PAUL SMITHS - Eleven months ago, Paul Smith's College President John Mills stood before a roomful of supporters of the state Adirondack Park Agency's Visitor Interpretive Centers and said emphatically that the college couldn't afford to take over the Paul Smiths facility.
"We cannot afford to pass on the costs of the maintenance and operation of the VIC to our students," he said.
But on Tuesday, college and APA officials announced the state has transferred ownership of the 24,500-square-foot VIC building to the college, which already owns the 1,300 acres where the center's trails are located.
So, what happened to change Mills' mind?
"What changed was there was significant public input to me that we can't lose this," Mills said Tuesday in an interview in his office. "I had school teachers calling me and saying, 'Please don't let them close. I've been bringing my kids there for the last 20 years.' I realized it was a valuable facility."
But that wasn't all. Mills said the fact that the APA agreed to transfer the facility to the college at no charge was key.
"I said, 'OK, the institution has a commitment to the community, and it is the College of the Adirondacks,' and I got some good ideas from people on how it could be revenue ... cost-neutral, and maybe even better than that," Mills explained. "So I said, 'Alright, let's give it a try,' and we're fully into that."
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Ends speculation
The deal announced Tuesday ends months of speculation about the future of the Paul Smiths VIC, which has provided environmental education programs and recreational opportunities to tens of thousands of visitors a year since it opened in 1990.
In January of last year, former Gov. David Paterson included plans to close the VICs in Paul Smiths and Newcomb in his Executive Budget to help reduce the state's massive budget deficit. The centers' eight employees were laid off by the end of the year.
However, the Newcomb VIC was spared from closure in June when it was transferred to the ownership of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
Paul Smith's College officials said at the time that they were trying to work out a similar deal with the state. But months went by with no news, and the building closed to the public in mid-October.
Supporters of the facility, like long time volunteers Dick and Joy Harvey, said people were getting frustrated.
"We'd go out and walk the trails, and invariably, we'd meet people who were extremely upset at the fact that it had been closed," Joy Harvey said. "They've been coming for years, and they just want to be able to use it."
But the Harveys said Tuesday that they were delighted to hear that the college has taken over the VIC.
"We're very grateful that PSC has stepped up to the plate and has offered to continue operation for the benefit of the community," Dick Harvey said.
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The college's plans
Mills said the college is developing plans to integrate the center into its academic programs. PSC fish and wildlife staff want to use the VIC for student programs, Mills said, and the college's draft horse club has come up with a plan to maintain the facility's extensive trail system, which is used by hikers, cross-country skiers and snowshoers and will remain open to the public. The college also recently completed a timber harvest on part of the VIC property.
Mills said the college plans to rent the VIC building to other organizations to try and offset its operational costs, which will total about $60,000 per year.
One of those groups is the Adirondack Park Institute, the nonprofit friends group that has supported educational programming at both VICs since they were created in the late 1980s. API has already raised more than $40,000 to keep that effort going.
"We've laid out a program for the coming year where we're going to offer many of the same popular programs people have enjoyed in the past," API Executive Director Dan Fitts said Tuesday, naming the Chili Ski Festival, school children visitation programs and the Butterfly House at Paul Smiths, among others.
Mills also met Tuesday with Brian McDonnell of Mac's Canoe Livery in Lake Clear, who's interested in expanding educational and recreational opportunities at the VIC. He wants to engage more of the college's students in projects and activities at the center, and use it as a base for arts programs. McDonnell also talked about expanding the VIC's trail network to allow for longer cross-country ski tours in the winter and mountain biking in the summer.
"I think the programs that were there only scratched the surface of what could happen there," McDonnell said. "Now that the visitor center is in the college's hands, I think it's really exciting for the area, and I think there's a lot of potential there for giving students some real-life opportunities."
Mills said PSC plans to relocate the Adirondack Center for Writing, which rents space in the college's administrative building, to the VIC. College officials are also working with a group that wants to use the property for trail running competitions.
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Supporters react
Most VIC supporters greeted the news that Paul Smith's College has taken over the VIC with enthusiasm.
"This sounds great," said town of Brighton Supervisor John Quennel. "This is perfect. I can't imagine a better outcome."
"Hats off to Paul Smith's College for taking on the risk and responsibility of operating the Visitor Interpretive Center," said former VIC spokesman Andy Flynn. "I'm sure they'll find ways to make it a valuable space for students and the general public to learn about the many natural wonders of the Adirondack Park."
Flynn also said he hopes the college taps into the large corps of volunteers who helped staff and provide educational programs at the VIC.
State Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, who said she helped broker the agreement announced Tuesday, received tons of letters from people, especially school children, who wanted the VIC to stay open.
"It shows how important the center is to the North Country," she said. "They've done so much in terms of education, and there's nobody I can think of who would be better to run the center than Paul Smith's College."
But some people said it's too early to judge just what kind of job the college will do with the VIC.
Randy Lewis, an Enterprise columnist who lives next to the VIC property and uses it regularly for recreation, worried about the college's long-term commitment, since college officials initially said they couldn't afford it.
"Until I see what they can do, and until I actually see programming happen and students out there keeping the trails up, I'm just going to keep quiet," Lewis said.
Mills said he understands that concern but said the college is committed to continuing the mission of the VIC.
"We've got an Adirondack Park that's bigger than all the other national parks, that had no interpretive function if these facilities closed," he said. "There has to be that interpretive function there, besides just the recreational use. There has to be an opportunity for people to learn about this place."
Mills said the visitor center will be reopened to the public in the spring. The college plans to continue calling it the VIC.
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Contact Chris Knight at 891-2600 ext. 24 or cknight@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
