To the Comprehensive Planning Committee:
I very much appreciate the time and thought that has gone into the Draft Comprehensive Plan and would like to offer my own thoughts.
When the hills of Prattsburgh were inhabited mostly by farmers, I believe that people from the village probably had an unspoken “understanding” that they could use the ponds and creeks and woods as long as they were respectful. Over the last fifty or so years, as the farmers sold off plots of land for recreational cabins, hunting camps and eventually to people who settled here year round, more posted signs went up and lands that were formerly accessible became off limits.
I would like to see the Comprehensive Plan address the need for the children and adults of Prattsburgh to have access to the hills where they could go berry picking, hike, swim, cross country ski and snowshoe and picnic. There may be grants that would allow the town to buy up land as it became available to turn it into public space. In other communities towns have sought access for easements that would allow hiking trails so that theoretically someone could hike from the village up to the hills. This could eventually attract hikers from other areas, especially if there is a way to link the village with the Finger Lakes Trail.
In line with the Plan’s encouragement of agriculture I would like to see encouragement of CSA Farms – Community Supported Agriculture where interested people buy “shares” at the beginning of the season and volunteer their time on the farm and in exchange receive produce all summer long. It would be a great outlet for some of our teenagers and a way for people in town to buy affordable organic produce.
The town addresses the need to maintain environmental integrity but says that town involvement will result only in cases of obvious and egregious violation of already existing New York and federal regulations. I would suggest that every year we learn more and more about the harmful effect of pesticides and that Prattsburgh might want to take a more active role in ensuring that runoff from farms does not negatively affect those downstream.
It is my opinion that the advent of the automobile and the phasing out of mass transportation probably had an effect on the vibrancy of Prattsburgh. It would be wonderful if there were some kind of way to arrange transportation so that our children could take advantage of opportunities in nearby towns. I envision a shuttle between Prattsburgh and Bristol Mountain on the weekends and holidays or a shuttle between Prattsburgh and Naples. Naples runs a recreational program in the summer and at one time they approached Prattsburgh to join with them so that children from Prattsburgh could take swimming lessons. That subject could be revisited.
In reviewing the plan I gave a lot of thought to ways that the needs of village residents and residents of the hills could be addressed without splitting people apart. As I read the plan it became apparent to me that it is very important for all of us to understand the economics of the town. Yes, there are many seasonal homes and hunting cabins, and yes the roads need to be maintained, but I believe we all need to understand just how much it is costing to maintain the roads versus how much money the town and school are collecting in taxes as opposed to when the land was simply farmland.
Seasonal and recreational landowners pay school taxes, but their children do not attend school here. I have been told that 60 percent of the taxable parcels are owned by out of town landowners and that out of town landowners are responsible for 40 percent of the tax base. It would be good to know the figures for sure so that the town knows what it is dealing with – whether it is too costly to maintain roads for seasonal residents – too costly to turn some of those seasonal roads into year round roads – or whether the tax money collected more than compensates for the increased amount of money spent on roads.
The plan talks more than once about the need for tourist dollars. I believe that it is important to recognize the untapped potential of the “tourists” who are already here, living in recreational and seasonal homes, paying local carpenters, plumbers, gardeners and handymen, shopping in the grocery store, eating in restaurants and contributing to the town with their tax money. The more welcome these people feel, the more likely they will be to spend their money in Prattsburgh.
NYSERDA (New York State Research and Development Authority) has grants for towns that want to pursue renewable energy projects. If Prattsburgh had one or more small windmills (one hundred feet) in the village itself, these windmills could be connected to homes in the village to supply energy directly. In addition, for the times when the wind doesn’t blow, there are grants and subsidies for solar panels. The homes in the village could thereby be independent of the grid most of the time and in fact when the windmills and/or solar were making too much electricity, homeowners could sell the excess back to the grid. During times when there was no solar or wind energy, the village homes could draw from the grid.
This plan would make Prattsburgh unique in this area—indeed unique in the state and the region-- and this could be a draw to the village for those who want to learn more about renewable energy. I could envision an educational center in the village that would serve as a true tourist magnet.
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