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Cayuga County staff seek grants for waterfront plan, bridge and countywide housing study
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Summary
County planning staff reported state sign-off on the Village of Cayuga LWRP and described pending grant applications including a $1.6 million Joel Island bridge request and a $100,000 feasibility request for a county housing study; Auburn Housing Authority has pledged $20,000 toward the study, leaving a roughly $30,000 gap.
Cayuga County planning staff reported progress on multiple planning and grant efforts and outlined near-term application deadlines for several programs, including a roughly $1.6 million request to replace the Joel Island bridge and a $100,000 feasibility study request for a countywide housing study.
Kelly Kirk, a county planning staff member, said the New York State Department of State completed its internal review of the Village of Cayuga’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), and the village will begin the state 60-day review in October. "If all goes well, probably by the beginning of the year, we'll be able to have that adopted by the village board and finally moving forward," Kirk said.
Kirk also briefed the board on two Municipal Bridge & Road (MBRC) pre-applications. One is a request for $1,600,000 for a Joel Island bridge replacement; the other is for up to $100,000 for a feasibility study to support a countywide housing study. "We've asked for a $100,000, which is the max for that," Kirk said. The Auburn Housing Authority has committed $20,000 toward the housing study, leaving an estimated gap of about $30,000 the county hopes to fill through partner contributions or other grant sources.
The county’s planning staff noted other grant-related items: the state announced that DRI New York Forward rounds are open and village applications are being finalized under revised criteria, with applications due Nov. 7. Kirk said required public hearings or local public meetings will precede those applications. Staff also reported that a county infrastructure grant second-round opportunity may accept a town-submitted waterline project, pending clarification of grant requirements and contracting rules.
Kirk noted the county will pitch projects where gaps exist and will continue coordinating with towns, villages and consultants to match projects to funding program criteria. She said the county will present a more complete application package for the Joel Island bridge if authorized to submit a full application following the Sept. 22 pre-application decision; full applications for MBRC are due Oct. 10.
Why it matters: approvals and awarded grants will determine which infrastructure and planning projects move from design to construction, and the housing study would inform policy decisions about housing supply and allocation of county planning resources.
Next steps: staff said they will continue to refine applications, pursue partner funding for the housing study — including an appeal to the Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) — and follow the Department of State and MBRC schedules for reviews and deadlines.