#2008-18: June 12, 2008 Central Catskills Collaborative to Host First Meeting on Route 28 Corridor on June 25 The Central Catskills Collaborative (CCC) is a recently formed group of six municipalities along the Route 28 Corridor in Delaware and Ulster Counties (towns of Andes, Middletown, Shandaken and Olive; villages of Fleischmanns and Margaretville). The group has engaged "in a regional dialogue focused on protecting and promoting the scenic, cultural, historic, and economic well being of the Route 28 Corridor and the Central Catskills." The meeting will be held at the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development in Arkville on Wednesday June 25 at 6:00 PM and the public is welcome to attend. The guest speaker will be Robert Elliott, New York State Deputy Secretary of State, who will speak on Intermunicipal Cooperation and Smart Growth. Mr. Elliott has extensive experience in local government affairs and has been involved with numerous municipal organizations. He served as mayor of Croton-on-Hudson from 1991 through 2005 and founded the Historic River Towns of Westchester County, a 13-community consortium focused on waterfront development, tourism and main street economics. Mr. Elliott is also the past president of the New York Conference of Mayors and the former executive director of the New York Planning Federation. As Deputy Secretary of State, he serves on New York’s Smart Growth Cabinet, an interagency initiative created by executive order of the governor in December 2007. In April of 2008, New York State announced the Central Catskill Mountains/ Park Smart Growth Program, making $500,000 available for local improvement projects along the Route 28 corridor and in the hamlets. Building on both the state’s program and existing plans to protect and enhance the region’s resources, the Central Catskill Collaborative (CCC) has developed initial recommendations to improve economic activities while sustaining the Catskills’ sense of place. The recommendations include: Improve interpretation of and access to the Catskill Forest Preserve Greater CCC participation in rail corridor revitalization Further explore the creation of a Scenic Byway for Route 28 Establish advisory memberships Pursue intermunicipal funding opportunities Engage educational institutions to assist the CCC in its objectives Communicate regularly with DEC and DOT Implement established recommendations from planning documents Feature speakers and themes at meetings The CCC is supported by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development in partnership with the Catskill Watershed Corporation. For more information, please contact Peter Manning, Catskill Center Regional Planner at (845) 586-2611.