City of Watertown

Draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Program

The City of Watertown has completed preparation of a Draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). The Draft LWRP is a locally prepared, comprehensive land and water use plan for the City's natural, public, and developed Black River waterfront resources.

The City of Watertown prepared its Draft LWRP with assistance from the New York State Department of State, and in accordance with the New York State Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways Act and the New York State Coastal Management Program.

The City of Watertown Draft LWRP is a comprehensive coastal management program that is based on the policies of the New York State Coastal Management Program. It provides a comprehensive framework within which critical waterfront issues can be addressed and waterfront improvement projects can be pursued and implemented.

The City of Watertown Draft LWRP refines and supplements the State Coastal Management Program by incorporating local needs, issues, and objectives. It contains an Executive Summary, seven sections, and two appendices.

Note: The Draft LWRP and LWRP maps can be accessed by clicking on the links to the left. For ease of reference, the Map Gallery prsesents all of the LWRP maps in one location and the maps can also be accessed by clicking on the links within the LWRP text.

The seven sections are:

Section I - LWRP Boundary - - This section provides a detailed narrative and graphic description of the waterfront revitalization area boundary (WRAB). Changes to the existing coastal boundary are proposed in order to include the entire Black River corridor through the City and meet the many goals of the Draft LWRP, including; the need to physically connect the downtown to the Black River; the need to provide pedestrian connections to and along the waterfront; and, the desire to embrace the river's economic and recreational potential.

Section II - Inventory and Analysis - - This section describes the existing natural and man-made environments and conditions within the City's WRAB, as well as an analysis of opportunities and constraints to development.

Section III - Local Policies - - This section presents the coastal management policies that apply to the City's Local Waterfront Revitalization Area. The policy and sub-policy explanations of the New York State Coastal Management Program have, in some cases, been modified and expanded to reflect the unique conditions in the Black River area, and new sub-policies have been added to address specific issues and opportunities that apply to the Black River.

These policies are based on the economic, environmental, and cultural characteristics of the City of Watertown waterfront area, and represent a balance between economic development and preservation, which will permit beneficial use of and prevent adverse effects on Black River waterfront resources. The policies shall serve as the basis for local, State and Federal consistency determinations for activities affecting the LWRA. No policy shall be viewed as being more significant than another. These policies should be read in conjunction with the specific standards of the relevant City of Watertown local laws.

Section IV - Proposed Land and Water Uses and Projects - - This section describes proposed long-term land and water uses for the community, including proposed land and water use maps, and proposed short- and long-term projects the City would like to pursue in order to implement the Draft LWRP.

Section V - Local Implementation - - This section describes the local laws necessary to implement the policies and proposed uses set forth in Sections III and IV.

Section VI - State and Federal Actions and Programs Likely to Affect Implementation - - This section consists of a list of State and Federal actions and programs which must be undertaken in a manner consistent with the Watertown Draft LWRP, as well as a description of specific State and Federal actions necessary to further implementation of the Draft LWRP.

Section VII - Local Commitment - - This section summarizes the actions taken by the City to obtain local input and support for the Draft LWRP and the efforts made by the City to involve and/or inform other agencies regarding the development of the Draft LWRP.

Appendix A - Proposed Consistency Review Law

Appendix B - Proposed Zoning Ordinance Changes