Waterfront Revitalization

The Hudson River has historically played a huge role in the development of Catskill, Athens, Coxsackie and New Baltimore. With the transition of the regional and national economy, the waterfront is increasingly utilized for public enjoyment, recreation, and tourism purposes. The focus on utilizing the Hudson River as an economic driver is as important as ever, as the Historic River Towns solidify their place in the region and continue to increase the quality of life for residents. Matters of climate change, sea-level rise and water quality will continue to be issues within these communities, not only concerning the Hudson, but its tributaries as well.

The Hudson River remains a major attraction for avid boaters. Boaters travel up and down the river, stopping at towns and villages along the way to shop, dine, and relax. Greene County has not one, but four towns and villages on the riverbanks. Coxsackie, Athens, and Catskill all have public boat launches, docks, and parks. An economic expansion as a result of water-related travel has begun to emerge and is foreseen to grow in the future with visitor-related uses along the waterfront.

New York State offers local governments the opportunity to participate in the State’s Coastal Management Program (CMP) on a voluntary basis by preparing and adopting a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), which provides a more detailed implementation of the CMP through use of existing broad powers as zoning and site plan review.

Using the Coastal Atlas on the GIS Gateway

Waterfront Resiliency

Four communities including the Village of Catskill have been working with the Hudson River Estuary Program to understand and prepare for the risk of future floods.  The Village created a Waterfront Resilience Task Force which issued the Catskill Task Force Final Report, in 2019 recommending actions to increase the safety of waterfront areas.

Measures to protect waterfronts can include :

• Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance,

Community Initiatives

Village of Athens Local Waterfront Revitalization Program

Village of Catskill

The Village of Coxsackie was awarded $100,000 in 2018 to develop an LWRP and is currently in the planning process.