TOWN OF MILFORD
Comprehensive Plan
September 2012
Acknowledgements
Town Board
Chris Harmon, Supervisor
Carl Vogel, Councilman
Harold Couse, Councilman
John Gill, Councilman
Barbara Snyder, Councilman
Richard Atwell, Highway Superintendent
Kenneth Sosnowski, Clerk
Planning Board
Bruce Milavec, Chair
Theresa Lombardo, Secretary
Gary Wickham
Walter McLaughlan
Patrick Welsh
Paul Meyer
Comprehensive Plan Committee
Chris Harmon, Town Supervisor
Barbara Monroe, ZEO / ECO
Francine Stayter
Patricia Barlow
Gary Wickham
Barbara Snyder
TOWN OF MILFORD
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DRAFT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1: ENACTMENT AND PURPOSE…………………………………………………..4
1.1 Enactment…………………………………………………………………………..4
1.2 Purpose and Vision Statement……………………………………………………5
Section 2: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION…………………………………………………………6
2.1 Community Survey and Results…………………………………………………..6
2.2 Meetings and Workshops………………………………………………………….7
Section 3: REGIONAL SETTING……………………………………………………………..9
Section 4: CLIMATE………………………………………………………………………….10
Section 5: POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS……………………………………….10
Section 6: TOWN HISTORY…………………………………………………………..…….11
Section 7: ARCHITECTURE…………………………………………………………………20
Section 8: ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES………………..………..22
8.1 GIS Mapping…………………………………………………………..….22
8.2 Water Resources………………….………………………….………..…23
8.3 Floodplains…………………………………………………….……..……24
8.4 Terrain & Slopes…………………………………………………..………24
8.5 Vegetative Cover…………..……………………………………………..25
8.6 Soils…………..……………………………………………………………25
8.7 Visual Resources………………………………………………………………..25
8.8 Geology and Hydrology………………………………………………….25
8.8.1 Introduction………………………………………………………26
8.8.2 Bedrock and Groundwater within Bedrock…………………..26
8.8.3 Groundwater in Soils that Mantle the Uplands………………27
8.8.4 Broad Valley Geologic Setting & Groundwater Conditions..27
8.8.5 The Potential for Groundwater Contamination………………28
8.8.6 How Serious is the Contamination of Groundwater?………..28
8.8.7 in Summary……………………………………………………..29
Section 9: EDUCATION……………………………….…………………..………………..29
9.1 Growing the Town: Growing the Minds………………………………..29
9.2 Early Schools……………………………………………………………..30
9.3 Advancing Education…………………………………………………….31
9.4 Struggles to Overcome…………………………………………………..32
9.5 21st Century – Bringing Technology Home…………………………….34
9.6 Power and the People: Harnessing the Power Around………………34
9.7 The Evolution of Springbrook……………………………………………36
9.8 The Upstate Home Expands in Size and Mission…………………….36
9.9. Otsego Northern Board of Cooperative Educational Services………37
Section 10: HOUSING…….…………………………………………………………………..39
Section 11: CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES……………42
11.1 Village of Milford…………………………………………………………42
TOWN OF MILFORD
Comprehensive Plan Draft
11.2 Township of Milford……………………………………………………..44
11.3 Oneonta – City and Township…………………………………………49
11.4 Laurens Township………………………………………………………53
11.5 Cooperstown Area………………………………………………………53
Section 12: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT…………………………………………………55
12.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………55
12.2 Existing Businesses…………………………………………………….56
12.3 Tourism…………………………………………………………………..58
12.4 Agriculture………………………………………………………………..59
12.5 Infrastructure…………………………………………………………….61
12.6 Area Economic Resources…………………………………………….62
Section 13: COMMUNITY FACILITIES, SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE………..63
13.1 Community Facilities & Services…………………………….………..63
13.2 Transportation Infrastructure………………………………………………63
13.3 Water and Sewer Infrastructure……………………………….……….65
Section 14: LOCAL GOVERNMENT…………………………………………………….….66
Section 15: STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, GOALS & OPPORTUNITIES……….…….66
15.1 Land Use and Growth Management……………….……….….……..66
15.2 Economic Development……………………….……….………………68
15.3 Transportation……………………………………………………………72
15.4 Natural Resources……………………………………………………….73
15.5 Cultural, Recreational and Historic Resources…………………………77
15.6 Housing …………….……………………………………..….….………79
Section 16: PERIODIC REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ………………………..80
Appendix…………………………..……………………………………………….……………A1
Town of Milford Community Survey………………………………………….A1
Town of Milford Water Resources Map……………………………………..A2
Town of Milford Streams by Class…………………………………………..A3
Town of Milford Wetland Areas………………………………………………A4
Town of Milford Soil Slope……………………………………………………A5
Town of Milford Agricultural Soils……………………………………………A6
Town of Milford Soil Drainage………………………………………………..A7
Town of Milford Hydric Soils………………………………………………….A8
Town of Milford Map Layers………………………………………………….A9
Town of Milford Current Land Uses………………………………………..A10
Town of Milford Development Constraints…………………………………A11
Section 1: ENACTMENT AND PURPOSE
1.1 Enactment
Section 272 of the Town Law of the State of New York provides for the creation of Comprehensive Plans. The State statute offers suggestions on what elements should be presented in a Comprehensive Plan. These suggested elements include:
1. General Statement of Goals, Objectives, Principles and Standards
2. Presentation of Background Information
• Regional Setting
• History
• Critical Environmental Areas
• Natural Resources Inventory
• Existing Land Use Inventory
• Population, Race, Age Characteristics
• Housing, Households
• Economy
• Businesses
• Education, Cultural and Historic Opportunities
• Community Services
• Transportation
• Plans of Other Agencies and Communities
3. Preparation of planning elements or specific recommendations as to future land use, economics, community services and transportation.
4. Proposals and programs to implement the community’s policies (included in the Goals and Opportunities Section of this Plan).
5. Any and all other relevant issues.
A comprehensive plan is not a static blueprint of how to reach a specific end-point. The comprehensive plan is a living document that provides continual guidance and a greater context for the work of the community’s leaders and staff. Municipal decisions shall be weighed against the plan to ensure the community is not sacrificing long-term goals for short-term, fleeting gains.
New York State Town Law Section 272-a empowers the Town Board to appoint a committee or direct the Town Planning Board to prepare, recommend, and forward a Draft Town Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board for review, revisions, and a vote to adopt. In January of 2012, the Town of Milford Town Board appointed a Comprehensive Plan Committee to prepare the draft plan. The draft plan was recommended by the Comprehensive Plan Committee, following a public hearing, to the Town Board. The Town Board held an additional public hearing and referred the draft plan to the Otsego County Planning Department prior to adoption of the Comprehensive Plan.
1.2 Purpose and Vision Statement
Through the preparation of the Town of Milford’s Comprehensive Plan and public participation, the collective vision of the community has become self-evident. The Town of Milford is recognized as a place of innovation and entrepreneurship. While other communities, however, have traded wooded hills and meandering streams for development, Milford’s progress has been dependent upon the sustainability of the Town’s natural environment and resources.
