City Mayor: 'We need housing'

Mar. 3—PLATTSBURGH — Economic growth and development; infrastructure investments; and arts and culture.

"These are the, kind of, three pinnacle focuses of the City of Plattsburgh that makes us who we are," Mayor Chris Rosenquest said during his presentation at the North Country Chamber of Commerce's annual State of the County, City and Town breakfast Thursday morning.

"A lot of these, obviously, overlap when we talk about arts and culture and how that contributes to economic growth."

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Rosenquest pointed out that 2022 saw a lot of these focuses at work, as the city saw completion of the marketing, branding and signage project, courtesy of the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) funds; the implementation of paid parking and a permit system at the City Beach and Downtown; and Phase 2 improvements to Plattsburgh Farmers' and Crafters' Market building.

Last year's highlights also saw an increased emphasis on growing community engagement with 14 community events being hosted in the City.

Now, through the three key focuses, other city issues will continue to be addressed this year.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING

For example, housing, and finding a way to develop more of it, is a primary concern in 2023, Rosenquest said.

"As many of you know, we talk about this, we talked about this, we continue to talk about it. We will continue to talk about it: housing," he said.

"The importance of housing, the need for housing, a range of housing, whether it be low-income, moderate, market-rate, multi-unit, single-family — regardless — we need housing."

The city, though, first needs to find a developer, he added.

REWRITTEN ZONING CODE

That will be easier after launching a rewritten zoning code this year, as the current one has not been updated since 2001.

"This is an antiquated zoning code that we're operating on that a lot of developers that come into the City of Plattsburgh that want to develop, can't, or they find ... too many impediments to be able to develop easily," the mayor explained.

"We do infill development, we have plots, and we've got small, small areas where we need to utilize that and try to find ways to rewrite our zoning code to be able to facilitate that type of development. Rewriting our zoning code will be the foundation work that's going to define development over the next 10 years, easily. If we do it right, that development will be propelled with velocity, and that's our goal."

MASTER PLANS

Several long-term projects are also expected to be wrapped up this year for the city, Rosenquest said.

The Comprehensive Master Plan, Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and the Harborside Master Plan are all in the final stages now.

Bike Friendly Plattsburgh, a plan that would implement several new miles of biking infrastructure around the city, is in the works as well.

"All of these projects, all these plans are coming to fruition so that we can finally get things done, not only plans for the future, but then also fulfill those things that we've been working on over the last couple of years."

Beyond those projects, Rosenquest continues to be concerned with water and sewer infrastructure and the method at which the state hands out funding for it.

Implementing a CHIPS (Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program)-style funding allocation to municipalities would help alleviate his concerns.

"Or a regular monetary allocation associated to the number of water sewer lines we have, rather than this jockeying for grants for water, sewer infrastructure replacements," he said.

"Otherwise we're paying for ourselves much like we did with Lake Country Village."

INFRASTRUCTURE WORK

The city is now trying to get ahead of problems, like the unexpected Lake Country Village water project last summer, before they arise.

The Margaret Street Project, which Rosenquest said will be a "major" disruption to the Downtown district and residents when it begins, is one example of this.

"The primary purpose of this is to replace 1903 water sewer infrastructure. 1903 water sewer infrastructure," he repeated. "That service is one of the most critical business districts that we have in our city."

"We're fixing things that we got rather than waiting for it to fail ... Let's fix it now. Let's improve our downtown. Let's make it more walkable, more accessible. Let's fix the infrastructure first and foremost, and let's come back and do the street resurfacing and make our sidewalks nice, make our downtown nice."

While most of the focus remains on developing the Downtown business district, Rosenquest was quick to point out the Cornelia Street Project that will soon be taking place in the Uptown business district.

"Both of those business districts are getting revamped," he said.

A redesign of Cornelia Street, he said, will see more accessibility through added sidewalks, biking infrastructure and road diets.

"Make it more welcoming and make it really represent that gateway into the City of Plattsburgh," he said.

DRI, RIVERWALK

During the question and answer period of the breakfast, Rosenquest was asked for an update on the $10 million DRI funds the city received in 2016.

He said $6 million of the funds have been utilized for the Betty Little Arts Park, the marketing, branding and signage project Downtown and storefront facade improvements, which impacted and renovated second floor, third floor apartment rentals Downtown.

With the funds now needing to be used by the end of this year, the mayor assured that "the projects that we have the ability to complete, will be completed by the end of this year."

That includes the ongoing Riverwalk project, he said.

"The Riverwalk, I think, probably in terms of accessing and highlighting the importance of our waterfront, the riverwalk will ... give additional access to the Saranac river right in the heart of Downtown which is going to be a critical piece to our Downtown improvements."

The rest of the funds, however, remain tied up in litigation.

"Obviously, the Durkee Street (Project), the major Downtown housing development, is on pause right now. We don't know what's going to happen with the state. The City of Plattsburgh is ... there's so many things I want to say but the media is here," the mayor joked.

"Let's just say the City of Plattsburgh is doing what we think is the responsible thing in terms of the litigation and the court proceedings. We're hopeful that the state does the same on the flip side of that after the fact and we're certainly hopeful that the developer comes back at some point, figures out what's next."

Email: cnewton@pressrepublican.com

Twitter: CarlySNewton