Scott: Town's Future Hangs In Balance
Leishman Point Referendum Oct 14
BY KRESTIA DeGEORGE
The future of Leishman Point will be on the ballot for Waddington voters on Oct. 14, but
according to at least some residents, the future of the entire town also hangs in the
balance.
The Waddington Redevelopment Association (WRA) is a group of citizens who are working to
preserve the town's character while helping to increase development, a mission that has
brought them deep into the Leishman Point controversy. Its members have expressed concern
and outrage over the residential development proposal, both because of the plan itself and
because it does not spring from a larger, more comprehensive plan for all the town's
waterfront property.
Despite being only approximately 22 acres, Leishman Point is an extremely desirable
property, and many people in the town feel they have a stake in its development.
"It's a portion of the shoreline that's unequaled," said Mark Scott, a member of
the WRA who has been active in the organization's continued involvement with the point.
His is an opinion held by many involved in the debate, intensifying the passionate beliefs
held by pro- and anti- residential development sides.
WRA members feel that the town council is being too hasty in its decision to push for
residential development, without exploring other options as fully. According to Scott, the
group has four basic goals that they consider when advocating for or against any proposed
development in the town: 1-raise the tax base; 2-create new jobs; 3-provide public
recreational access; 4-protect environmental quality. Scott said that the group believes
that residential development will only fulfill the first of these requirements.
He and others in the WRA have expressed concern that the town is "losing economic
diversity" and Waddington's downtown and town and village tax rolls will suffer
because of that. Like many other communities, they see tourism as a way to create jobs and
boost local taxes. Since Leishman Point is closer to the current downtown than any of the
other former power authority areas and is connected to the village by a walking/hiking
trail, the WRA believes that it is the prime place for tourist-centered economic
development. "It's the last contiguous area with the village," said Scott.
This perceived lack of a comprehensive plan is one of the biggest frustrations for Scott,
who says that the town is deviating from its own Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan
(LWRP) of 1990. According to Scott, both the LWRP and the land management plan drafted by
the New York Power Authority after the relicensing agreement suggest recreational
development as a prime option for Leishman Point. Not only is the town ignoring these
plans, which Scott acknowledges are non-binding recommendations, but in his view the town
council is unwilling to listen to citizens with other plans in mind.
"Now that people are interested, why can't we slow the process down and bring them
in?" he asked. Scott cited a Clarkson University study, paid for by the WRA, to which
the council paid no attention, he said.
According to Scott, a plan will ensure that development in Waddington will serve the
long-range interest of the town. "Alexandria Bay happened because there wasn't a
plan," said Scott. Waddington by contrast has a few plans with which to work and the
town has shown no inclination to use any of them, says Scott. "We feel like we have
something important to say, and they're not willing to listen," he said, adding,
"That's the job of a public servant."
Scott, who is running for town supervisor as an independent candidate, still hopes for a
positive resolution to the Leishman Point controversy. "When all is said and done,
Waddington will be better for this, I hope," he said.
Originally published 10/06/2003
Ogdensburg Journal
Used with permission