A Local Waterfront Revitalization Program is a comprehensive land and water use program that expresses a vision for the waterfront area and provides the means to achieve that vision. An LWRP is the only planning and regulatory tool that allows a local community to refine Statewide coastal policies to apply to the local situation. Any local government in the coastal area or on a designated inland waterway may prepare a waterfront revitalization program and seek its approval by the Secretary of State. Once approved, the LWRP becomes the basis for aligning local, state and federal actions needed to achieve community goals for the waterfront.
LWRPs establish a local program that will guide the community in attracting appropriate development to the waterfront area, as well as provide the organizational structure, local laws, and projects to achieve the plan. Through the development of an LWRP community stakeholders will:
Evaluate local waterfront resources;
Develop goals and a comprehensive strategy for the best use of those resources;
Identify ways in which the community can reduce risk to community assets and make them more resilient to future threats and natural disasters; and
Propose future land and water uses.
Once approved by the New York State Secretary of State, the plan becomes a program with clearly defined procedures for local and state review of proposed activities and projects which ensure consistency with the program policies. LWRPs are made enforceable through the adoption of new or amended laws, including a required Consistency Review Law. Local, state and federal agencies issuing permits, providing funding for development, or engaging in a capital project directly in the Waterfront Revitalization Area must ensure their actions are consistent with ALL the policies and recommended projects of a fully approved LWRP document. This ensures that the plan isn’t just “a plan to make plans” but rather a local policy document and program that local, state and federal agencies are required to follow.
An LWRP includes a defined boundary, detailed analysis of existing conditions, specific policies, recommended land uses, and projects that will help the municipality to achieve its waterfront vision and goals. Projects may create economic development opportunities; establish new & enhance existing public connections to the waterfront; provide new & enhance existing public recreational opportunities; or identify areas that are important for environmental conservation.
During the development of the LWRP, a public process will be utilized to identify specific revitalization projects and activities that will help the community to achieve its waterfront vision. Projects will be assessed to determine their feasibility, level of public support, alignment with the LWRP policies, and to determine potential public funding sources. Competitive funding through New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund is available to support the development of LWRPs and their implementation.
The policies, projects and programs described in the LWRP will be implemented within defined geographic areas known as the local Waterfront Revitalization Area (WRA) and Harbor Management Area (HMA). The Waterfront Revitalization Area for coastal communities is, by default, the area within the municipality that falls between the NYS Coastal Area Boundary (the upland boundary) and the municipal boundary (the waterside boundary), which in some cases is at the water's edge and in other cases extends out from the shoreline into the water.
To determine the boundaries of the WRA, a municipality should conduct a preliminary review of waterfront resources, problems, and opportunities and fully document the reasons for selecting the WRA, presented in the LWRP as an explanation of the upland boundary and the waterside boundary. Determination of the WRA upland boundary should reflect the following criteria:
Include areas that affect or are affected by waterfront issues, problems, and opportunities, with a focus on water-dependent and water-enhanced uses;
Include natural and cultural resources with a physical, social, visual, or economic relationship to the waterfront;
Include any areas necessary for the achievement of policies in the LWRP. For example, if a policy of the LWRP is to encourage development of a specific vacant parcel of land that relates to waterfront revitalization, the entire parcel should be included within the waterfront area boundary; and,
The boundary should follow recognizable natural or cultural features (waterways, streets, railroads, etc.) to the extent possible. The boundary should be drawn to reflect a nexus between activities occurring in the upland portion of the WRA and the waterway.
The waterside boundary of the WRA will be the official municipal boundary, which in some cases is at the water's edge and in other cases extends out from the shoreline into the water.
For the HMA boundary, extension of municipal jurisdiction over water needs to be considered and shown on the boundary map, usually depicted as the offshore 1,500 feet extraterritorial limit in which the State has delegated regulatory authority to the municipality for Harbor Management Plans.
The Cayuga County Department of Planning & Economic Development staff will coordinate and facilitate the process of developing the LWRP, working closely with the local waterfront advisory committee, local municipal leaders, and representatives from local, state and federal agencies. This partnership affords the community the ability to focus on the vision and content of the LWRP while county planning staff provides administration, public outreach, facilitation, document and map preparation, technical assistance, and other support services throughout the process.
