For Immediate Release: June 12, 2009
Contact:
Keith P. McKeever | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
RAY BROOK, NY – Town of Bellmont Supervisor H. Bruce Russell visited the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) Board of Commissioners June 11 and discussed his Town during the monthly Community Spotlight presentation.
The Town of Bellmont, in Franklin County, is more than 106,000 acres in size and located in the northern section of the Adirondack Park. In all, 91 percent of the Town is located inside the Blue Line, with the remaining 9 percent bordering the Park’s northern boundary. Formed in 1833, the Town of Bellmont is home to about 1,470 year-round residents in Brainardsville, Mountain View and Owls Head (all inside the Park); and Bellmont Center (outside the Park).
Supervisor Russell said most of the major issues facing the Town of Bellmont stem from its remoteness; for example, highway crews must drive their vehicles on roads outside Town boundaries in order to get from the highway garage in Owls Head to the highway garage in Bellmont Center. Building one road connecting the two would save the Town money, but the Town needs help in order to make that happen.
In addition, it takes three fire departments to protect the Town’s population: the Owls Head-Mountain View Volunteer Fire Department, the Burke Volunteer Fire Department, and the Chateaugay Fire District.
The five-person Town Board meets in three locations, alternating by month from Bellmont Center to Owls Head and Brainardsville.
“That way, citizens have an opportunity to attend a meeting closest to them,” Mr. Russell said.
The Town of Bellmont has created strong partnerships with its two lake associations, the Chateaugay Lakes Association, founded in 1964, and the Mountain View Association, founded in 1907. Both organizations are invaluable resources for stemming the spread of invasive species.
Supervisor Russell indicated that the Town relies on their strong partnerships with the APA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in order to control the water level on Chateaugay Lake.
“We have had such great cooperation between the APA and the DEC on water level control,” Mr. Russell said, adding that the Town needs to secure support from other communities sharing the dam in order to create consensus on this divisive issue.
Mr. Russell outlined other challenges for the Town’s future, including overseeing the construction of two wind farms; building two new highway garages; changing the Town’s election cycle from two to four years for its Supervisor, Town Clerk, Highway Superintendent and Tax Collector; preparing map amendments applications to reclassify areas as Hamlet under the APA Land Use and Development Plan; and fostering sustainable economic development. Currently local businesses include three restaurants/taverns, three general stores, and one flooring company.
“That’s the extent of our development at this point,” Mr. Russell said. “Sustainable economic development is very important to us.”
“The Agency appreciates your efforts to orient us on issues that are important to the Town of Bellmont,” APA Chairman Curt Stiles said. “We look forward to more dialogue about land use reclassification proposals for Brainardsville, Mountain View and Owls Head.”
Six percent of the Town of Bellmont is owned by the State of New York, with 6,312 acres of Wild Forest, including parts of the Debar Mountain Wild Forest Area. Most of the private land is classified as Rural Use (47,805 acres) and Resource Management (39,112 acres), with some Moderate Intensity Use (953 acres) around Indian Lake, Mountain View Lake, Brainardsville and Lower Chateaugay Lake; Low Intensity Use (931 acres) around Lower Chateaugay Lake; and Hamlet (342 acres) at Brainardsville and Owls Head.
The APA is engaging communities throughout the Park with its “Community Spotlight" segment. This series is an opportunity for local elected officials to directly enlighten the Agency about the strengths, weaknesses and very fabric that makes their community special. Each month, APA Chairman Stiles invites an Adirondack Park chief elected official to give a presentation to the Board about their community. Important community issues, challenges and assets are the key topics discussed and shared with the Agency Board and general public.
Community Spotlight programs are available from the Agency’s web site at www.apa.state.ny.us – Press Room – Live and Archived Media Page.
The New York State Adirondack Park Agency was created in 1971 by the State Legislature to develop long-range land use plans for both public and private lands within the boundary of the Adirondack Park. With its headquarters located in Ray Brook, the Agency also operates two Visitor Interpretive Centers, in Newcomb and Paul Smiths. For more information, call the APA at (518) 891-4050 or visit www.apa.state.ny.us.