The industries of health care, education, and tourism thrive today in the Town of Milford and the surrounding region. The Town of Milford sees renewed opportunity in agriculture and the demand of feeding New York City. The Town of Milford perceives the rush to drill for natural gas and the related boom and bust cycle as contrary to the best interests of the community and the established economic base. Steady and more secure long-term returns are favored over high-risk, speculative activity.
The Town of Milford, situated between Cooperstown and Oneonta, has a rich offering of cultural, recreational, and historic resources that cause the population to swell with travelers in the high season. This seasonal influx of population has presented opportunities and challenges for the year-round residents.
Amidst this confluence of circumstances, the inclination of rural communities to favor self-determination has softened. New interest in the role of local government and home rule abounds. The recognition of economic value in the protection and preservation of natural resources drives the robust pace to update existing regulations. As stewards of nature’s majestic beauty that has remained in tact for centuries, the residents of the Town of Milford wish to entrust to future generations the same promise that the first settlers saw here along the banks of the Susquehanna River.
Section 2: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
2.1 Community Survey (See Appendix at A1) [1]
The Town of Milford Comprehensive Planning Committee worked with the Center for Economic & Community Development at SUNY Oneonta (CECD) to create a community survey. Then the town contracted with a postal services company to mail this four-page document of twenty (20) questions to 2,623 people. The electronic databases provided by town officials contained individuals with addresses on record, who were registered voters or owned private property in the Town of Milford. The distributer eliminated duplicate recipients (i.e. voters who also own property) prior to mailing.
The survey went to individuals on May 23, 2012. In addition, notices about the survey appeared on the town website and in regional newspapers: The Daily Star, Cooperstown Crier, The Freeman’s Journal, HomeTown Oneonta. The Goodyear Lake Association posted a notice about the survey to its website and sent an email to association members. Other communication to inform recipients and boost response may also have occurred outside these channels. As of June 29, 2012, the CECD received 638 survey forms in postage-paid reply envelopes, including partially completed questionnaires.
It is important to note that this was not a randomized survey that extrapolates to a population. However, this non-probability voluntary sample helps meet the principle for public involvement in a process to inform public policy decision-making by town officials. In essence, it was a Town Hall meeting by mail to stimulate conversation for a comprehensive plan that could address a variety of issues. Further, a single survey can describe respondents’ opinions or knowledge at that point in time. Their responses may change in the future with additional education or changing conditions, including population shifts.
Results of the survey appear in the Appendix as collected, tabulated and presented in July 2012 by the CECD. Any brackets (“[ ]”) show where the CECD inserted text to clarify a response, or removed information that could identify an individual respondent.
2.2 Meetings and Workshops
The following timeline presents noteworthy meetings in contemplation of this Comprehensive Plan:
March 17, 2011 – Residents inquire as to the Town’s Comprehensive
Plan before the Town Board.
April 21, 2011 – Residents again inquire as to the existence of a
Comprehensive Plan before the Town Board. Telephone survey results are presented to the Town
Board with 70% of respondents expressing serious concerns about hydraulic fracturing in the Town of Milford and 11% remaining neutral.
Nov. 17, 2011 – Resident Francine Stayter inquires as to whether the Town will draft a Comprehensive Plan. Supervisor Gale advises that he has a copy of an original Comprehensive Plan and a plan from Marcia Membrino. Resident Vincent Stayter states that the original plan was a draft document only created about 1965 that was never adopted. Mr. Stayter states that the draft was a preliminary proposal in support of zoning. Francine Stayter requests of Supervisor Gale movement towards an official Comprehensive Plan.
Jan. 18, 2012 – Newly elected Town Supervisor Chris Harmon and Town Board appoint a Comprehensive Plan Committee as a Special Board under Town Law Section 272-a; the Town Board passes a resolution to appoint Helen Holden, Esq. and David Slottje, Esq. as Special Counsel to draft proposed amendments to the Town of Milford Zoning Ordinance for the purpose of banning heavy industrial gas drilling within the Town of Milford.
March 14, 2012 – A Public Hearing is held on the proposed draft amendments to the zoning ordinance that would ban heavy industrial gas drilling within the Town of Milford. Approximately seventy attend and speak in favor of the draft amendments with one opposed.
March 21, 2012 – The Otsego County Planning Department, upon receipt of the referral for the draft zoning amendments, issues a “disapproval” with a lack of evidence that the proposed zoning amendments are in accordance with the Town Comprehensive Plan.
March 21, 2012 – The Town Board reaffirms the goal of drafting and adopting an updated Comprehensive Plan so as to no longer rely exclusively upon the zoning ordinance for the duel purposes of planning and zoning.
The Comprehensive Plan Committee held meetings on the following dates in preparation of the Draft Comprehensive Plan: [2]
April 3, 2012
April 5, 2012
April 17, 2012
April 18, 2012
May 1, 2012
May 15, 2012
May 29, 2012
June 12, 2012
June 26, 2012
July 10, 2012
July 26, 2012
July 30, 2012
August 7, 2012
August 21, 2012
August 28, 2012
September 13, 2012
Section 3: REGIONAL SETTING [3]
The Town of Milford is located in the central southern aspect of Otsego County, New York and encompasses 29.3 square miles. Milford is in close proximity to both the Town and City of Oneonta and becomes the access corridor from Interstate Highway I-88 for tourists traveling to Cooperstown.
The Susquehanna River runs the entire length of the town, paralleling State Route 28 and emptying into the man-made Goodyear Lake. The southern end of Goodyear Lake has an operating hydro-electric dam and generating station.
Traveling from North to South the northern border houses the incorporated Village of Milford; West of the Village of Milford is Edson Corners located at the junction of County Routes 44 and 46; the Hamlet of Cliffside is located on the eastern shore of Goodyear Lake in the southern part of the town; the Hamlet of Portlandville is about 6 miles south from the Village of Milford and lies on the banks of the Susquehanna; 2 miles south of Portlandville is the Hamlet of Milford Center and at the intersection of Routes 28 and 7 is the Hamlet of Colliersville; the Hamlet of Cooperstown Junction is located in the southern portion of the town on Route 7; settlements, primarily seasonal, are located at Arnold Lake and Crumhorn Lake on Crumhorn Mountain, a highground in the southeast part of Milford.
The Village of Milford and Hamlets still maintain larger, grouped populations. Most of the population in Milford today is evenly disbursed throughout the rural municipality, though there is one large population area. On the eastern shore of Goodyear Lake is a residential neighborhood that began as a small seasonal community when the dam was built in 1917. Today, it is a close-knit neighborhood of year round homes.
Springbrook between Milford Center and Portlandville adds to the population of the town with its many acquisitions in the area. It is a residential/educational facility for the Developmentally Disabled, which has expanded into ownership of Group Homes throughout the town.