A Waterfront Advisory Committee (WAC) is required for all communities undertaking development of an LWRP. The WAC needs to be appointed early on in the process to assist County Planning staff with developing the LWRP. The committee should be comprised of local stakeholders recognized as having the ability to get things done and having a vested interest in the future of the community. There will be 13 committee meetings and 3 public meetings throughout the course of this 3 year process that committee members will be expected to attend and participate in. The responsibilities of the waterfront advisory committee generally include:
Providing valuable input on waterfront issues and existing local conditions.
Attending regular committee meetings and public meetings.
Informing others in the community about the process and how they can be involved.
Reviewing reports, designs and other documents.
Keeping elected officials and municipal officials informed about the planning process.
Working with County Planning staff to complete tasks relating to the development of the LWRP.
Residents and business owners in the Village of Cayuga are strongly encouraged to participate in the development of the LWRP by attending public meetings as the project progresses, to check in with WAC members regularly, and to read draft documents and review proposed project designs as they are posted on the project website. Community member input throughout the project will be critical to its success -- we need to know what you think!
County Planning will mail meeting notice postcards to all residents and business owners within the WRA prior to all public meetings; and public notices will be posted onthe Village website and facebook page. If you didn't recieve a postcard in June 2020 and you want to be included in our mailing list, please contact us.
Use the Contact Us page to submit questions via email to County Planning Staff.
An LWRP serves as a mechanism for waterfront municipalities to work with DOS and federal, State and local partners identified in each LWRP to address local and regional issues important to community members. These issues are broad ranging, but waterfront focused. They include improving water quality and natural areas, guiding development to areas with adequate infrastructure and services and away from sensitive resources, increasing community resilience to natural hazards, promoting waterfront public access and recreation, and redeveloping underutilized waterfronts. Some of the benefits of completing an LWRP include:
Clear direction – An approved LWRP reflects community consensus for the waterfront and provides clear direction for appropriate future development. The LWRP can significantly increase a community’s ability to attract appropriate development that respects the unique cultural and natural characteristics of the waterfront.
Comprehensive planning, technical assistance and advice – An LWRP establishes a long-term partnership among local government, community-based organizations, and the State. NYS Department of State (NYS DOS) provides technical assistance to communities for comprehensive planning and the development of an LWRP.
Coordinated Review and Approval – State and federal agencies have an opportunity to review and comment on the policies and purposes of the LWRP during the 60-day review period for a Draft LWRP. This participatory process provides agency “buy-in” opportunity that contributes to a basis for funding support and more knowledge of local considerations in agency actions and permitting that are subject to consistency review.
Federal, State and local consistency – The activities of all three levels of government are required to be consistent with a locally-adopted LWRP that has been approved by the Secretary of State with concurrence by the Office of Coastal Management. This “consistency” provision is a strong tool that ensures government agency actions at all levels are guided by the local program. Following completion of a coastal LWRP, NYS DOS completes reviews and issues decision letters to assure that federal agencies are consistent with the LWRP coastal policies that the community has included in its LWRP. Municipalities with an approved LWRP also conduct local review for local actions. State agencies conduct consistency review for State agency actions.
Financial assistance – An LWRP presents a consensus-driven, unified vision for a community. Having an approved LWRP increases a community’s chances to obtain public and private funding for projects that are clearly identified in the LWRP. Funding for both the preparation and implementation of LWRPs may be requested through New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund under Title 11, Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (EPF LWRP), with NYS DOS administering the awarded grants through staff support to the awardees. Other NYS agencies with funding programs that may support LWRP implementation projects include the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Empire State Development. Grant applications for these state programs are administered through the NYS Consolidated Funding Application (CFA).
There are some responsibilities for a municipality with an approved LWRP. The implementation and administration of an approved LWRP will be a continuing responsibility of the village. After approval of the LWRP, the municipality will be responsible for administering the local laws, regulations and procedures designed to ensure that local actions comply with the LWRP. The municipality will also carry out other activities necessary to accomplish the objectives of the program. The municipality will need to monitor local, State, and federal actions intended to be undertaken within its waterfront area. If it believes an action is not consistent with its approved LWRP, the municipality is responsible for providing notification to the Secretary of State in accordance with the coordination procedures included in the LWRP.
You can use the Contact Us page to send questions to County Planning Staff, or you can visit the NYS Department of State website for the LWRP program. https://www.dos.ny.gov/opd/programs/lwrp.html
The "Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs in the Coastal Area: Guidance Manual for Preparing Local Programs." is also a great resource to learn more.
https://www.dos.ny.gov/opd/programs/pdfs/LWRPPreparationGuidanceMarch2019.pdf