Town of Oswego LWRP

Vision Statement

"The Town of Oswego, adjacent to the City of Oswego and host to the State University of New York, has remained largely open and rural in character, with expanses of farmlands and breathtaking views of Great Lake Ontario as well as ecologically-rich lands surrounding tributaries to the lake, and a history tied to the town’s lakefront location and proximity to the Oswego River and Canal. With a long history of lakefront visitation for recreational enjoyment, including swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife observation, and stunningly beautiful sunsets over Lake Ontario, the Waterfront Revitalization Area (WRA) of this LWRP will carefully balance recreational, cultural, and economic development with the protection and enhancement of sensitive and vulnerable environmental areas and community character, and bring new and improved opportunities for waterfront access, ensuring a wonderful place to live, work, study, and visit where all may enjoy the unique places that the area encompasses."

​

Goals:

1. Natural Resource Protection:

The many unique natural areas of Waterfront Revitalization Area (WRA) and its many waterbodies make it susceptible to environmental degradation if not carefully managed for conservation. Water quality, farmland, conservation lands, and the Town’s remaining scenic views and public access to enjoy these areas, could easily disappear if not protected. Adherence to federal, state and local natural resource protection laws is critically important to maintain and improve the existing and valuable ecosystem services and natural beauty of the WRA. Outstanding natural assets such as lakeshore areas, wetlands, ponds and waterways not already protected through New York State or Federal regulations are valuable ecological and open space resources enjoyed by the community and relied upon by a diversity of wildlife species. They deserve protection and stewardship.

2. Sustainable Development:

Encourage development and leveraged investments that balance enhancement of economic competitiveness with long-term community viability and a unique sense of community and place that provides safe walking and biking routes and fosters livable, safe and healthy places – stimulating economic activity by revitalizing and reinvesting in older existing development areas, and prioritizing infill and redevelopment rather than “greenfield” development of farmland or natural lands. Coordinate and carefully manage local policies to support existing communities, preserve and increase access to community resources, increase mobility, and promote equitable, affordable housing with improved energy-efficiency for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicity.

3. Community Resiliency:

The ability to quickly and completely recover from natural disasters and other impacts on the community, such as the recent trends of fluctuating water levels and flooding along shoreline areas within the WRA are going to be increasingly important in the years ahead. Coordination with state and federal agencies, as well as county and regional partners is critical to help anticipate potential vulnerabilities and develop effective strategies and techniques for long-term viability of existing and new development within the WRA. Primary goals of this LWRP are to provide for disaster, storm, and flood protection to critical community infrastructure and vulnerable developed areas in the WRA through innovative engineering, thoughtful design, community resource development, and the maintenance of un-compromised ecosystem services.

​

​

​

Public Outreach Plan​

Successful waterfront revitalization happens when the community realizes that the waterfront belongs to them. By bringing people together, the community can create a vision that captures the ideas and interests of a broad constituency of those concerned with the future of the waterfront.

The public outreach plan for the LWRP project will identify a diverse range of stakeholder groups and potential partnerships including key individuals, organizations, and entities to be involved. It will identify roles and responsibilities of municipal staff, the waterfront advisory committee, and the consultant in coordinating the entire public outreach process. The proposed schedule and content of public meetings, including a community visioning process, will be described. Methods that will be used for publicizing public meetings and workshops will be identified - including press releases, announcements, web postings, and information tables at community events.

​