The population density is 63.7 persons per square mile, one of the higher town population densities in Otsego County.
Section 4: CLIMATE [4]
The climate of Milford is classified as continental-humid, with cold winters and mild summers with precipitation well distributed throughout the year. The result of this climate is an abundance of flora and fauna throughout the region and a wealth of water resources. The average annual temperature is 45 degrees. Temperatures in January are an average of 11 degrees while temperatures in July are an average of 81 degrees. Annual precipitation averages 46.81 inches. Annual snowfall averages 81 inches, although recent years have seen much less than average snowfall. The sun shines an average of 50% of the daylight hours. The climate defines a somewhat limited growing season for field crops, due to late spring and early fall frosts. The growing season averages 120 days.
Section 5: POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC [5]
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,044 people, 1,290 households, and 820 families residing in the Town of Milford. The population density is approximately 63.7 people per square mile (24.6/km). The median age is 46.3 years. The racial makeup of the town is 96.1% White, 1.1% African American, 1.0% Asian, and 1.8% from other races.
Of the 2,676 residents 16 years of age and over, 1,742 or 65.1% are in the labor force with 1,643 or 61.4% employed and 99 or 3.7% unemployed. Of the civilian employed population, the occupational distribution is as follows: 35.4% management, business, science, and arts, 26.6% service, 16.3% sales and office, 11.2% natural resources, construction, and maintenance, and 10.5% production, transportation, and material moving corporations.
Of the civilian employed population, the distribution amongst specific industries is as follows: 2.1% agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining, 4.1% construction, 7.6% manufacturing, 2.3% wholesale trade, 11.0% retail trade, 4.6% transportation, warehousing and utilities, 4.1% information, 0.9% finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing, 4.2% professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services, 40.8% educational services, health care and social assistance, 11.2% arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services, 4.0% other services, except public administration, 3.1% public administration.
The 2010 census reports the median household income for the Town of Milford as $44,806.00. The reported median household income for New York State is $55,603.00, and the median household income for the United States is $51,914.00. The mean household income for the Town of Milford is reported as $56,152.00. The median family income is $49,244.00. The mean family income is $63,527.00. The per capita income for the Town of Milford is $23,948.00. For New York State, the per capita income is $30,948.00. For the United States, the per capita income is $27,334.00.
Amongst the population 25 years and over, educational attainment is as follows: 4.3% graduate or professional degree, 15.5% bachelor’s degree, 12.7% associate’s degree, 19.5% some college, no degree, 36.4% high school graduate, 9.5% 9th to 12th grade, no diploma, 2.0% less than 9th grade.
Section 6: TOWN HISTORY [6]
Archaeological evidence along the Susquehanna Valley suggests that the area that is now the Town of Milford was settled by prehistoric native tribes as early as 11,000 BC. This area of the Susquehanna became an important conduit for communication and travel. Though there are breaks in evidence, later artifacts indicate that native peoples mostly utilized seasonal settlements in the area. Archaeological sites have been discovered north of the present Village of Milford, along Hinman Hollow Creek, between Colliersville and Portlandville (now covered by Goodyear Lake), north of Portlandville, and near Cooperstown Junction. In time, the native people migrated, becoming part of the Iroquois culture in the Mohawk Valley.
In the 16th century, this area was a part of the County of Albany. Later, when Tryon County was organized in 1771, this section of Otsego County became a part of Tryon. By the 17th century, the river valley was mostly an uninhabited no-man’s land, used primarily as a route for travel and trade.
The first European settlement of the town took place in 1772, just prior to the Revolutionary War, when Matthew Cully of Cherry Valley made an exploratory expedition. Cully, a Scotchman by birth, emigrated to America on or about 1765. Cully established a mill on the Susquehanna River at what is now Milford Center. The Revolutionary War interrupted his endeavor to form a settlement in the “wilderness.” Loyal to the American cause, he joined the Federal Army and returned in 1783 with a commission of Major. Matthew Cully improved the mill and later sold it to Thomas Mumford from Bennington, Vermont, who would, with his large family, settle permanently in Milford.
After the Revolutionary War, a large area of eastern and central New York became open for settlement. The treaty of Fort Stanwix had effectively pushed the Iroquois, a British ally, into the western segment of the state. New Englanders began to migrate into this “new frontier” due to the pressure for prime agricultural land, the depletion of natural resources and the Federal Government’s program to use land for payment of past military service.
The Clinton Sullivan campaign in 1779 had exposed many New Englanders to the abundant natural resources and open land of the future Otsego County. In the late 1780’s and 1790’s thousands of agricultural and economically oriented families began to settle along the Susquehanna River Valley and its tributaries. Thomas Mumford promoted the area to others in Vermont and numerous families migrated to this area on the Susquehanna to purchase and develop wilderness or wilding farms.
Groups of settlements sprang up in multiples around places with water-based mills leading into small technologically based centers. Land, water, and abundant natural resources drew settlers to the economic opportunity the area offered.
From 1784 to 1791, some of the first settlers arrived. About 1784, Abram, Jesse and Reuben Beals, brothers from Massachusetts, settled what was the Franklin Patent along the east side of the Susquehanna River and the upper end of the Milford Township.
In 1785, brothers Moses and Noah Ford from Massachusetts settled on the west side of the River at what is now Milford Village. Issac Collier and family from the Mohawk River area of Montgomery County settled at the junction of the Schenevus Creek and the Susquehanna River. They were the first settlers at what is now Colliersville. James Quackenbush who was Collier’s brother-in-law, settled on the east side of the junction of the Schenevus Creek and the Susquehanna River. In 1787, Peter VanAlstine, first doctor of Milford, settled in Colliersville.
James McCallan established the first tavern in 1787 at Milford Village. Levi Adams, a carpenter, from Pawlet, Vermont, became the first settler at Edson Corners that same year. Stukey Whitford, a surveyor, also settled at Edson Corners.
The year of 1788 was the year David Cully, a son of Matthew Cully, established a grist mill five miles south of Cherry Valley Creek and the Susquehanna River. Also in 1788, Thomas Burnside from Albany County settled along the Schenevus Creek, which is now lower Town of Milford.
Otsego County became a part of Montgomery County in 1784, but in 1791, it was recognized in its own right as the nineteenth county in the State. At this time, only Otsego and Cherry Valley townships comprised the County. In 1792, the Towns of Burlington, Richfield and Unadilla were formed.
By 1790, the first school district in Milford was established by James Moore. Increase Niles became the first teacher. In the same year, the first bridge was built at Colliersville across the Susquehanna River. In 1791, a road was opened between Mt. Vision, also known as Quakers Corner and Edson Corners. In 1793, Thomas Mumford donated the land for Milford Center Cemetery and Rev. Reed held the first religious service near Milford. In 1794, the first school Milford Center School was established. Isaac Edson opened a store and tavern at Edson Corners. Previously, Mr. Edson opened the first store in Milford Village. In 1798, William Stevens settled on a farm purchased from Micah Haskins, one half mile below Portlandville. William Stevens is the father of Ezra Stevens, renowned local historian, who recorded the early events in the Milford area.
