To the editor:

I write to enthusiastically support the proposed move of the Adirondack Park Agency (“APA”) to Saranac Lake’s downtown because it is: One, consistent with APA’s mission; and two, critical to helping build a sustainable future for our village.

I was born and mostly grew up in the village, graduating from our local high school in 2012. When I graduated from college in 2016, I came home and have lived and worked here since. I was married this past Labor Day weekend and we made it a celebration of loved ones, but also the community we love.

At the time I was born, my mother Leslie Dame (later a village trustee in the early 2000s) was a project review specialist at the APA. Also, my dad was an attorney at APA for nearly 20 years and served as a village trustee for two terms in the 2010s.

Suffice to say, the APA and my family’s commitment to our village has been a part of my life for my almost 30 years on earth. I also know many current and former members of staff at APA, and am well aware of the agency’s dual mission of promoting strong hamlets and protecting Forever Wild and private lands outside of hamlets.

In this context, it makes perfect sense that the APA would move its offices into Saranac Lake, the largest hamlet by population within the park. Additionally, as a Saranac Laker who chose to come back here after college, wanting to build a life here, I am thrilled about the significant economic impact that the APA’s move will have on downtown. Much progress has been made in our downtown over the past 10 years, thanks in part to the investment New York has made here, and APA’s move will further the goal of making all this progress sustainable for the future.

For me, it is exciting to think about all of the positives that will come from this move. APA employees being able to walk to multiple options for lunch, more foot traffic downtown leading to more business for our local shops, a true partnership between a state agency and a local community. Not to mention the fact that over 70% of APA employees will be closer to home than they are currently. Saranac Lake is the only hamlet that makes sense for this move, given where APA’s employees live. Further, instead of new development on State lands in Ray Brook, APA will be renovating and reusing a historic property in the village that is currently a drain on taxpayers. It is a win, win.

This is why I support APA’s proposed move into Saranac Lake. In making the move, APA will be “walking the walk” as the land use planning agency responsible for the park, by supporting hamlet development, the reuse of existing buildings, and the sustainability of our village’s downtown. To APA — our community cannot wait to have you join us in Saranac Lake!

Dylan Van Cott

Saranac Lake