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April 25, 2003
There were about 40 attendees at Thursday night's meeting of the Waddington Redevelopment Association (WRA).
The Clarkson University Consulting Group presented the results of an Economic Impact Study for Various Development Scenarios on Leishman Point. Clarkson gave a very consise and objective presentation and made no recommendations. They presented data that they acquired from various sources, including similar developments from other areas.
A survey was given to attendees following the presentation to gauge their preference for development on this very valuable piece of property. People were asked to rank the development options from most preferred to least preferred. They were also asked to indicate whether they felt each development was beneficial or desirable. There were 35 respondents to the survey.
Following is a summary depicting the number of people that most preferred the various development options:
Adult Home - 14 people or 40%
Hotel/Conference Center - 8 people or 22%
RV Park - 5 people or 14%
16 House Subdivision - 2 people or 6%
Public Park with Trails, Benches, Vegetation - 2 people or 6%
There were four respondents that did not clearly indicate a preference for one project over another.
There was also a clear indication from 24 (69%) respondents that the 16 house subdivision was the least preferred option.
This is just a small sample, but nonetheless significant for a small town. These results show that there are many Waddington citizens that favor using the property to its maximum potential; uses that provide a source of environmentally friendly economic development. This is consistent with the Merwin Economic Development Study, from a couple of years ago, that showed that the majority of Waddington citizens wanted more local businesses and jobs.
If successfully implemented, projects such as an adult home, hotel/conference center, RV park and marina would create a substantial influx of money and additional people that could then create a need for building more houses. The demand would not be only on the waterfront (which will always be in demand and easier to sell) , but also inland, where Waddington already has dozens of excellent building lots with water and sewer service that are not selling very quickly.
It is now evident to many people that a residential development is not the best catalyst for economic development, but rather a result of successful economic development.
The Surplus Lands Development Team will be meeting at St. Mary's Parish Hall, May 8th at 8:00 PM to discuss the next step in the planning process. Those who wish to join the committee, please contact Mark at 388-4346 or mscott@usadatanet.net.
Mark Scott
Waddington Redevelopment Association