On April 5, 1796 a group of these settlers met at Isaac Collier’s Inn to organize in order to form a town. They petitioned the State Assembly to create a new town called Suffrage. Prior to the first town meeting a rough survey of the town had been made which ran as follows:
Beginning at the center of the Susquehanna River, northeast of Milford Village, thence running West on the line between Otsego and Unadilla to the slope of the hill toward Otego Creek, thence South along its said slope to the plains of the North of the Otego Creek, thence East to the Susquehanna River, thence North along the center of the River to the place of beginning.
A large percentage of the Milford settlers were dissatisfied with the original adopted name of the town as well as with the survey. They advocated for the town to embrace the Susquehanna River and the whole valley of Susquehanna and to carry the line to the top of Crumhorn Mountain. The Susquehanna River was central to the development of the town because, though it was unmanageable for large commercial traffic, it gave the new community variable sites for mills, small-scale agricultural factories, and marketing networks to the south.
On the first Tuesday of May 1800, a town meeting was held at Eaton’s Tavern and reorganization upon the new survey began. The new town name of Milford was unanimously adopted.
The new survey reads as follows:
The new town shall contain all that part of said County of Otsego bounded Westerly by lots number 70,41,42,43,45,46&47; in a tract of land granted to Charles Reed & others, commonly called the Otego Patent, & the Eastern boundary line of the said lots, continued Southerly to the middle of the Susquehanna River; Northerly by the town of Hartwick; Easterly & Southerly by a line beginning at the South East corner of Hartwick, & running thence Southeasterly down the Susquehanna River to the mouth of the Cherry Valley Creek; thence up said creek to the Northeast bounds of lands now or late occupied by Daniel Hunt; thence Southeasterly along the line of said Hunt’s land, South 55 degrees, East 88 chains to a soft maple tree marked for a corner; then South 29 degrees 15 minutes West, along a line of marked trees, 908 chains to the middle of the Charlotte River then down the middle of said river to the mouth of the same; then down the middle of the River Susquehanna until it intersects the Easterly bounds of Otego.
The town survey remains the same today except the southwest end was ceded in 1830 when Oneonta was organized.
The first settlers of the Township built log cabins, cleared the land, established grist and sawmills, farms, taverns, roads, bridges, schools and churches. As the settlements grew, school districts were established, post offices created, doctors’ and law offices opened. By the 1800’s, the United States census showed Milford’s population at 684 individuals. In the 1810 census, the Town’s population had rapidly climbed to 2,035. Milford’s farms and businesses grew initially along the river valley and then into the tributary valleys. After the first wave of settlements, people developed farms on the surrounding hillsides.
In 1804, John Edson and sons Jacob and Isaac settled in Edson Corners. They built a store, tavern, hotel, ashery, and gun room. Jacob acted as the town’s first lawyer. Isaac Collier’s son Peter and Jacob Goodyear built a dam across the Susquehanna near the site of the present dam. It was the first dam between the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. The Sayre Family moved to Milford from Greene County and between 1808 and 1810 erected the Sayre House, currently the home of the Greater Milford Historical Association.
Major Cully died in 1813 and was buried in Milford Cemetery. He built a mansion two miles south of Milford that was converted into a hotel. Only remnants of the structure stand severely compromised by time and weather. Within Matthew Cully’s lifetime, the untamed land became Milford, established as a Town within the County of Otsego.
In 1810, the first Post Office was established in Milford. The Colliersville Homestead was built by Peter Collier in 1816. Between 1822 and 1823, the first Post Office of Colliersville was established. In 1831, Daniel Windsor became the first Town Justice of the Peace. In 1832, a covered bridge was erected at Colliersville and remained in use until 1929. In 1834, the Portlandville School District #3 was organized. In 1840, a corner store was built at the southwest corner of Main Street in Milford Village. George Kirby was the first merchant. Later, the store was called Crowley’s and is currently The Corner Store. In 1846, the first newspaper of Milford, The Lutheran Herald was published. Another newspaper the Milford News was published by George Ingalls in 1878, sold in 1889 to D.H. Crowe, and the name was changed to The Milford Tidings. John Wilcox bought The Milford Tidings in 1891 and published it until his death in 1915. Upon John Wilcox’s untimely death, the Wilcox Estate hired Frank Carpenter as editor. Carpenter worked in this capacity from 1915 until 1919 when he became the editor of the Cooperstown Freeman’s Journal. The Milford Tidings was then sold to the Freeman’s Journal still in print. Harry Newell of Milford published a smaller Milford News from 1946 until 1951.
Through the 1820’s to the 1850’s Milford stabilized into a small agriculturally based community. In the 1830’s a new agricultural crop, known as hops, was cultivated on a few Milford farms. All of the needed geographic features, soil characteristics, and climate conditions came together in Milford to provide the ideal situation for hops to become the dominant form of agriculture leading into the 20th century. Hop growing was a major business in the town from the mid 1800s until approximately 1910. The highest producing farms were those located along the Susquehanna River Valley. One of the most successful, Isaac Wilber, a Quaker, and his family, came to Crumhorn near the Quaker Church in 1837. In 1845, David Wilber built a log cabin on Crumhorn and by 1855 had over 250 acres of hops under cultivation. He prospered by growing and trading. Mr. Wilber moved his hop business to Oneonta in 1873.
In 1860, ninety percent of all hops grown in the United States were grown in New York State, and one third of this total was produced in Otsego County. Yet few Milford farms grew only hops. Most farms were diversified with grain crops, animal husbandry, and especially dairy. Milford farms integrated hop growing and dairying since hops needed heavy fertilization, especially on the hill farms. When hop prices dropped around 1900 due to increased national competition, dairying remained the main standby for Milford farms.
Other 19th century industries located within the vicinity included: two tanneries, a cotton mill established in 1815 in Clintonville located in the Town of Hartwick, a concern manufacturing ‘fancy combs’ operated by Prosper Stewart about 1821, a Portlandville carding machine and fulling mill for wool built in 1814, a cabinet shop begun in 1808, a sash and blind factory in Colliers about 1860, and a small operation devoted to the manufacture of beaver hats started by Levi Stewart in 1800.
In 1865, the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad began construction of a rail line that was completed in 1869. During this same approximate time period, the Cooperstown and Charlotteville Railroad was built and opened passenger service between Cooperstown Junction and Cooperstown. Soon afterwards, the Cooperstown and Charlotteville Railroad was leased to the Delaware and Hudson R.R. Corporation. The railroad provided the economic passage for Milford to transport its agricultural products to the national scene. At the same time, the railroad provided the outside world an opportunity to come to Milford. Manufactured products were delivered to the town to fill the small local stores, which offered agricultural and consumer goods.
Beers 1868 Atlas of the Town of Milford shows about 40 businesses in the village and in the settlements of Portlandville, Colliersville, and Milford Center. From hotels, to sawmills, to eateries, to law and medical offices, to mercantiles, Milford businesses met almost every need. Economic enterprise was thriving.
