Business people speak up about Main St. plans
To the editor:
The Executive Committee of the Lake Placid Business Association met after the plans for Lake Placid’s Main Street redesign were unveiled. The proposed project will have a major impact on businesses and residents in the Main Street corridor.
The LPBA represents over 90 paying members. Through conversations among our membership we have identified four key points which should be addressed by village leadership before a project of this magnitude moves forward.
1. There are concerns that this plan does not adequately protect Mirror Lake. The village needs to consult Mirror Lake Watershed, Ausable River Association and other experts aside from New York State Department of Transportation to ensure that the salt mitigation plan will be effective and a great long-term solution.
2. An up-to-date, comprehensive parking plan should be outlined that includes a vision for how Main Street will function and prosper. Access issues for all stakeholders must be addressed.
3. Few people who live on, work at and regularly access Main Street have had a say in this project design. Many are not even aware of the proposal. Additional stakeholders need to be added to the Main Street redesign committee, including Main Street residents and delivery drivers.
4. The village needs to have a plan in place for all that are impacted negatively by a massively disruptive two-year construction project. A comprehensive public-relations plan for Main Street should also be in place.
This could be a wonderful project for our Main Street, and we hope that our village leaders will work with stakeholders that are most affected and use that input to sculpt a downtown that will serve all users well for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Marc Galvin and the LPBA Executive Team
Lake Placid