A Conference Sponsored by NYSDEC, Scenic Hudson, Historic Hudson River Towns and the City of Peekskill

Municipal officials, planners, developers and concerned citizens are invited to attend “Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts in an Era of Global Climate Change and Sea Rise,” a day-long conference exploring how re-development of waterfronts along the Hudson River can:

• prepare for  rising sea levels along the Hudson;
• connect people to the river;
• protect the environment; and
• stimulate the economy and create jobs.

Presentations by Scenic Hudson will focus on climate change impacts projected for the Hudson River and strategies for creating connections between downtown waterfronts, neighborhoods, job centers and parks. The Hudson River Estuary Program will share information about approaches to reduce flooding from rising sea levels and storm surges, and state-of-the-art techniques to combat failure of sewage treatment facilities during large storms. Legal considerations, developers’ issues and recent community waterfront initiatives will be discussed.

The forum will conclude with a hands-on exercise to map infrastructure vulnerable to a rising Hudson River.  A similar effort will chart connections between neighborhoods, development areas, and natural and cultural resources.

To register by check, please call Historic Hudson River Towns at 914-232-6583 for a registration form and return it with a check for $40 to the address below:
 
Historic Hudson River Towns
180 Route 100
Katonah, NY 10536

info@hudsonriver.com, 914-232-6583

TRANSPORTATION
To arrange ride sharing by car, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RHRCarpooling

Morning Metro-North trains arrive from NYC at 8:18 and 8:43 am, and from Poughkeepsie at 8:16 and 8:42 am.
Afternoon trains leave for Poughkeepsie at 4:26, 5:06 and 5:41 pm, and leave for NYC at 4:19, 5:19 and 5:36 pm.
Peekskill Trolley will provide rides between Harbor and the Peekskill station at those times.  If you are going to need a ride on the trolley from the train station, please let us know at eehauser@gw.dec.state.ny.us 
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Conference Program

8:30 am   Registration and coffee

9:00 am   Welcoming remarks

• Philip E. Zegarelli, Historic Hudson River Towns  
• Fran Dunwell, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program
• Steve Rosenberg, Scenic Hudson

9:15am     

The Impact of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise in Building Sustainable Waterfront Communities                

• Sacha Spector, Scenic Hudson

The Hudson is experiencing changes including higher temperatures, increased storm intensity and sea level rise. The observed changes and projections into the future will be discussed.  Sacha presents a roadmap for confronting these challenges which balances the needs of both the people and the natural environment of the Hudson.  Engaging the community is part of planning for a resilient community and revitalizing our riverfronts.  

9:35am    

Designing Climate Smart Waterfront Balancing waterfront revitalization and waterfront flooding

• Kristin Marcell, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program

Hudson Valley shoreline communities are facing a new challenge, balancing waterfront revitalization and economic redevelopment goals with increasing vulnerability to flooding.  This session will describe three strategies communities can take to respond to flooding in waterfront areas, discuss considerations for their use and conclude with a visualization of the use of these strategies along a portion of the Westchester waterfront.

Designing resilient shorelines

• Betsy Blair, NYSDEC Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve

Hudson River shorelines are being modified to support development, revitalize waterfronts, control erosion, and increase public access. This session will describe new engineering, economic, and ecological information about the best shoreline management options for preserving important natural functions of the Hudson River Estuary’s shore zone, especially as sea level rise accelerates and storms increase in intensity.

Revitalization and Resiliency - How to ensure your redeveloped waterfront can adapt to rising waters

• Jeff Anzevino, AICP, Scenic Hudson

Downtown waterfronts are ripe for development but also frequently subject to flooding.  Therefore, with the prospect of rising sea levels and flooding becoming more common, it will be increasingly important that waterfront development is designed to resist the impact of rising waters. This presentation will offer waterfront planning solutions intended to protect life and property from the impact of flood waters and explain the many ways in which these solutions can contribute to the overall vitality of urban waterfront.

Getting storm water out of the sewer and into the ground

• Emily Vail, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program

Many outdated stormwater systems dump polluted runoff, and in some cases, raw sewage, into rivers and streams.  By contrast, green infrastructure practices are natural or engineered systems that effectively manage stormwater by allowing runoff to soak into the soil and be used by plants, reducing the flow of storm water and removing pollutants.  A range of strategies will be discussed that communities can use to cut pollution and save money.

10:35 am   Q&A

10:45 am   Climate Smart Waterfronts: Making the Vision a Reality

Introduction: John Saccardi, VHB Engineering

Funding for Coastal Resilience Plans

• Barry Pendergrass, NYS Department of State

Communities can focus shoreline management actions on priority areas by understanding risk and vulnerability.  The Department of State has developed a process for evaluating risk and assembling the most beneficial actions into a Coastal Resilience Plan.  DOS anticipates having funding for the preparation of these plans in the next round of the Consolidated Funding Application.  Here we present an overview of the process we hope will enable communities to set a course for shoreline resilience.

The Legal Strategy for Implementation: Form Based Zoning

• John Massengale,  Massengale & Company, LLC

If you are going to plan your town, why not plan a place you like? Architect and town planner John Massengale will explain Form Based Codes and their use, and how they differ from zoning. In a nutshell, modern zoning has focused on auto-based planning and the separation of uses. Form Based Codes focus on placemaking, to produce places like the river towns that can evolve over time, as uses change.

Achieving and Engineering the Proper Balance of Uses and Density    

• Joseph Cotter, President, National RE/Sources   

Now that you have listened to environmental and design issues that must be considered in planning a good waterfront development program, Joe Cotter, developer of Hudson Harbor in Tarrytown, will discuss how to incorporate these ideas into a workable, mixed use waterfront design.   He will share the process his company went through to transform concepts into brick and mortar.

11:50   Q&A

12:00 pm   Lunch

1:00 pm    Local Waterfront Revitalization Initiatives

• Introduction:  Ned Sullivan, Scenic Hudson
• Sawmill River Daylighting Project: Wilson Kimball, City of Yonkers, and Jim Pinto, Development Implementation Consultant
• Peekskill Waterfront Update:  Mayor Mary S. Foster and staff                                             
• Hudson River Valley Greenway Initiatives: Mark Castiglione, Hudson River Valley Greenway
• Riverwalk Update: Paul Gisondo, Westchester Department of Planning

2:15 pm   Q&A

2:30 pm   Break-out sessions:  Participatory Mapping

• Connectivity -- Participants illustrate on maps existing assets (natural, cultural, recreational, economic and transportation), gaps that disconnect them and revitalization opportunities.  Participants can draw innovative and new ways to connect assets and economic development opportunities by trails, sidewalks, water or roads, coming up with transformative projects which may help realize these new connections. 
   
• Waterfront Vulnerability -- Participants collaborate on locating natural, cultural and economic assets on large format maps. They discuss and map potential hazards related to flooding and projected sea level rise, identifying vulnerable infrastructure and emerging with ideas to improve resiliency and to mitigate hazards. 

3:30 pm  Re-convene for Report-out on Participatory Mapping Exercises

3:50 pm  Closing comments and evaluation

4:00 pm  Close

$40.00 per person Sign Up Here