The Village of Milford became incorporated in 1890 with George Bissell as the first President and W.B. Hanover, the first Treasurer. The Village of Milford Water Works was established in 1893 as well as the first Hose Company. In 1894, the Milford Cemetery Association started.
In the 20th Century dairy farming became the mainstay of Milford and the allied business community. Creameries and cheese making provided an outlet for dairy farming in the town. In 1901, O.A. Weatherly established ‘The Famous Pineapple Cheese Company’ in the ‘Crumhorn Creamery,’ a plant taken over from David Wilber. For nearly 50 years the factory produced over 500 pineapple cheeses a day plus many wheels of cheddar. In addition the by-products, butter, cream, milk sugar, and milk were sold. Pineapple cheese was distributed through wholesalers throughout the United States. Production was discontinued in 1955 due to higher costs. The creamery continued for a time and today is home to the Cooperstown Brewing Company, the brewers of Old Slugger Pale Ale.
In 1903, author and historian Ezra Stevens completed The Early History of Milford. In 1907, the Hartwick Light and Power Company built the current Goodyear Lake Dam at the site of the former dam and mill. The new dam supplied power to the Oneonta, Cooperstown and Richfield Springs Electric Railroad, a trolley with passenger service ceasing as of the late 1920’s and freight service ending by 1940. A two-room schoolhouse was built in Portlandville in 1908.
In 1917, Milford voted for the Suffrage Amendment 110 to 89. George I. Wilber purchased the current Wilber Park and presented the park to the Village of Milford in 1922. In 1923, the Milford Free Library opened. Milford became one of the first centralized school districts in New York State. A new brick school was built in 1927. As of 1932, Portlandville School, District #3, joined the Milford School District.
In 1930, the Goodyear Lake Grange was organized. The Grange purchased the Christian Church in Portlandville in 1934 (now the current Milford Town Hall). The same year, Eva Coo murdered Harry Wright, an employee entrusted to her care on Crumhorn Mountain. Niles Eggleston of Eggleston Enterprises wrote a complete history of the Eva Coo murder trial in 1997. The story of this murder has mystified audiences as it is recounted in lore and theater. In 2009, Isaac Rathbone wrote and produced the play, Little Eva, based on Niles’ book.
After the Great Depression, Milford became a sleepy rural town with few thriving economic enterprises. The populations stabilized and then began to decrease slowly.
By the 1940s, the Town of Milford’s modern history begins to take form. The Town carries into present times an economic, social, and cultural base heavily rooted in agriculture and civic life. Many of the early settlers had large families and over time the descendants married across the families weaving strong ties. Tourism began to grow with an emphasis on antiquing, history, and America’s favorite pastime, baseball. Between 1941 and 1942, Deane Winsor established a semi-pro baseball team, the ‘Milford Macs’ and coached the team for the next fifty years. In 1944, O.A. Weatherly sold the Pineapple Cheese factory to the Dairymen’s League and William Crowley purchased the Corner Store. In 1946, the Milford Rotary was established. In 1947, the Milford summer recreation program began in Wilber Park. In 1962, Gordon Hammond began a twenty-five year career as Superintendent of the Milford Central School. The first woman Mayor of Milford, June Hotaling, was elected in 1963. The same year, the Milford Rotary held the First Annual Flea Market – Antique Show.
In 1969, New York State Electric and Gas proposed closing the power station at the Goodyear Lake Dam. In 1971, BOCES opened their occupational center one and a half miles east of the Village of Milford. In 1974, the D&H freight train carrying propane tanks derailed and exploded near Cooperstown Junction causing serious injuries to over 50 firemen and bystanders. In 1975, the Sayre House was deeded to The Greater Milford Historical Association. A stoplight replaced the blinking light in the Village of Milford the same year. By 1979, a grant was awarded by the United States Department of Energy to rebuild the hydroelectric plant on Goodyear Lake. The power plant reopened in 1980 with NYSEG to buy the power generated.
In 1983, the Portlandville School closed. In 1986, James Seward of Milford was elected to the New York State Senate. In 1989, the first woman, Charlotte Koniuto, was inducted into the Milford Rotary. In 1991, Deane Winsor retired from the Milford Macs baseball team. The ballpark was named Deane Winsor Field and the ‘Macs’ become the “Otsego Macs.’ In 1995, Anton Remy died at age seventy-eight after retiring from a thirty-five year career coaching at the Milford Central School. The new gymnasium at the Milford Central School and the Anton Remy Basketball Tournament are dedicated to him.
In 1995, Cooperstown Brewing Company was established at the former O.A. Weatherly Co. milk station. On May 31, 1998 a category 3 tornado ripped through the hills from Laurens to Milford destroying hundreds of acres of forests, fields, and structures. Between 2002 and 2003, a new bridge across the Susquehanna River at Portlandville replaced the 1932 bridge. In June of 2006, major flooding in Milford and surrounding areas caused floodplain reevaluation. In 2007 the Goodyear Lake Association sponsored a Collier’s Dam Centennial Celebration. In 2009 the Goodyear Lake Association was awarded a grant by the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation to support the removal of invasive species, zebra mussels and water chestnuts, from Goodyear Lake. In August of 2011, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee hit the area and caused extensive damage in New York State.
The 1990s saw the successful rise in tourism, especially that surrounding baseball. Tourism has brought prosperity to the community that has not been seen since the late 1800s during the reign of the hops industry. Baseball camps have increased Milford’s population by providing customers with a place to stay in this picturesque rural setting. The tourism industry and rural history have provided the Town of Milford the foundation for growth and prosperity in the 21st Century. Early settlers came for the land and the water and the opportunity for economic prosperity. Land, water, and abundant natural resources drew the first settlers to Milford and today those qualities bring tourists to the area, expanding the economic opportunity the area offers.
Section 7: ARCHITECTURE [7]
One has only to traverse the streets, town roads, county roads, and state highways to view the varied architectural styles visible as reminders of the past history of the Milford Township.
Early settlers were well aware of the dense forests that would provide logs to turn into lumber and fuel for their homes. These settlers also saw the potential waterpower of the Susquehanna River. The River could be harnessed to perform the task of running mills and eventually serve as a vehicle to move logs, lumber, and other goods downstream to larger markets.
The first houses were small log homes consisting of one or two rooms. These log homes were built as quickly as possible to provide shelter and protection from the elements and wild animals. Log houses were later built in the “new country style” which consisted of split planks for the floor, a stone wall at one end for a fireplace covered with bark, a hole in the roof to let smoke escape, small window holes without glass. These log houses constituted a fine house for the settlers. Noted hop merchant David Wilbur was raised in a log cabin on Crumhorn Mountain as late as 1845. None of these early structures are still visible in the Town.
