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Edgewater Resources presented the Final Consensus Plan on April 13th after receiving feedback from the community in the first public sessions throughout the year.
The final plan aiming to transform and ameliorate Oswego’s assets was presented and then discussed by members of the community at the meeting. There were short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals addressed that are expected to last well into the next 15 years. Overall, the goal is to make Oswego more of a destination spot, which will especially require revamping the waterfront and downtown. Edgewater is interested in connecting the two and making them more cohesive - and not just in the summer. In order to attract visitors all year round, the team has made plans that will be beneficial for Oswego in the winter.
A few areas up for improvement included Lake Ontario, Breitbeck Park, Oswego Yacht Club, and Oswego Marina, to name a few. In regards to the quality of Lake Ontario, there was a general consensus that it needed to be addressed and improved before much else happened in the plan. Edgewater plans on improving the quality of the water and cleaning out the weeds that appear to be prominent in the lake. In addition, the team aims to add a promenade along the edge of Breitbeck Park, which will bring the community closer to the water. The team included that they plan on adding a new boat launch, fish cleaning, and restrooms in this area, as well as relocating the McCrobie Building to the water.
Edgewater compared the waterfront of Oswego to those of other towns whose charm set them apart. The team’s goal for the waterfront is to maintain the uniqueness and authenticity of Oswego, but amplify it; “building up” and making the Yacht Club and other surrounding buildings two stories high is one factor that adds charm. The walkways and pier are also being touched up in order to accomplish this. The team plans on modernizing the marina, improving the walkways, and transforming the public pier into an increasingly desirable area. Edgewater brought up the ideas of adding a restaurant and ice cream shop to the pier for more summer attraction, building a sand beach and fountains at the end of the pier, and transforming the pier into a nightclub by night. In addition, the pier would become a temporary ice rink in the off-season to continue the attraction downtown.
Long-term goals included marina renovation, and the relocation of the boat launch and H. Lee White Marine Museum, which is expected to be moved within the next 5 to 7 years. One of the biggest changes brought up at the meeting included an addition of new residential houses, which aroused concern in some community members. With the new attraction the team hopes to bring to Oswego, these houses will be able to accommodate incoming residents. Plus, the team stated that the revenue generated from these residential homes would help fund the projects being done. Some other resources that Edgewater is taking advantage of is state government funding and grants, one of which being $590,000. In addition, there will be local funding aiding these projects, as well as tax increment financing and land partnerships. Overall, the projects seem to brighten up the future of Oswego, and the community appears to be on board with the changes to come.
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