Drum growth study released
FORT DRUM — Now that the Fort Drum growth management study is complete, the next steps are taking shape and community members from the region are hearing what is up next.
"This plan is not going to happen on its own because development usually happens on the easiest route, like in a farm field," said Lawrence K. Bice, a consultant with Behan Planning Associates LLC, Saratoga Springs, who has worked with the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization on the plan for almost two years. "Towns need to start saying now where they want to develop."
The study outlines how 24 municipalities in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties should approach future development. The suggestions range from improving population centers — such as hamlets and villages with existing infrastructure — to encouraging sustainable and green development that will create swaths of open space easily accessed by the public.
The summary was presented to town officials Monday night on Fort Drum.
One of the first steps in the plan is maintaining communication between the installation and the public. The study says some ways to improve the conversation between the two entities are through newsletter updates, an informational Web site and community meetings — all things that community members agreed will be successful.
"Having newsletters in both directions and a venue like this one is important," said Ricky W. Newvine, a council member from the town of Fowler. "Like all these maps that show where the impact zones are, most people don't know where they are, and if they did they would understand things a little better."
Andrew R. Nevin, the senior planner for Jefferson County, agreed that communication was the best way forward in implementing the plan. He said the plan will never truly be finished because it will always be open-ended and towns will always have a chance to provide input and feedback.
"There has been some growth in the past few years and there is still more in the pipeline," he said. "It's a quality-of-life issue and the more that people understand the fort, the better for the community and for everyone."
Mr. Nevin said from here, Jefferson County's role will be to become a "sharing mechanism" and the county will help distribute information and maps within all three counties to be used in planning and zoning discussions.
The plan also recommends that communities develop or update comprehensive plans. This would help towns outline what kind of development they want to happen and could refocus building into town centers.
Another strategy is to stop incompatible development along the border of the installation. This can be done through the Army Compatible Use Buffer Program — in which the Army, through a third party, would purchase development rights to property. In return, the owner of the property would agree to maintain the current use of the property. Incompatible development would include residential housing or commercial space.
"The fort's viability in the long term is strongest if there aren't people calling up and complaining about noise or other things," Mr. Bice said. "It becomes a hassle for the military to manage that and there have been forts that have closed because of it."
