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The Town of Lansing adopted an ambitious plan to make improvements to Myers Park last month.  Last Friday Town Planning Consultant Michael Long met a deadline to submit applications for two potential grants that will, if obtained, pay for materials for stabilization and improvement of essential elements such as retaining walls and bathrooms. 

"For this application I picked two of the most likely grants," Long said. "One is the New York State Department Of State's Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP), which is the one we looked for last year.  That is a 75% matching grant.  The other project that is applicable here is the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, which is the parks project, so basically parks within the state of New York.  The EPF grant is a 50%-50% matching grant."

The Town may be eligible for up to $250,000 if it succeeds in obtaining the EPF, and up to $750,000 if the WRP grant is successful.  Both are matching grants for which the Town would be required to provide 'in-kind' labor and materials for its half of the financial obligation.

The essential work this round of grants would potentially pay for is only the beginning of the master plan, fleshed out by Long and former Park Superintendent Steve Colt.  The plan calls for improvements  and erosion control in Salmon creek between Myers Park and Salt Point.  It also includes improvements to the playground, solar lighting around the main driving loop, relocation of the kayak racks and nearby parking, replacing the existing basketball court, a new park contact station, new trees, improvements to the shoreline driveway, and improvements to the lighthouse site.

"The priority is stabilizing Salmon Creek and the bulkheads," Long said. "The DEC has received the Army Corps of Engineers permits.  They've all been submitted.  TG Miller did the drawings and application and photographs for that.  That's a big help to have that piece of it.  We don't have the formal approvals yet, but we can talk about that in the grant application, that we've submitted everything and are waiting for the final drawings."


Future improvements may include a multi-use band shell, and replacement and expansion  of a pavilion that has begun to list.  But long said that safety concerns are driving this first application.

"The priority is stabilizing Salmon Creek and the bulkheads," he said. "The DEC has received the Army Corps of Engineers permits.  They've all been submitted.  TG Miller did the drawings and application and photographs for that.  That's a big help to have that piece of it.  We don't have the formal approvals yet, but we can talk about that in the grant application, that we've submitted everything and are waiting for the final drawings."

Long says he applied for one of the grants last year, but despite the fact that the Town had a perfect score on required project items, the fact that an update to the comprehensive plan had not yet been adopted took Lansing out of the running.  That is not an issue this year, because the Town Board adopted the plan revision in May.  With the addition of the band shell, Long updated estimated costs before submitting the applications last Friday.

With the approval of the comprehensive plan, town officials are optimistic about the Town's chances of being awarded the grants.  Long says the State opens an online consolidated funding application to municipalities once a year.

"Everybody's projects are due the same day," he says. "You pick the programs that are applicable, and then it throws you questions about each one of those programs.  So you may have 50 or 100 questions after you pick two or three programs."

Last month the Town Board adopted the master plan, reviewed and approved an environmental review of the proposed improvements, and authorized Supervisor Ed LaVigne to officially submit the grant application.  Long added that the vitality of Lansing's parks and recreation programs may factor into the State's decision on how many dollars, if any, are to be awarded.

"I've worked in four or five communities across the state, and the Lansing Recreation program is second to none," he said. "They do a phenomenal job.  They have a tremendous amount of programs, and the care that they take with their fields and facilities is really unparalleled."

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