The brownfield area in Jamestown that will be covered by a state grant awarded this week to the city. (Image from Jamestownny.net)
ALBANY – The city of Jamestown will be getting nearly $270,000 in funding from New York State to help redevelop several brownfield sites on the west side of town.
On Thursday afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will be giving out more than $10 Million in funding through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) grants to a total of 26 different communities across new York, including Jamestown.
Specifically, Jamestown will get $269,100 for its Chautauqua Lake Revitalization Plan. [Download PDF]. With the funding, the development officials will complete a revitalization plan to redevelop former industrial properties for commercial use in a 710-acre area of the city that is characterized with 15 brownfield sites located between Chautauqua Lake and downtown.
Brownfields are dormant properties where the presence or potential presence of contamination has impeded site redevelopment, turning the properties into economic and environmental drains on localities. The BOA grants provide funding for municipalities to implement revitalization strategies that are necessary in order to redevelop impacted sites. Once redeveloped, brownfield sites become community assets that can attract businesses, jobs, and ultimately expand the local tax base.
I believe that as far as economic development this would be good, but could cause significant ecological issues. That area is one of the few undeveloped areas on the waters leading into Chautauqua lake. The lake needs zones such as these to absorb potential contaminates and fertilizers, which are fueling the current problems in the lake. I would like to hear what the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy thinks of developing these lands, as I am not a watershed specialist. I’m sure it can be done correctly, but I fear that lake health will take a backseat to economic development and corners will be cut.
After recently seeing a map of the city’s plans for bikeways throughout the area, a friend and I drove over to the road coming off of Fluvanna down to the river to take a look. In the aerial shot above you can see a faint, straight line from there across the marshland (brownfields) to Jones & Gifford Road. We thought it would be pretty great to have a raised wooden walk/bikeway across that. There’s a lot of natural beauty and wildlife in a marsh. It’d also be full of teaching opportunities.
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