Plattsburgh moves to design phase for beach green-infrastructure project funded by DEC grant

The Plattsburgh Common Council on May 1 authorized a design-phase contract under a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) grant to implement green-infrastructure measures at City Beach and adjacent areas.

Staff said the city was awarded a DEC grant (meeting comments recorded both 2022 and 2023 in separate statements) that funds design, bid oversight and construction management for green-infrastructure work. Planned measures include bio-retention pools, tree plantings, native-species landscaping and dune stabilization to reduce stormwater runoff into the lake and mitigate closure risks from contaminants.

Councilors were told the current action covers the design phase; staff said the design is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and that construction would be scheduled to avoid the beach’s open season. One councilor asked about the grant deadline; staff said the grant timeline is a five-year window and indicated the city is not expected to run up against the deadline (staff mentioned 2027 as the probable outside date). The council voted to authorize the design work and move the project into the design phase.

Staff cautioned that construction timing remains to be determined and will depend on final design, bidding results and coordination to minimize impacts to public use of the beach.