Progress Report

The Tioughnioga River Trail is now entering the environmental review phase, with the SEQR process underway. The IDA is serving as lead agency as part of a coordinated review involving the City of Cortland, Town of Cortlandville and Village of Homer, as well as involved and interested agencies such as the DEC, DOT, Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District, Cortland County Health Department and other groups. The IDA held a SEQR public hearing on September 2003 on the scoping document for the proposed four mile route of the Trail linking Durkee Park in the Village of Homer and Yaman Park in the City of Cortland. An Environmental Impact Statement is also being completed as part of the process. Following that process, a final design report will be completed and submitted to regulatory and funding agencies.

Trail Design:

The first phase of the trail is proposed 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 four 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.

Timeline:

An extensive series of public meetings have been held over the past year. As well as large community conferences, meetings have been held in all neighborhoods bordering the trail, as well as in other surrounding areas. Public meetings have also been held with specialized user groups such as hikers, canoers and kayakers, and fishing enthusiasts. More than 200 people attended these meetings over the past two years, and from them came a number of excellent ideas as well as issues and concerns to be addressed.

Following a bid process, survey work was awarded in September 2003 to Lawson Engineering. An archeological and cultural resources study has been completed by Pratt and Pratt. All property owners who border the trail have been personally contacted by project manager Ken Teter and have signed permission forms for their properties to be surveyed. An archeological and cultural resources survey is also being completed. Following these steps, a final design will then be completed and submitted for review. Easement acquisition then can be completed.

Funding:

The Tioughnioga River Waterfront Development Project has received $1.8 million in federal and state funding. No county or local funding has been requested or allocated.

Sources:

$250,000     HUD Economic Development Incentive grant

$500,000     US DOT Community Facilities Enhancement Appropriation

$800,000     US DOT TEA 21 Enhancement Grant

$200,000     NYS DOT Multimodal Grant for preservation of Marathon
                    Station and Tioughnioga Heritage Center

$50,000       NYS DOS LWRP grant

Congressman James Walsh secured the $750,000 in federal funding for project through two separate FY 2002 Appropriations bills. In addition, the BDC/IDA was awarded a $800,000 US DOT Transportation Enhancement Grant through the TEA-21 program, which is administered under the auspices of the NYS DOT. Senator James Seward was instrumental in securing the $200,000 multimodal grant to restore the Marathon Train Station and create the Tioughnioga Heritage Center there. Secretary of State Randy Daniels announced a $50,000 grant from the State Environmental Protection Fund's Local Waterfront Program (LWRP) through the New York State Department of State to prepare a comprehensive Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan. In conjunction with eleven municipalities that border the East, Main, and West branches of the Tioughnioga River in Cortland County, the Cortland County BDC/IDA, County Planning Department and Thoma Development will work with local communities to build a planning framework to help maximize the river as a resource. The LWRP will address issues impacting local communities along the Tioughnioga River including open space strategies, natural resource strategies, habitat management plans, flooding and erosion management plans, tourism promotion strategies, and downtown development strategies.

This combined total of $1.8 million in federal and state funding adequately ensures that the first phase of the project will be successful, without requiring local funding.

Other milestones:

• Governor Pataki signed legislation adding the Tioughnioga River to the State's list of "major inland waterways," allowing municipalities along the River to apply for funding. The legislation will streamline the process of obtaining State support for waterfront development projects, while also encouraging inter-municipal agreements for projects.
• The New York State Department of Education awarded the Cortland-Homer Teacher Center a $7,519 grant for educational uses of local government records. The grant provided an opportunity for teachers to take a training program to better utilize local archival records that pertain to the Tioughnioga River. As a result, school districts across Cortland County have now developed local curricula that are teaching young people about the historical, cultural and environmental importance of the River, which is the headwater of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay system.
• The Village of Homer received DOS funding to undertake rehabilitation of Durkee Park. A project with OCM BOCES is creating a canoe/kayak launch and gazebo for outdoor waterfront concerts at Yaman Park.
• An exciting River Trail project was the rehabilitation of Marathon Train Station as the Tioughnioga Heritage Center in anticipation of the return of passenger service along the Binghamton to Syracuse line. The project, which won acclaim from the NYS Preservation League, was completed in Spring 2003.

Trail maintenance:

Several clean ups have already been held. A "rail trail" cleanup was coordinated by Legislator Scott Steve in Spring 2003 by OCM BOCES and local agencies in conjunction with the opening of Marathon Station. More than 125 volunteers participated in the annual Fall river cleanup sponsored by the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District in partnership with the BDC/IDA, Tioughnioga River Waterfront Development Commission, Lime Hollow Center and SUNY Cortland. Ongoing maintenance of the trail will be a continued partnership effort by those groups, along with volunteers through an "adopt a trail" program and contractual work.