Village of Lowville Hosts First Local Planning Committee Meeting and Public Engagement Activities for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative
May 06, 2024 10:44AM ● By Nicole Petrus
Lowville, N.Y. – The Village of Lowville, along with its state partners, is pleased to announce the first
meeting of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee (LPC), scheduled for
Wednesday, May 15
th at 9:00 am at the Lowville Free Library, 5387 Dayan St., Lowville, NY 13367. This
meeting marks the beginning of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) for the Village of Lowville.
The LPC meeting is open to the public and will include opportunity for public comment. For more
information on Lowville's preparation for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, please visit the Lowville
DRI website at www.lowvilledri.org.
New York State's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) is a cornerstone of the State's economic development program. The DRI transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. This program focuses on creating healthy, vibrant, walkable downtowns that catalyze sustainable economic development and accrue numerous economic, social, and environmental benefits to the locality, the region, and the State as a whole.
The DRI is led by the NYS Department of State, in close partnership with Empire State Development, NYS Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
The Local Planning Committee (LPC) includes local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives. LPC members will provide input and feedback on the community vision for downtown goals, and revitalization strategies, provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and help identify, evaluate, and select proposed projects for the State’s consideration for funding. LPC members will also assist with broad community engagement by guiding the public engagement approach and helping reach out to various constituencies about public engagement opportunities.
Village of Lowville Deputy Mayor, Dan Salmon and Michele Ledoux of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County and member of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council will serve as the Lowville LPC co-chairs.
Local Planning Committee Members selected and approved by the State include:
• Casandra Buell, Lewis County Planning & Community Development
• Jerry Cayer, Lewis County Health System
• Rebecca Dunckel-King, Lowville Academy Central School
• Jaylyn Heames, Snow Belt Housing, Inc.
• Meghann Hellinger, Drift Day Spa/Munch/Bateman Draft House
• Lara Meda, Little Village Mushrooms
• Jonathan Miller, Lewis County Historical Society
• Jake Monnat, Monnat Brothers, Inc.
• Tom Spaulding, Tom Spaulding State Farm
• Cheyenne Steria, Naturally Lewis
Public engagement is a key component of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative planning process and is fundamental to the success of the DRI in Lowville. The objective of public engagement is to ensure all stakeholders, including residents, visitors, and businesses, have ample opportunity to be informed about the DRI process and its intended outcomes, comment on the work as it progresses, express their ideas and concerns, and contribute to building a consensus vision for Downtown Lowville, culminating in a locally supported DRI Strategic Investment Plan.
The first of three public workshops is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Lewis County Historical Society, 7552 S State St, Lowville, NY 13367. Lowville community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the DRI process, participate in a visioning exercise, and review the public projects proposed by the Village of Lowville.
Public workshops and events will be scheduled and publicized throughout the DRI effort to ensure that all who wish to participate can contribute to the success of the program. More information about the DRI can be found at www.ny.gov/dri.
New York State's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) is a cornerstone of the State's economic development program. The DRI transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. This program focuses on creating healthy, vibrant, walkable downtowns that catalyze sustainable economic development and accrue numerous economic, social, and environmental benefits to the locality, the region, and the State as a whole.
The DRI is led by the NYS Department of State, in close partnership with Empire State Development, NYS Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
The Local Planning Committee (LPC) includes local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives. LPC members will provide input and feedback on the community vision for downtown goals, and revitalization strategies, provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and help identify, evaluate, and select proposed projects for the State’s consideration for funding. LPC members will also assist with broad community engagement by guiding the public engagement approach and helping reach out to various constituencies about public engagement opportunities.
Village of Lowville Deputy Mayor, Dan Salmon and Michele Ledoux of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County and member of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council will serve as the Lowville LPC co-chairs.
Local Planning Committee Members selected and approved by the State include:
• Casandra Buell, Lewis County Planning & Community Development
• Jerry Cayer, Lewis County Health System
• Rebecca Dunckel-King, Lowville Academy Central School
• Jaylyn Heames, Snow Belt Housing, Inc.
• Meghann Hellinger, Drift Day Spa/Munch/Bateman Draft House
• Lara Meda, Little Village Mushrooms
• Jonathan Miller, Lewis County Historical Society
• Jake Monnat, Monnat Brothers, Inc.
• Tom Spaulding, Tom Spaulding State Farm
• Cheyenne Steria, Naturally Lewis
Public engagement is a key component of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative planning process and is fundamental to the success of the DRI in Lowville. The objective of public engagement is to ensure all stakeholders, including residents, visitors, and businesses, have ample opportunity to be informed about the DRI process and its intended outcomes, comment on the work as it progresses, express their ideas and concerns, and contribute to building a consensus vision for Downtown Lowville, culminating in a locally supported DRI Strategic Investment Plan.
The first of three public workshops is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Lewis County Historical Society, 7552 S State St, Lowville, NY 13367. Lowville community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the DRI process, participate in a visioning exercise, and review the public projects proposed by the Village of Lowville.
Public workshops and events will be scheduled and publicized throughout the DRI effort to ensure that all who wish to participate can contribute to the success of the program. More information about the DRI can be found at www.ny.gov/dri.
