
FEBRUARY 2008 BLUEPRINT POINTS 5. WATER, SEWER AND STORM-WATER INFRASTRUCTURE RATIONALE: Many small communities in the Adirondack Park have inadequate, aging water and sewer infrastructure that often do not meet current NYS health standards. Existing water and sewer treatment capacity needs to expand if town and village growth is to occur; new ways to address the water and waste-water improvement and maintenance needs in outlying areas must be addressed to realize important community development gains. Given their relatively sparse year-round population size and diminished political clout, Adirondack communities are at distinct disadvantages in competing for federal and state funding. The development of centralized wastewater treatment systems and alternative technologies to solve related problems is impeded in the Adirondacks by the area’s wide assortment of community types, and by the physical distances and barriers typically occurring between them. Lacking needed financial resources, they then are unable to capitalize on the economic benefits that generally stem from investments in infrastructure. SUGGESTED ACTION:
6. MARKETING/ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT RATIONALE: In the Adirondack Park, government is the largest sector of employment, followed by healthcare, retail and the hospitality/tourism sector. A wide range of small businesses, including wood products companies, giftware manufacturers, services, historic tourist attractions, and lodging establishments, benefit from the area’s abundant natural resources. But small businesses in particular experience challenges in business planning, marketing and the development of competitive, value-added products for distribution at local, national and international levels. There is a continual need for services, training and capital investment to assist businesses. In some Park locations, existing industrial sites are available for a wide range of business activities, but investment in their clean-up, development and marketing is significantly lacking. The Forest Preserve and privately owned forests of the Park offer significant opportunities for public recreational access. Yet, tourism and hospitality businesses need assistance and financial investment to develop services for visitors and residents that take advantage of recreational assets. Transportation and product distribution throughout the Park are major impediments for all businesses, but more so for small-scale agricultural producers. There is a need for planning and investment to rebuild the region’s agricultural base as some farmers consolidate to larger operations and others strive to find niche markets for locally grown and value-added products. SUGGESTED ACTION:
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