According to town historian, Sandra M. Bullard in her inventory list, “Milford Township – Architecture of Older Homes Still Standing,” the Township of Milford has homes of the Early Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian periods. Author and architect John Milnes Baker says, “there are no less than eight distinct styles that are called Victorian in popular parlance, and many vernacular combinations could also be added to the list. In addition to the Gothic Revival, the list includes the Swiss Cottage, the Italianate style, which includes the Octagon; Exotic Eclectic, Second Empire, the Stick Style and Queen Anne.”
The details that denoted the style of each architectural period are still visible in many of the homes today. For some of the early homes it may be difficult to recognize an exact style of home because details were added or removed. Rooms and porches were added, windows and doors changed.
Early colonial homes are visible throughout the Township from main Route 28 to Village streets. Some fine examples would be the Aylesworth homes. According to Ezra Stevens, “Thomas Mumford constructed a new home after 1796 – stylish at the time of one and one-half story of fine dimensions and painted it red. It was the first frame house built of note in the Town.” Sandra Bullard states, “the house which now stands on this site is the third house built there and was constructed in 1835.” It stands along Route 28 in Milford Center. Many farmhouses found on the town, county and state roads of Milford are fine examples of the early Colonial period.
Federal style homes can also be found throughout the Township and Village. One pure example is the Sayre house in the Village; home to the Greater Milford Historical Association.
The Greek Revival style of 1820 -1850 houses, of which the township has three, is found on: Route 28 in Milford Center, built in 1827 this was the home of Col. Alfred Mumford; another Greek Revival home is located on a hill, heading north on County Route 35 from Portlandville, and the third on County Route 44 approaching Milford.
Many Victorian style homes of the 1830’s-1900 are also found throughout the area from Colliersville, Cooperstown Junction to Milford Village and beyond.
Italianate style was popularized in the United States in the 1840s as an alternative to Gothic or Greek Revival styles. Houses of this style can be found next to the Methodist Church in Milford Village and on the north side of the Town Hall in Portlandville.
Touted as a healthful, sensible innovation in building design from about 1849, the Octagon house was a fad in building for about 15 to 20 years. An octagon house is located on County Route 35 north of Portlandville.
The four-square and the bungalow which met the housing needs of many people from the turn of the century to the Depression were no longer the style middle- Americans desired. Examples of this style of architecture are also found in the township. Many of the early schoolhouses in the Township were of the four-square design; simple but functional.
Building began in earnest after the Second World War across the U.S. Milford had some new houses being built and additions were added to older houses. The styles were as varied as the people who owned them. By the 1950’s, new designs began to appear: the split-level; the raised ranch; camps and cottages along the waterways. Additions of a breeze-way and a garage were added to connect to the main house. Also, along came a house on wheels; the mobile home. It was affordable for many people and was ready to be placed on a lot or in a park. The mobile home then evolved into a double–wide with more room for a family and probably more stylish as it looked like a modern house. A number of the double-wide mobile homes can be found in the Township. Residents have also purchased manufactured houses. Brought to the owner in sections; ready to be placed, and decorated to the owner’s preference. It is much faster than starting from blueprints, boards and nails and less expensive.
Houses, then as now, were built to suit the owner’s financial status, preference in style, and what was in vogue. As different styles became popular or new building materials became available homes were changed to suit the owner’s needs and wants. As a resident became more affluent, more details were added to a home or it was enlarged to show one’s status in the community. People in the past took a house style and developed it to make it their own and residents are still doing that today.
Houses that have a view of water whether it is the Susquehanna River or one of lakes in the Township continue to be a drawing card for moving to or building in the area.
Styles of architecture will continue to evolve and the houses of Milford Township will continue to be reflective of the people who live here.
Section 8: ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES
8.1 GIS Mapping [8]
An understanding of existing environmental conditions establishes a starting point from which to identify areas to encourage and/or limit growth and development within the Town of Milford.
In efforts to guide the Town of Milford in a direction that helps identify and further the goals, policies, and objectives identified within this Comprehensive Plan, existing environmental elements were mapped using GIS technology in order to develop an understanding of the various development constraints and potential within the Town. Appendices A2 – A10 illustrate those mapped elements: Current Land Use Categories; Water Resources; Soil Slope; Wetland and Hydric Soil Areas; Agricultural Soils; NYS Protected Water Ways; and Aquifers. Several of these individual elements are then shown in aggregate within the Development Constraints Map in Appendix A11. All data used to compile these map images is stored at the Otsego County Planning Department.
A comparison of the Development Constraints Map against the Current Land Use Map allows educated and informed decisions with respect to 1) where development could be supported; 2) what types of development can be supported in particular areas; and, 3) what areas may require additional analysis prior to undertaking various types of activities, from single-family home construction to infrastructure improvements.
The mapped resources and environmental elements illustrated provide a quick litmus test for development. Steep slopes, wetland areas, hydric soils, aquifers, and protected streams are each elements that could affect the development potential of land.
8.2 Water Resources8.3 Floodplains
Floodplains are the lands adjacent to a waterway where floodwaters spill out of the banks of a creek or stream. Floodplains are characterized as either 100-year floodplains or 500-year floodplains. A 100-year floodplain has a one in one hundred (1%) chance of flooding in any one year while a 500-year floodplain has a one in five hundred (0.5%) chance of flooding in any one year. Both zones in the town are depicted on the Water Resources Map at Appendix A2.
Floodplains, nevertheless, provide many beneficial functions including reducing the severity of a flood, handling severe storm water runoff, filtering nutrients and impurities, controlling sedimentation and creating rich alluvial soils. They offer diverse habitat areas for fish and wildlife by serving as feeding and breeding grounds and many wetlands are found in floodplains. Floodplain areas provide ideal opportunities for agriculture, parks, trails, bikeways, and areas for wildlife conservation. Development should avoid encroaching upon floodplains due to the loss of beneficial functions and resulting adverse impacts.
The major flood areas in the Town of Milford are the entire length of the Susquehanna River, Cherry Valley Creek, Schenevus Creek and Spring Brook.
8.4 Terrain & Slopes
Topography describes the vertical configuration of the land surface and its relation to the features in the landscape, both natural and man-made. Slope is a measure of topography that describes elevation change over a given horizontal distance. Slopes are typically described in percentages, i.e. a 15 percent slope indicates that the ground rises 15 feet in elevation for every 100 feet in horizontal distance. Appendix A5 illustrates general topography for the Town of Milford based on soil characteristics. Approximately 33% of the Town has soil slopes of greater than 12%; this is also illustrated on the Development Constraints Map in Appendix A11.
8.5 Vegetative Cover
The predominate vegetative cover types are agricultural, deciduous forest, evergreen forest, and wetlands.
8.6 Soils
The soils in the Town of Milford are clay, rock, slate, shale, and
prime farmland soil. (Town of Milford Soil Map, Appendix A5.)
· Approximately 75% of the soils within the Town are “partially hydric” or “all hydric” soils: typically indicative of wetlands.
· Approximately 75% of the soils within the Town have slopes in excess of 9%.
