Saranac River. Today, a comprehensive revitalization plan is reconnecting the community with its most valuable natural asset. “The times have changed, and we realize that the waterfront should no longer be your backyard, it should be your front yard,” says Cole.“That’s been our approach for some years now.” The waterfront plan identified five priority projects, with two already completed. In Morrisonville Hamlet, a new park provides handicap-accessible river access and serves as an official stop on the 700-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The flagship development, however, is the Battlefield Memorial Gateway. “Phase one has been completed, phase two is underway,” Cashman explains.“It opens what we call the triangle of history, allowing folks to access the waterfront in this beautiful location that connects to the city of Plattsburgh’s Terry Gordon bike path.” The site commemorates the Battle of Plattsburgh, where American forces defeated the British fleet on September 11, 1814, in what historians consider the most decisive engagement of the War of 1812. The victory helped secure favorable terms in the Treaty of Ghent and prevented British invasion via the Hudson River valley. 52 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06
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