Proposed Updated Local Waterfront Revitalization Program

At the August 14th Board Meeting, the Board moved to adopt an amended Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), updating the Village’s original LWRP from 1992. An LWRP is a comprehensive land and water use program that expresses a vision for the waterfront and refines State coastal policies to reflect local needs and objectives, allowing communities to protect, preserve, and enhance waterfront resources at the local level.

The Village sought to update the original LWRP for three major reasons:

1. Most of the goals and projects listed in the 1992 LWRP have substantially progressed or been completed – including improvements to several waterfront parks, the construction of the Croton Gorge Walking Trail, and the creation of Croton Landing Park. 
2. A changed regulatory environment needs to be reflected. There have been several changes to the Village’s Comprehensive Plan, as well as zoning and environmental laws, since 1992.
3. Development trends have changed, and natural and recreational resources have been altered. A community that has an LWRP which considers current and future climate hazards, and plans accordingly, is more resilient.

The lengthy process of amending the LWRP began in 2015 under the guidance and review of the LWRP Advisory Committee, with consultant planning services provided by BFJ Planning, and technical assistance from Village staff. Multiple public workshops were held to generate feedback from residents, identify new projects, and develop a vision for the future of the Croton-on-Hudson waterfront. The amended LWRP, which is available here, includes several important updates. The focus of the LWRP is primarily on enhancing and improving the public recreation and water-access facilities in Croton-on-Hudson, as well as addressing environmentally sensitive areas. The LWRP outlines several new initiatives/proposed projects which will be or are being implemented to improve the Village’s LWRP area, including:

1. Ensuring Maintenance of New Croton Dam Conservation Flow
2. Addressing Drainage Systems that Lead to Erosion on Steep Slopes
3. Facilitating Upgrades to Catch Basins and Outfalls to Address Floatables in Croton Bay
4. Facilitating Upgrades to Croton-Harmon Parking Lot to Address Floatables in Croton Bay
5. Improving Echo Canoe Launch and VillageOwned Land at the southern end of the train station parking lot.
6. Relocating the Village DPW salt storage facility
7. Facilitating Access to the Hudson River Waterfront
8. Facilitating Croton Yacht Club/Croton Landing improvements
9. Implementing a segment of RiverWalk Trail from Croton Landing Park to Oscawana County Park
10. Undertaking a management and capital improvement plan for Village parks, trails, open spaces and memorials.
11. Developing a plan for future use of Gouveia Park

A new or amended LWRP must be reviewed by local, state, and federal agencies before it can be adopted. The New York State Department of State (DOS) accepted the Village’s amended LWRP, and provided a list of feedback from state and federal agencies to the Village in August of 2023. Following the adoption of the amended LWRP by the Village on August 14th, and pending its subsequent approval by the Secretary of State, DOS will request incorporation of the LWRP Amendment into the State’s Coastal Management Program by the federal Office for Coastal Management (OCM), as a Program Change. Going forward, the LWRP will serve as a strategic plan for Croton-on-Hudson’s Waterfront Revitalization Area (WRA).

Relevant Documents