nce a symbol of industrial pollution and blight, the Hudson today is resurgent and inspiring. The river in all its natural glory offers a foundation for the region's economic future, attracting heritage tourism and new businesses drawn by a quality of life only our valley can boast. Our valley truly has it all - uplifting scenic beauty, hiking and biking destinations, working farms, and one-of-a-kind places that tell of America's beginnings.
Our region has promising economic opportunities as well. But there's danger despite all this good news.
Fueled by real estate speculation, a tide of residential mega-projects is spreading upriver. While big pipes from factories no longer dump toxins in the river with impunity, new threats stem from what The New York Times has labeled "riversprawl." Read the editorial (PDF/90KB) Scenic Hudson is tracking projects that would bring more than 15,000 cookie-cutter houses to the Hudson's banks. We face the prospect of fouled water, clogged roads and dashed chances for real prosperity.
AS GO KINGSTON, SLEEPY HOLLOW AND YONKERS, SO GOES THE VALLEY
Although your home may not be in any of these communities, runaway residential development there could set a precedent and help pave the way for similar projects where you live.
The City of Kingston, Ulster County, is a prime example of development gone awry. Developers have proposed two massive residential projects that would total 2,500 residences. If the projects aren't downsized, they could lead to a 25-percent rise in population.
The result would be a nearly continuous wall of housing along the river and ridgelines. Compounding this is the prospect of nondescript architecture, which one resident decried as a big bunch of plastic boxes plunked down along the entire waterfront.
Scenic Hudson and seven other citizens' groups that comprise The Friends of Kingston Waterfront are advocating for a better alternative. In dozens of formal and informal sessions with residents, we heard them call for a plan that produces jobs - but not at the cost of the beauty, history and overall quality of life that distinguish our National Heritage Area. We've provided the city planning board with a master plan for developing the waterfront in a way that will help the local economy without burdening taxpayers or city services. Our plan preserves the unique character of the city and valley.
In Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, the village is reviewing a developer's plan for 1,500 housing units. The site is the largest undeveloped riverfront parcel in the lower valley, and its 97 acres were home to a GM assembly plant. Scenic Hudson is championing an alternative plan for a smaller project that also creates natural areas and provides new ways for people to experience the Hudson. This will include restoring the natural habitat of the Pocantico River to increase fish and bird life and the health of the community. We're engaging residents to work with us in continued negotiations with the developer and local officials. Not content with run-of-the-mill riverfront development, Scenic Hudson seeks waterside trails, places for hands-on school field trips and a neighborhood design that will create a vibrant new waterfront for Sleepy Hollow.
Yonkers in Westchester County is at a crossroads. Not long ago the city and Scenic Hudson won a state award for our role in shaping a development that blended housing, business activity and recreation along the waterfront - Hudson Park at Yonkers. But now developers are raising the stakes, pushing for nearly 6,000 residential units on or near the riverfront. The city's waterfront master plan that calls for 4- to 8-story buildings is jeopardized by proposed 30-story skyscrapers. We're mobilizing residents to ensure that future development complies with the master plan and doesn't overshadow existing neighborhoods or block people from reaching the river's edge.
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