All Over Albany

The draft plan for the future of Albany's Lincoln Park is set to be unveiled next month

The draft version of the new master plan for Albany's Lincoln Park will be unveiled at a public meeting January 15. Press release blurbage:

Mayor Kathy Sheehan, the City of Albany Department of Planning & Development, and STIMSON Studio Landscape Architects will host a meeting to present the community with a draft master plan and provide an opportunity to discuss their ideas for preserving and improving Lincoln Park, and to learn more about the master planning process.

This is an exciting opportunity for residents, visitors, and community organizations to shape Lincoln Park's future and help to prioritize potential projects and initiatives being evaluated within the Park. The ideas presented at this meeting will be based on the feedback provided from the October 9, November 14, and December 4 design input community meetings.

At that December public input meeting, the team from Stimson presented a handful of ideas for the park that seemed to get a warm reception from the crowd, including a new trail around the park, more and better basketball courts, an amphitheater, and a giant slide playground.

One of the other big items in the park's future is a probably replacement of aging Lincoln Park Pool. At the public meetings for this master plan, the crowds very much seemed to be in favor of replacing it with something similar to what's there now. And this week the city of Albany was awarded $262,500 by the state to put toward the planning and design a pool replacement.

This next Lincoln Park master plan meeting is Tuesday, January 15 at 6 pm in the Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST) auditorium (94 Delaware Ave). If you enter the school from the parking lot off Delaware, the auditorium is right there.

Earlier
+ A few of the ideas that are in the mix for the future of Albany's Lincoln Park
+ The plan for a sewer facility in Lincoln Park is set to move forward next year -- with a significant change

Here's another chance to offer ideas for how Albany should spend $10 million downtown

The zone in which the city is focusing on for funding projects.

Update: This meeting has been postponed "due to the overwhelming number of project forms received" and the need for more time to review. The new date is TBA.

The city of Albany is getting $10 million* from New York State as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative -- and there's another public meeting coming up December 12 to talk about how to spend that money.

Meeting blurbage: "Join us to develop a plan that maximizes investment, connects surrounding neighborhoods and transforms Clinton Square into an inclusive destination, and vibrant place to live, work and play."

At the last meeting to gather public input, the team heading up the planning process explained that the city is looking for projects that are ready to go in the following categories:

+ New development or rehab of existing structure
+ Revolving loan and grant funds
+ Branding and marketing
+ Public improvements

Examples of candidate projects cited at the meeting: The proposed Quackenbush mixed-use development, an arts education and employment training program at The Palace, signage for the Capital Craft Beverage Trail, and Clinton Ave streetscape upgrades. A local planning committee will be selecting the projects to fund.

There's still time to propose a project -- the deadline is this Friday, December 7. (If you have a project in mind, you should contact the planning team. It sounds like they can provide some tips on putting together your pitch.)

The upcoming meeting is Wednesday, December 12 at The Palace from 5:30-7:30 pm.
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* Well, $9.7 million, technically. Of the $10 million, $300k is set aside for planning.

Here's another chance to offer suggestions on the future of Albany's Lincoln Park

From October's public planning session.

The city of Albany has another public meeting coming up to talk about the future of Lincoln Park.

City officials and the consultants working on a master plan for the park will be at the Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST) December 4.

This is a follow-up meeting to two meetings earlier this fall to gather input about the future direction of the park. Among the ideas that came up during a meeting at Hackett Middle School in October: better neighborhood connections, better walking paths, better lighting, improved fitness facilities, a new playground, more attention paid to landscaping, more winter activities, maybe a dog park.

Another topic at the meeting: People's preferences for the shape/type of the next Lincoln Park pool.

The city has hired the landscape architecture studio Stimson to help with the master plan. Back in October the team said it would be presenting a collection of options based on that input at this meeting. (The final master plan proposal is scheduled for a public meeting January 15 at TOAST.)

This public meeting is Tuesday, December 4 in the cafeteria of TOAST (94 Delaware Ave) at 7 pm.

Beaver Creek Clean River Project
A reminder that the next public meeting for the Beaver Creek Clean River Project -- the sewer facility / public garden project planned for the Beaver Creek ravine in Lincoln Park -- is this Tuesday, November 27 at TOAST at 6:30 pm.

There's a chance coming up to find out what's up with that sewer / park project in Lincoln Park

A sketch of what the proposed meditation labyrinth and garden could look like.

The next community meeting for the Beaver Creek Clean River Project -- the sewer facility / park space planned for a ravine in Albany's Lincoln Park -- is November 27 at 6:30 pm at TOAST Elementary (94 Delaware Ave).

Meeting blurbage:

After gathering feedback about the project proposal at a series of community and stakeholder meetings, the Albany Water Board has revised the design of the screening and disinfection facility.

In addition, the Community Advisory Committee has provided input and feedback for the design of the Reflection and Learning Garden being developed within the Lincoln Park ravine. (More information on the Committee's August 13th and October 1st meeting).

