Town of Jay continues efforts to revitalize Au Sable Forks

AU SABLE FORKS | The Town of Jay is continuing its efforts to revitalize Au Sable Forks. "We are the northern gateway into the Adirondacks," said Supervisor Matt Stanley. "It's where the Town of Jay starts; it's where Essex County starts; it's right in the middle of Plattsburgh and Lake Placid. "We've got to encourage growth if we want to be able to boost tourism, lower taxes, and attract new residents and businesses." The town, in partnership with the North Country Rural Development Coalition (NRDC), received an approximate $315,000 New York Main Street (NYMS) grant to revitalize the downtown boundary of Au Sable Forks. Now, business and property owners can apply for financial assistance to enhance their buildings with permanent upgrades, such as facade and storefront improvements; interior renovations for commercial or residential units; and streetscape enhancements, including signage, benches, and greenery. Under the program guidelines, individual grant requests can reach up to $50,000 per building, with an additional $25,000 available for each residential unit (up to two units), bringing the potential maximum award to $100,000 per project, covering up to 75% of the total project cost. Interested applicants can contact the NRDC directly at its Ticonderoga office or via email at spalma@northcountryruraldevelopment.org. The NRDC will award individual requests until the grant monies run out, said Stanley. Those who submit a request and aren't awarded may have an opportunity to have their project funded through several other grants the town plans on applying for, such as NY Forward and the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). "There's never a shortage of projects that we can undertake in this town, and the more we can get Main Street revitalized, the more people and businesses we can attract to the area," Stanley said. "And we've already done so much work here in terms of planning that I think we have a good shot at winning either grant." INCREASING PUBLIC WI-FI For instance, the town, in partnership with the Essex County IT Department, is continuing its efforts to expand Wi-Fi access and install security cameras throughout the hamlet. Originally, the initial goal was to make these upgrades at key community locations, and last summer, public Wi-Fi and cameras were installed around the Grove Athletic Complex, Riverside Park, Tops Friendly Markets, and the Community Center to improve communication. Now, the town is working with the Essex County IT Department and Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board to create a public Wi-Fi grid that would affect those in Au Sable Forks within the Town of Jay boundary lines. If successful, this grid would provide even more public Wi-Fi access, improving communication in areas with poor cell service. The installation of the additional cameras will not only help monitor and enhance safety but also serve as a weather-monitoring system, especially during the winter months. "We don't have great cell coverage here, so at least with public Wi-Fi, people will have a way to communicate with each other, and the cameras add an extra security layer," Stanley said. "So, these measures are just our way to help protect the residents and make sure that our parks are there for the reason they're there for, and that's to offer a haven for our residents to enjoy." Officials are hopeful to complete this downtown-wide effort by summer. NEW DOG PARK Earlier this month, the town board voted to authorize the creation of a dog park in Au Sable Forks. Since last year, the ADK Civics Club has been working towards constructing this new dog park, which will be located along Grove Road on the riverbank across the Ausable River from the municipal parking lot and park. About one acre of the 4.5-acre town-owned property will be utilized. The town has also agreed to provide the liability insurance, said Sarah Duheme, one of the founding members of the ADK Civics Club, along with Larry Harson, who actually came up with the idea of adding a dog park to the town, in a previous interview. "Dogs are so important to us in our lives, and we expect a lot from them, as far as their behavior goes. It's important to socialize them if we want them to be good canine citizens. Beyond that, it's just really important as a community to have these spaces where we can gather and meet other people and engage with each other." So far, it is known that the fenced-in dog park will be divided into two sections: one for larger dogs and another for smaller ones. There will also be bag dispenser stations for dog waste management. Other items members would like to see added but have yet to be finalized include a water feature for the dogs to rehydrate or play in, as well as a culvert or other obstacles the dogs can play in or on. And for their owners, there's a discussion of adding seating and other shading features. For more information or updates, check out the Facebook page "ADK Civics Club- Au Sable Valley Chapter" or email adkcivicsclub@gmail.com. WATER DISTRICT UPGRADES The towns of Black Brook and Jay are currently wrapping up Phase 1 of the joint wastewater treatment plant upgrades, and earlier this year, both municipalities issued an RFQ to kickstart Phase 2. Phase 1 — an approximately $1.5 million project — consisted of adding two buildings: chemical feeding, which helps ensure optimal treatment and disinfects waste, and UV disinfection, which utilizes ultraviolet light to eliminate harmful microorganisms. It should be fully completed by this May. Phase 2 includes cleaning the lagoon and replacing the plant's liners, which are essential for containing and managing wastewater in various applications, preventing environmental contamination, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Once the engineering for this portion of the project, estimated at around $4 million, is complete, the towns will seek grant funding. Earlier this month, the town released a survey for water district residents in Au Sable Forks, Jay, and Upper Jay. "This data is vital, [as] state and federal agencies use these metrics to determine our eligibility for grants and low-interest loans," Stanley stated in his weekly update. "With over $15 million in necessary water and sewer infrastructure projects planned over the next decade, securing this funding is the only way to keep costs manageable for our residents." Surveys were distributed by mail earlier this month. However, surveys can also be taken online at survey123.arcgis.com/share/9b3e9d5b60ac4724bfd2001f9c6d8bda. CLIMATE SMART TASK FORCE Going into 2026, the Town of Jay Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Taskforce is working on several new initiatives. For instance, the Residential Compost Drop-Off Pilot Program, supported by a $22,000 grant through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is scheduled to launch sometime this spring; a Complete Street Policy is also currently being developed to help identify priorities for sidewalks, pedestrian safety, and biking infrastructure; and priority upgrades are now in the process of being identified to advance the town's long-term energy reduction goals. These projects will help build on the Bronze Certification earned earlier this year, with the hope of achieving Silver Certification in 2027. Last year, several major projects reached the compilation stage, including the new solar array at the Town Highway Garage, which will deliver clean, renewable energy and reduce long-term electricity costs, and the construction of the new salt shed to improve winter road maintenance while significantly reducing environmental impact. At the time this article was written, the installation of public EV chargers in Jay and Upper Jay was completed. A $206,000 DEC grant for EV chargers in Au Sable Forks has moved into the contract phase, with installation planned for late 2026. For more information or to get involved, visit townofjayny.gov/climate-smart-task-force or email k.sauer@townofjayny.gov. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The town is continuing to update its Comprehensive Plan, a document first written in 1980 and last updated in 1997, that describes the community's goals and outlines specific plans to achieve them. So far, thanks to a $66,960 grant through the DEC Smart Growth Program, the Comprehensive Plan Special Board (CPSB) has conducted surveys and hosted workshops and open houses to gather public feedback. Over the past three months, the town's consultant conducted 16 stakeholder interviews to gather additional information and identify other relevant sources to support the update. A detailed community profile was then drafted. The consultant, CPSB members, and working groups are currently drafting the plan update. Prior to approval of the plan update, a draft will be presented to the public in various forums for feedback sometime later this year. Results, more information, and updates are available at planjay.com.

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Town of Jay continues efforts to revitalize Au Sable Forks

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