· Approximately 60% of the soils within the Town have slopes in excess of 12%.
8.7 Visual Resources
Milford, along with the townships of Mt. Vision, Oneonta and West Davenport, rests in what is referred to as the Mohawk Valley/Appalachian Uplands. The area is very picturesque with an assortment of soils, vegetation, and geological materials.
8.8 Geology and Hydrology
Gas and petroleum development has the potential to industrialize the Town of Milford’s landscape. The range of impacts experienced by other communities crosses the disciplines of science and medicine, economics, law, and social science. The Town Board of the Town of Milford has been presented with the issue of whether to impose traditional land use controls, such as zoning upon gas and petroleum development within the Town. In a broader effort to assess potential impacts upon the Town of Milford, the Town has sought to understand how Milford and the surrounding region may be uniquely situated in terms of geology and hydrology. The following scholarship is presented in response beginning with Paragraph 8.8.1 thru Paragraph 8.8.7.
8.8.1 Introduction [9]
The terrain within the Town of Milford consists of farmland and forests on the uplands and the broad valleys of the Susquehanna River and Cherry Valley Creek. The uplands and the valleys have significantly different soils and groundwater conditions due to contrasts in underlying bedrock and the mantling overburden in which soils exist. Therefore, each must be considered independently.
8.8.2 Bedrock and Groundwater within Bedrock
Virtually all of the bedrock beneath the uplands consists of a thick (200-1,000 ft), slightly inclined (to the SW) siltstone (the Unadilla Formation) that is characterized by thick layers (100’s of feet) of siltstone in which are discontinuous layers and lenses (10’s of feet thick) of much thinner sandstone. It is the sandstone that forms the bedrock aquifers. It is a misconception to assume there is a single bedrock aquifer. To the contrary, every lens and layer of sandstone forms a local aquifer of limited lateral extent, which is why neighboring country homes have wells that finish at different depths.
A vertically oriented, regionally pervasive fracture system cuts cross all bedrock, thus forming deep-seated cracks along which groundwater moves. In addition, it is along these cracks that the colorless and odorless, cancer-causing radon gas rises from depths that exceed 5,000 feet, thus testifying to the potential for deeply injected fracking fluids to rise to the land surface, contaminating all aquifers in its path.
Groundwater originates from infiltrating rain and snow melt that migrates downward until it encounters layers and lens of sandstone through which it moves laterally, thus forming groundwater aquifers into which domestic wells on the uplands are drilled. Due to limited amounts of surface water infiltration (called recharge) and slow lateral water movement, such wells typically have very low pumping yields of 3-5 gallons per minute. Therefore, very small amounts of contamination would compromise the quality of the water in any one of the many aquifers, thus create a very serious health problem that could take decades to centuries to mitigate if at all.
8.8.3 Groundwater in Soils that Mantle the Uplands
All uplands are mantled by an overburden (commonly referred to as “soil”) that forms a soil parent material consisting of stony silt that may vary in thicknesses from inches to hundreds of feet. Variations in local upland topography allowed some local accumulation of sand and silt deposited by glacial meltwater flowing off the uplands.
Overburden (soil) thickness differs significantly due to the condition under which it was deposited beneath overriding glacial ice during the Ice Age. The thickest of the overburden will vary accordingly, and may contain seams and lens of sand and gravel just a few feet thick, thus producing a condition known as perched groundwater. Although uncommon, such conditions have been known to produce artesian groundwater wells in which water rises under pressure above the wellhead. Here, the water flows freely without being pumped. The significance of this is that contaminating fluids that enter such perched groundwater can be delivered to the surface rapidly in drilled wells and free flowing upland springs. Such conditions defy mitigation and should be avoided under all circumstances and at all costs.
8.8.4 Broad Valley Geologic Setting and Groundwater Conditions
The Susquehanna River and Cherry Valley Creek flow across broad floodplains beneath which are two distinctly different materials. The thickest (up to 400 feet) is a fine-grained silt (in some places as fine as clay) that is found virtually everywhere beneath the floodplain. Adjacent to and 50 to 100 feet above the floodplain on both sides of the valley are terraces on which many farms have been developed. These terraces are underlain by very permeable sand and gravel, which transmit groundwater freely, and form the recharge area for valley aquifers below. Drillers logs from domestic water wells show that these sands and gravels blend into the floodplain silt beneath the surface, thus indicating they were both deposited at the same time during glacial retreat when a large lake existed in the valley behind a dam at Portlandville. The silt accumulated on the floor of the lake at the same time as sand and gravel deposited by streams flowing off the valley walls into the lake, thus forming deltas. When the dam was breached naturally centuries ago, the lake (Glacial Lake Milford) emptied. The modern floodplain has developed on the old lake floor and the deltaic sands and gravel were left high and dry to form terraces. This regionally significant geologic setting controls the occurrence and movement of groundwater within the Susquehanna Valley for miles downstream, well beyond Oneonta. Indeed, the sand and gravel terraces adjacent to the floodplain allow groundwater to flow freely at depth, thus connecting aquifers beneath the floodplain. The DEC refers to these as Primary and Principal Aquifers that exist throughout the entire eastern extent of the Susquehanna River Valley from Binghamton to Cooperstown. Aquifers given such a designation are the primary sources of drinking water for municipalities all along the valley. These have the potential to yield millions of gallons of water every day, all year round. Needless to say, it is absolutely imperative to protect such regional aquifers from contamination.
8.8.5 The Potential for Groundwater Contamination
All rocks contain passageways for groundwater and radon gas movement. Rain falling on a stonewall is quickly absorbed into the pores of the rock. Where fractures occur (and all rocks contain fractures) infiltration is even faster. These examples testify to the ability of a fluid, as common as water, to readily move into and through most rocks. Soils absorb water even faster than rock. Once within the rock or soil it moves slowly downward and out of sight, passing through paper-thin cracks in bedrock and through minute pores of the overburden (soil). Although it may be slow, it is endless, limitless, and interminable. Such water movement is called recharge because it feeds water to aquifers. If this water is contaminated anywhere at the land surface or along its infiltration route, it will contaminate the aquifers below.
8.8.6 How Serious is the Contamination of Groundwater?
Literature published of professional geologists and hydrologists clearly demonstrates that groundwater moves very slowly, as little as a few hundred feet per year at depth beneath the land surface. Therefore, “dilution is not the solution” for contamination. It would take centuries for a small amount of contaminating fluid to flush through the groundwater system and thousands of years if contamination was allowed to continue.
In the scientific world, most organic solutions are known as heavy liquids. The problem with heavy liquids is that they are heavier than water and thus pass through groundwater to greater depths and remain as health hazards long after the groundwater moves on. This effectively extends the hazardous period indefinitely.
Should groundwater contamination of bedrock and/or soil occur it would last for centuries to millennia, which might as well be forever in the standards of human groundwater and land use. This is compounded infinitely if heavy liquids are the source of contamination.
