August 2003

Cortland IDA to Hold September 17, 2003 Public Hearing as Part of River Trail SEQR/Environmental Review Process:
Scoping document available at municipal offices and local libraries

The Cortland County IDA will hold a public hearing at 4 p.m., Wednesday, September 17 at the Community Assembly Room, Cortland Regional Medical Center, in conjunction with its environmental review under SEQR for the proposed first phase of the Tioughnioga River Trail.

At this time, the public will be offered the opportunity to provide comment on the proposal to construct a trail along the Tioughnioga River from Durkee Park in the Village of Homer, to Yaman Park in the City of Cortland, New York. The main trail will be approximately 4 miles long and will be made of various surfaces, including asphalt, fine stone or suitable alternates, depending on the location and topography of the trail segment. Public access points and parking would be provided, as well as several nodal points along the trail route.

The proposed route is as follows:

Beginning at Durkee Park in the Village of Homer, one of the designated trail access points, the proposed trail would begin in the area adjacent to the existing parking lot. From this location, the trail is within the wooded area south of Durkee Park along the side slope below and adjacent to I-81. The trail will remain in these woods just east of the river until it emerges into the open grassy area just east of the Water Street pedestrian bridge behind the Homer Town Hall, which is the next proposed access point. From this point south, the trail remains on the east side and passes through a mix of commercial and residential properties until reaching Albany Street. On the south side of Albany Street, another trail access point will be established.

From here, the trail will continue downstream along the east bank, pass beneath the Exit 12 off-ramp bridge and follow the edge of the river through the open land known as Casey Fields. Near the southern limits of the Casey property another trail access point is proposed near the bridge just south of the former A. B. Brown store. The trail continues southerly along a narrow strip of land adjacent to I-81 until entering the City of Cortland at the point where the river intersects with the Susquehanna and Western Railroad, immediately behind the County Highway Garage.

At the railroad the trail will parallel the tracks to the East and temporarily leave the banks of the river until reconnecting at the second railroad bridge adjacent to Front Street. At this point the trail will leave the railroad right-of-way and follow the eastern top of the river bank within the right-of-way of Front Street. Remaining adjacent to the river, the trail then passes behind the Cortland Park Apartments, crosses Rickard Street and continues through several residential properties until reaching the next trail access point in the southwest corner of the Riverside Plaza shopping center.

The trail will follow the river, remaining on the east/north bank, through the plaza and then cross Route 13/ Clinton Avenue at the existing pedestrian crosswalk connecting McDonald's and Wendy's. With the anticipated replacement of the bridge within the near future, this at-grade crossing will be temporary and ultimately the trail will pass beneath the roadway as part of the new bridge.

After crossing Route 13 onto the Wendy's property, the trail will continue along the river and then pass through the wooded area further south until reaching the abandoned railroad bed. At this point the trail will leave the river and pass under the I-81 bridge overpass originally constructed to accommodate the railroad. It is through this passageway that the trail will enter into the grounds of Yaman Park and the last trail access point.

The September 17 SEQR public hearing follows a series of public meetings held over the past two years gathering input from communities along the Tioughnioga River from Homer to Marathon. More than 200 people have attended these community meetings conducted by the Cortland County BDC-IDA, Clough Harbour Associates and Ken Teter, who has been retained as project manager. Residents and property owners were invited to discuss issues such as the location of the actual trail system, proposed usage, public access, maintenance and liability. In addition, each community was asked to begin to identify potential capital projects related to economic development or tourism that might be desirable to consider as part of an eventual longer term comprehensive waterfront revitalization plan. The meetings generated excellent feedback which was taken into consideration by project manager Ken Teter in the actual design proposal for phase one of the trail from the Village of Homer to the City of Cortland.

A copy of the scoping document for the trail proposal is available for review in the IDA office, 37 Church Street, City of Cortland. Copies have also been made available to the municipal offices in the Town of Homer, City of Cortland and Town of Cortlandville, as well as local libraries. A copy will also be available on the IDA website: www.cortlandbusiness.com

Persons unable to attend the September 17, 2003 public hearing but wishing to comment may do so by e-mail: rivertrail@cortlandbusiness.com