NEWS RELEASES
College Students Recommend Campground For New York Town
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through the Daily Courier-Observer's website.
LOUISVILLE, NY - The Courier-Observer, a news outlet in northern New York State, reports that the town of Louisville, NY, received the results of a study completed by students from Clarkson University’s Engineering and Management Program on planned use for 45 acres of undeveloped land, known as Mutton Ridge, acquired by the town in 2003 from the New York Power Authority. Town officials asked the University’s Shipley Center for Innovation for suggestions on using the land to create a positive cash flow while addressing the concerns of homeowners nearby.
The students reportedly considered a number of possible uses, including a hunting preserve, sports field, retirement village, botanical garden, solar farm and even selling it to a developer, but ultimately decided on a combination of a campground and summer camp that could attract tourists while also provide family activities for local residents. Their suggestions include tent camping, improved water and electric sites, and cabins, as well as a general store, community pavilion and fire pit, and a dog park. Year-round events for both visitors and local residents would aim to create small, inexpensive events that would bring families together, such as Make Your Own Ice Cream Day, Astronomy Night or a barbecue for the 4th of July. In winter, ice fishing would be an option. The students broke down potential costs and revenue, noting that the town would break even after a 15-year period.
Louisville’s Town Council is taking the students’ suggestions under advisement, and will have a licensed architectural team look at the project and do further cost analyses. The town is located on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, the international border with Canada.
Read the full story at the Daily Courier-Observer.