Wildlife Refuge Closed and Listed for Sale
The Wilmington Wildlife Refuge is closed and listed for sale for a price of $799,000. In an article in the the Adirondack Explorer Steve Hall stated he was planning to divide the 47 acre property into one 7 acre property and one 40 acre property. He was quoted as saying he would like for a builder to purchase the property. The real estate listing states it has great potential to be divided for the development of residential lots. A link to the article in the Explorer can be found here.
Wilmington Planning Board Approves Hardy Road Subdivision
On January 7, the Planning Board voted to approve a six lot development on Hardy Road. As planned, four of the five lots on the north side of the road were to have their own driveway onto Hardy Road. Hardy Road is a popular biking destination. One person attending the meeting expressed his concern about having that many cars exiting onto Hardy Road, given the number of bicyclists. He asked that the Planning Board require the developer to have one road which would be shared by all of the driveways. With the exception of one Board member who supported the idea, the rest of the Planning Board would not agree to require this change. However, one of the Board members asked if there could be a compromise, and the developer voluntarily agreed to reduce the number of driveways to three. In our article on the NYS Pro-Housing Certification Program, we noted that the Town Board adopted the Pro-Housing Resolution and took the Pro-Housing Pledge. A principle of the Resolution reads: “we believe that infill development that reduces sprawl and supports walkable communities has significant environmental and public health benefits.” The Planning Board’s actions are not consistent with this principle when it continues to approve subdivisions far outside the Town center.
Village of Saranac Lake to Issue New STR Permits in 2025
The moratorium on new STR permits in the Village of Saranac Lake ended at the end of December 2024. The Village has 35 STR zoning districts. Ten new permits will be issued in 2025, but not every STR zoning district has openings for new STRs. The Village has a new online interactive map, which shows the different districts
Several Nearby Communities Designated NYS Pro-Housing Communities
The number of North Country communities that are NYS-designated pro-housing communities continues to grow. This designation allows communities to tap into $650 million of discretionary funding for projects to address the shortage of housing. The program was started last year by the NYS Department of Housing and Community Renewal. The designation makes a community eligible for a variety of grant programs. It also gives the community ‘points’ which makes it more competitive when applying for the grants. Communities that have received this designation include North Elba, Tupper Lake, Harrietstown, Jay, Saranac Lake, and Lake Placid. More information on the Pro-Housing Communities Program can be found here. Communities can also adopt the model Pro-Housing Resolution and make a pledge to address the housing crisis. In January 2024, the Wilmington Town Board voted to adopt the resolution, but has not achieved the Pro-Housing designation at this time.