Conceptual master plan being generated for Saranac Lake sandpit

SARANAC LAKE | The village is currently working in partnership with the Northern Forest Center (NFC) to develop a conceptual master plan for the 10-acre, municipality-owned sandpit off Will Rogers Drive, with the potential for housing development to address housing needs. For years, the sandpit behind the village's commercial district, which runs along the Adirondack Rail Trail and McKenzie Brook, has been mined for sand and stone for village projects; it is also where excess winter snow is deposited. "In regard to sand mining, this particular site is expected to reach the end of its usable life in the near future, so as that transition approaches, we're evaluating what will come next with this space," said Village of Saranac Lake Mayor Kelly Brunette. "However, opportunities for vacant, buildable land are rare in the village; that's what makes this site such a great and rare opportunity for future development. "No official decisions have been made just yet, but what we're doing right now is taking those deliberate steps to better understand the opportunities and constraints of the site. With support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 2024 Smart Growth Program, Adirondack Community Foundation Generous Acts, and private donors, the NFC is currently offering the village due diligence and predevelopment support to potentially add housing there. "The village approached us for assistance, and we basically looked at what's been done so far at the site," said Leslie Karasin, NFC Adirondack program director, in a previous interview. "So far, we have found some things that would need to be incorporated into the master plan for the site, but we haven't found any major red flags that would stand in the way of the sandpit being a suitable site for housing." The NFC presented its due diligence report to the village board in January, with recommendations on how officials should proceed with this potential housing development project. Those recommendations included commissioning a wetland delineation to determine how much of the 10-acre property can be developed and forming a local stakeholder committee to facilitate public outreach and overall project planning. A public session was held in late March, in which 30 community members attended to discuss potential neighborhood layouts. "This conceptual master plan will be based on the initial feedback that we've heard so far, and then once that's underway, the community will be invited back to review options, weigh trade-offs, and help shape the direction for the next step," Brunette said. While no additional opportunities for public input have been scheduled as of yet, there will be more. "That's how you build better outcomes, by bringing people into the conversation early when ideas are taking shape, and we're committed to having a transparent process and an ongoing conversation moving forward." The Village of Saranac Lake has been trying to address housing needs for years. The Board of Trustees adopted the Village of Saranac Lake Housing Plan on Jan. 10, 2022, which proposes concrete, viable solutions to housing issues, both temporary and long-standing. On April 25 that same year, the board established the Housing Task Force to track progress, assist with completion of action items, and study best practices and successful strategies for future housing development. "We have a real challenge with housing in this region, and that challenge is preventing people from coming and staying in our communities," said Karasin in a previous interview. "We want to help change that." The NFC advances smart growth in the Northern Forest region — Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York — by fostering rural vibrancy through sustainable community development, housing, and economic investment. Currently, the NFC is overseeing several housing development projects throughout the North Country, including Tupper Lake and Elizabethtown, to attract new residents, particularly young people. "Not only do we want people to stay in our communities, but we want people, especially young ones, to move into our communities," Karasin said in a previous interview, "because we believe that attracting and retaining people is core to the vitality of our communities." For more information or updates, visit northernforest.org.

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Conceptual master plan being generated for Saranac Lake sandpit

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