The November 27th meeting will provide an update on the new treatment design, as well as the design for the Reflection and Learning Garden in the ravine.

Back in October the city posted some new designs for the park space that's accompanying the facility, including an indoor/outdoor classroom, meditation labyrinth, walking paths, play structures, and wetland.

There's also an online survey about a name for the park space and ravine.

(there's more)

Here's a chance to provide input on how the city of Albany should spend $10 million downtown

Back in September the city of Albany won the latest round of the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative and it's now in line to get $10 million for a variety of projects. And next Wednesday, November 7 there's a public meeting at the The Palace to talk about how to spend that money. Blurbage:

The city's DRI application focused on the Clinton Square section of downtown, a gateway into the city off 787 and the intersection of downtown proper, Sheridan Hollow, Arbor Hill, and the area that sits between downtown and the Warehouse District. The application specifically names a bunch of projects that could be in line for funding. The Skyway, affordable housing, and streetscape improvements were among the proposed ideas (see that link).

But, as we pointed out in September, those projects aren't necessarily guaranteed to get a slice of the money. That decisions about which projects get money -- and how much -- will be part of a plan developed by the city and a committee. Here's a list of the members of that committee.

So, if there's a particular project or projects in that area that you think should definitely get funding (or conversely, shouldn't get funding), this is a chance to say something.

The public meeting is Wednesday, November 7 from 6:30-8 pm at The Palace.

The Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market is looking for feedback about its future, including a new permanent home

By the way: The market moves indoors to The Atrium for the season this Saturday.

The Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market has a public meeting lined up for November 7 at the Franklin Plaza Ballroom to talk about its future and gather feedback. It's hired Project for Public Spaces -- a NYC-based placemaking consultancy -- to lead the process. Press release blurbage (emphasis added):

The market wants to hear what people feel about the market and how it might evolve. The workshop will also provide the community with a chance to hear about the success stories from public markets across the country.

"The market has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years," said Zack Metzger, president of the Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market. "We are really excited about that growth, but we need to address some of the issues we are facing, such as the need for a permanent home for the market in a space that's big enough to grow. When we consider what that means for Troy and for farmers in our area, we see a lot of potential." ...

"The community has supported the market in a huge way, which has enabled us to create a first rate marketplace. Now it's time for us all to consider creating a first rate Market Hall and discussing what that would look like and how our programs could expand, and what it would mean for the city of Troy and the Capital Region as a whole."

You probably remember that a 2014 proposal for the 1 Monument Square redevelopment prominently featured, at one point, a permanent space for the farmers' market. But the idea later washed out of the plan in 2015, and in 2016 the overall plan crashed.

(there's more)

That look at traffic and pedestrian safety along New Scotland Ave is happening, and there's a meeting coming up to talk about it

The city of Albany has a public meeting November 13 to talk about the long-awaited New Scotland/Whitehall/Buckingham Corridor Traffic Study.

You might remember the city announced back in August 2017 that St. Peter's Health Partners was putting up $100k to study what mayor Kathy Sheehan described as "a significant increase in traffic" along the New Scotland Ave corridor, a major channel for the daily influx of commuters into the city. Speeding, pedestrian safety, and congestion have all become common complaints in neighborhoods along the corridor.

The city has hired the engineering firm Creighton Manning to assist with the project. Meeting blurbage:

This meeting will provide a brief overview of the study and draft project objectives. Community members will also have an opportunity to provide comments regarding existing needs and ideas for transportation improvements, and will help shape the future traffic patterns in this

It will be interesting to hear some of the ideas for the corridor. There are certainly some things that could be done with the street itself. Example: The segment of New Scotland from St. Peter's to Buckingham currently has a make-your-own-rules feel because of the (lack of) design and marking.

But it's also probably true that addressing the issues people are concerned about will also mean changing behaviors and other patterns. Is it possible for St. Peter's and Albany Med and other employers along the corridor to get fewer people driving to work alone? Are there ways to encourage development and residential choices so that more people can walk or bike to where they're going along the corridor?

There are a lot of pieces to fit together.

The public meeting is Tuesday, November 13 from 5:30-7:00 pm at the Mercy Auditorium at St. Peter's Hospital's 310 South Manning Blvd building. It's across the street from the main hospital building.

By the way: That's the same night at the South End Connector Trail meeting at the Howe Branch of the APL. That meeting's open house starts at 7 pm.

Earlier and elsewhere
+ Studying one of the channels of the daily commuting tide into and out of Albany
+ Parking as a daily choice
+ CityLab: Durham's Plan to 'Nudge' Drivers Out of Cars

The city of Albany is planning to start building that connector between the rail trail and the riverfront next year -- and there's a chance next month to see the plans

One of the renderings from 2017 of what the section under 787 might look like.

The city of Albany will show off the concept plans for the South End Connector Trail at a public meeting November 13 at the Howe Branch of the Albany Public Library.

The South End Connector is planned to be a roughly two-mile path to connect the end of the Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail in the South End with the Mohawk Hudson Bike Hike Trail along the riverfront. The public planning process for the project started more than two years ago, and the city and its consultants unveiled a plan in May 2017.

