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Community Engagement Log

A Collaborative Process

Collaboration between conservation leaders, local stakeholders, and the design team sparked the current Draft Master Plan for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail. In addition to being a practical solution to congestion management, the current Fjord Trail plan includes often-requested elements like public restrooms, bike racks/tune-up stations, and outdoor classroom/program spaces to better connect people to the natural and cultural history of the Hudson Highlands. Perhaps most significantly, the current plan is for an ADA-accessible main trail, making the beauty of the Highlands welcoming and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

The Fjord Trail plan that exists today is the result of years of refinement by local community stakeholders, regional entities, and state agencies. Public input has been – and will continue to be – fundamental to this planning process.

Since the creation of the current Draft Master Plan in 2020, Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, Inc. has held over 150 stakeholder meetings, public presentations, and visioning sessions, many of which have been open to the public. See below for specific dates and topics.

Public Sessions

Stakeholder Sessions

Visitation Data Committee Sessions

On September 1, 2023, HHFT announced the formation of an independent Visitation Data Committee (VDC), consisting of municipality-appointed community members. The committee will review and assess the work of HHFT’s visitation management and environmental review consultants to ensure that the traffic count and pedestrian visitation pattern data is adequate for use in determining the potential impacts of the Fjord Trail on local communities. The group will also have early review and discussion of visitation projections and the methodology used to determine them. Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, Inc. will provide a stipend for the committee to hire an independent consultant to provide technical assistance to the committee in reviewing methodology and interpreting results. Read the complete scope and schedule for the Visitation Data Committee.

Minutes and materials from the committee's meetings and work are linked below.

Village of Cold Spring Neighborhoods - Focused Outreach

In October of 2023, HHFT began an outreach effort in two specific neighborhoods in the Village of Cold Spring. These two areas shoulder a large part of the impacts of existing trail-bound visitation in the Village. HHFT's goal is to create a resource that addresses these existing challenges and serves as a valuable asset to community members. The purpose of this focused outreach is to better understand the challenges residents face in association with existing visitation and to gather feedback to inform HHFT’s planning, goals, and future efforts.

Meeting with Fair Street Residents #1 | October 26, 2023
Meeting with Fair Street Residents #2 | November 29, 2023
Meeting with Fair Street Residents #3 | December, 12, 2023
Meeting with Springbrook Condos #4 | February 22, 2024
Meeting with Residents living near Dockside Park #5 | March 16, 2024

In addition to these meetings, Rebeca Ramirez, HHFT’s Community & Visitor Relations Manager, has been speaking one-on-one with residents in these neighborhoods, and has met with 42 individuals to date.

A survey of residents in these neighborhoods was fielded from February 9 to February 26, 2024. Survey results can be found here.

Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail
14 Coris Lane
Beacon, NY 12508
info@hhft.org
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