Broome County looks to revitalize waterfront regions

From the Susquehanna River to smaller creeks, Broome County is looking to make the best use of the waterways coursing through the county. The Broome County Local Waterfront Revitalization Strategy is the tool the county is crafting to do just that — using funding from the New York State Department of State under the Environmental Protection Fund to draft a unified vision for the waterfront. The plan will also address local and regional waterway issues, guide future development, and, perhaps most importantly, promote public-waterfront access across the county to encourage people to get out and enjoy the water. “Essentially, Broome County is dominated by our rivers,” Broome County Director of Planning Beth Lucas says in an interview. Along with the Susquehanna, the Chenango and Delaware rivers also run through the county. There are also numerous smaller feeder rivers and creeks. While there is a lot of water, there isn’t that much activity on and around the water, she notes. That’s something she’s hoping to change. “In our area, there are people who will utilize the river for kayaking … but there’s not really a centralized program that promotes that,” Lucas says. Whether that underutilization is from lack of easy access into the water or even lack of knowledge about the rivers, the county aims to fix that. As part of the strategy, Broome County will release a river guide on the website: goalloutbroome.com, that is full of information about the various rivers. Signage along the rivers will help to further guide paddlers. The plan also included an assessment of all the waterfront assets in the county, discusses ways to improve the waterfront, and identifies areas that need work. The county contracted with Colliers Engineering & Design on the revitalization project and has worked closely with local municipalities, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce (which is part of The Leadership Alliance), and other stakeholders, Lucas says. Once the strategy is finalized, organizations, municipalities, and other groups can take the information and apply for funding to complete projects suggested in the strategy. The effort has taken about two years so far, and Lucas expected to have the strategy finalized by early May. Implementation of the plan will be long term. The county identified areas that may benefit from having a boat launch, and also created a development and design template so that new boat launches will have a more uniform look and is hoping to encourage a few people to open outfitting businesses. While many of the projects are focused on the water, there are plenty that are located near, but not on, the water for people who prefer to stay dry. “There are a lot of trail projects,” Lucas notes. One project is already being implemented in Endicott, where the one-mile Chugnut Trail along the river is being extended to Grippen Park. The county is also looking at ways it can utilize an old railway for more trails. In the end, it’s all about reconnecting people to the waterways, Lucas says. “People are just really excited and in favor of it.”