It's an important project because of the connection it will form between the two popular bike trails and the progress toward building a larger regional trail network. And it also potentially will open a safer way for people in the South End to get to the riverfront.

There are a two bits of news in the city's meeting announcement:
+ The city says it's anticipating that construction of the project's multi-use pathwill start in the summer of 2019.
+ A second phase -- that "include enhancements such as additional lighting and public art to the section of the route that goes under I-787" -- is scheduled for 2020. The city is calling that segment the "South End Connector Underline."

The public meeting is Tuesday, November 13 at at the Howe Branch of the APL (105 Schuyler Street). There's an open house from 7-7:30 pm and a project presentation from 7:30-8:30 pm.

Earlier
+ The plan to connect two major bike paths at the Albany waterfront (2017 May)
+ Plotting a path for the Albany waterfront bike trail connector (2016 June)
+ Mapping out the future for an alternative transportation network in the Capital District (2018 September)
+ Elsewhere: "Miami's Underline underscores potential of park projects" [Curbed]

Here's another chance to offer input on the future of Lincoln Park

One of the exercises from the October 9 meeting.

The city of Albany is in the process of mapping the future of Lincoln Park, and it's added a second opportunity provide ideas.

There will be a public meeting for the Lincoln Park Master Plan November 14 from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Albany Housing Authority Atrium and Community Room (200 South Pearl Street). City officials and the consultants working on the plan will be there to provide an overview and collect feedback.

Note: "This meeting will be identical in structure and opportunity for input as the community meeting that was held on October 9." (A city official said this week the second meeting was added after the city heard from many people who wanted to be at the October 9 meeting but weren't able to make it.)

Here's a recap of that October 9 meeting and a bunch of ideas that bubbled up during it. Among the things people said they'd like to see: better neighborhood connections, better walking paths, improved lighting, a new playground, and maybe a dog park.

Also at that meeting: Mayor Kathy Sheehan said the city is committed to the Lincoln Park Pool. The pool is old, leaky, and mostly likely needs to be replaced.

Next steps
+ The consultancy working the city on the Lincoln Park plan is scheduled to present a handful of proposals to the public at meeting December 4. (Place and time TBD.)
+ The final master plan is expected to be ready for public presentation January 15. (Place and time TBD.)

Here's a chance to see options for reshaping Washington Ave

A crowd-annotated map at the March meeting.

The project looking at a possibly safer, friendlier, better version of upper Washington Ave in Albany has a public meeting lined up for November 8 at UAlbany to show off a handful of options for the road. Blurbage:

Please join us for the second public meeting about the Washington Ave/Patroon Creek Corridor Study. This meeting will present three roadway design options, focusing on traffic operations and tradeoffs. There will also be an an opportunity to provide your input on these alternatives for this important corridor. We hope to see you there!

You might remember there was a public meeting this past March to provide an overview of the current state of the road and get input about how people might like to see it changed. Complaints expressed then ranged from concerns about speeding to the design being unfriendly to pedestrians and cyclists to a confusing layout of connections.

Notable from that meeting was the consultants explaining that the road's current capacity is much greater than its actual use. They reported that the highest-volume segment gets 19,500 vehicles per day. That's a fair number of vehicles, but it's still below the threshold recommended by the feds for considering a road diet treatment similar to what was done on Madison Ave.

This segment of Washington Ave has been getting a lot of attention in recent years because of the ongoing development along the corridor, including the addition of private student housing and the resulting increase in pedestrians. (Another large private dorm just opened this fall.) As a first step in addressing some of these concerns, the city of Albany lowered the speed limit on the stretch from 45 to 30 mph in 2016.

This next meeting is Thursday, November 8 in University Hall on the uptown UAlbany campus. There's an open house at 4:30 pm, presentation at 5 pm, Q&A at 5:30 pm, and feedback at 5:45 pm.

There's another public meeting coming up to talk about ideas for 1 Monument Square

The fifth major attempt to redevelop the 1 Monument Square site in the heart of downtown Troy takes another step November 5 with a public meeting to formally present ideas developed during the public planning sessions this past summer.

City press release blurbage:

During the meeting, project designers and planners will present a refined concept for the site. Following the presentation, the City, along with the design team, will analyze project costs, available grant funding, and other factors necessary to move the project forward. The City previously held a multi-day workshop to study the site, inviting Troy residents, business owners, employees and the general public to participate in developing a shared vision for the One Monument Square site. The feedback provided during the meetings were used to develop a series of site illustrations which feature significant open public space, two levels of parking, views of the Hudson River, and pedestrian connections down to the adjacent William D. Chamberlain Riverfront Park.

Officials have said the idea this time around is to figure out some sort of consensus on how the site should be used before finding developers interested in the site.

This next meeting is Monday, November 5 at 7 pm at the Arts Center of the Capita Region (265 River Street).

Earlier: Five takeaways from the start of the fifth major effort to redevelop 1 Monument Square