8.8.7 In Summary
The soil and bedrock within the Town of Milford contains aquifers that provide essential groundwater for farm use, individual country dwellings, as well as being geologically and hydrologically connected to high yield, community aquifers beneath the Susquehanna for miles down valley.
Groundwater contamination of any kind and/or any amount, be it in bedrock beneath the uplands or in Primary and Principle aquifers beneath the valleys has the potential to render this part of New York State as a health hazard for centuries to millennia into the future. This resource must be protected. To do otherwise would be unconscionable.
Section 9: EDUCATION [10]
9.1 Growing the Town: Growing the Minds
Land, water, academics, economics, people, and events have shaped the history of the Town of Milford. The early settlers of the town came for ownership of land for a permanent settlement, for land for farming and timber, and for water that could power the mills that would draw others to the settlement. Most of the early settlers of the Town of Milford came from New England and they brought with them a strong belief in the importance of education which then meant the 3 Rs of readin’, ‘ritin’, and ‘rithmetic. At first children were educated at home.
In 1795 New York State began to provide public funding for common schools, but the decision of whether or not to open a school was left to the determination of the local community. It was not until 1812 that New York State mandated that communities build schools, hire teachers, and collect taxes to operate the schools. Yet Milford’s commitment to education was well in advance of New York State law: the first school, District #1 – Milford Village, was organized in 1790 and the first teacher was Increase Niles. On April 5, 1796, at the first ever town meeting, David Cully, Samuel Dolittle, and Samuel Whitmarsh were appointed as Commissioners of Schools for the Town. Town government and education were linked from the start.
9.2 Early Schools
Most of the early schools were log schools, usually about 16’ x 20’, heated by wood, much of the firewood was provided by the pupils. In time the log schools were replaced by simple frame structures usually located near a crossroads on land that was not considered suitable for growing. Until the mid-1880s, many teachers were paid in produce, or clothing, or room and board was provided in lieu of payment. As settlements grew, school districts were formed around those settlements. People settled where they could make a living on the land or with the water. A school district’s boundaries were determined by what was considered the proper walking distance for a five year old. This meant a distance of between 2 – 5 miles in the various Milford districts. Each district had its own distinctive character and history.
By 1878 Milford had fourteen districts and employed twenty-one teachers. While 582 pupils were enrolled, the average daily attendance was 310 as the agricultural calendar dictated when many children attended school. The value of schoolhouses and sites was $9,920. In time Milford had twenty school districts, three of which were shared with neighboring towns. The districts typically were named for the families who owned or donated the land or for the crossroads where the schools were located. A teacher might have seventy or more students spanning five or more grades in a school. School Board records indicate that the chief concerns were firewood, teacher’s salary, and the purchase of school supplies. Most of the buildings cost less than one hundred dollars to build and residents in those districts paid for the cost of materials. The districts were:
District #1 – Milford Village
District #2 – Tansy Hill – 2 miles south of the village
District #3 – Portlandville, originally on the east side of the Susquehanna River. A new school was built in 1907 on the hill on the west side of the river. This school was used until 1983.
District #4 – Milford Center – also known as Arnold District
District #5 – Edson Corners – at the time, considered by many to be the best because it had the best qualified teachers and the families had the greatest interest in education.
District # 6 – Crumhorn or Wightman – on the mountain east of Portlandville. This was the last area of Milford to be settled.
District #7 – Edson/Reed Settlement – residents paid $65 to build the school.
District #8 – Dutch Hill/West Milford– built in 1807 and named for Dutch settlers of the area.
District #9 – Wellmans
District #10 – Hemlock – on Rte. #35, in Hemlock Grove, east of the river.
District #11 – Stone Arabia – in the area of Gifford and Murphy Hills
District #12 – Colliersville/Cooperstown Junction – open from 1838 – 1930
District #13 – Spoonville – in the area of Springbrook
District #14 Crumhorn/Marble – on the mountain. Many noted doctors, lawyers, and successful businessmen were educated at this school.
District #15 – Bowe Hill – from Edson Corners to Mt. Vision. This was a joint district with Hartwick.
Districts #16 – 18 – no information
District #19 – Eggleston Hill – a joint district with Middlefield
District #20 – Near the meeting of the Cherry Valley Creek and the Susquehanna River, also a joint district with Middlefield.
9.3 Advancing Education
All of the schools were common schools, meaning they educated
students in the common branches from ages 5 to 14. Successful students graduated from the equivalent of grade 8. Of all the districts, only District #1 remains today. In 1894 a vote was taken and the various districts united to become the Milford Union Free School District, which would allow them to operate a high school for the first time. District #1 became Milford High School.
In 1912 Paul Scheiber was appointed as principal and teacher at the Milford High School. He received a salary of $900. At the same time, common school teachers received $30 to $40 per month. There was no electricity in the school at that time. The building was lit with acetylene lamps and the fuel often ran out leaving the rooms too dark for classes. The school did not have funds to pay for copper wire and fixtures needed to install electricity. Mr. Teel, a teacher, and Mr. Scheiber worked with the students on a fund-raising effort. The students collected newspapers that were traded to a junk dealer in exchange for wire and equipment to install the electrical service with power from the hydroelectric dam at Goodyear Lake. Parents and the community joined in the collection effort. Mr. Teel and Mr. Scheiber worked on weekends to complete the job and brought electricity to the school.
In 1926 Milford became one of the first school districts in the state to apply for and receive funding to build a central school, consolidating the district. Only District #12 – Colliersville did not join. They voted to join the Oneonta School District instead. This is why to this day children from Lakeshore Drive South in Maryland to the Oneonta town line, attend school in Oneonta. The voters approved a bond issue to build and equip a new central school building in 1927. The cost was $75,000 for construction and $4,000 for furniture and equipment. The new brick building was opened in 1928 with seven teachers and a principal and a yearly operating budget of $21,500 (the same cost as educating one Milford student today).
The need for additional space and facilities continued in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1950, voters approved a bond of $285,000 for the purchase of land and construction of nine new classrooms, a new gymnasium/auditorium, teachers’ room, and boiler room added to the school. In the 1960s the basement was cleared to make new classrooms and mobile classrooms were added.
9.4 Struggles to Overcome
The district applied to the state for funding for another building project in 1976, but the state was strongly recommending that small, rural districts merge. While feasibility studies were done to examine merger with other towns, none proved acceptable. The district proposed building a new school building near the BOCES, but the voters defeated the proposal. In 1986 the New York State Education Department approved funding for building a new school provided the voters would approve the construction. If the voters did not approve the proposal, the state indicated they would close the school. Amid struggle and controversy, the voters approved the six million dollar project that raised tax rates 24% to 27% and a new, modern school was completed in 1988. In 1991, Parade magazine celebrated Milford’s efforts with a feature article, “How a Small Town Saved its School.”
Throughout the years, the Town of Milford has seen the need for a strong education program. Then, as now, preparing students to become “productive participants in a changing world” has kept the quality of education at Milford Central School strong and vital, even while the New York State Education Department designated Milford as a high needs rural school. Approximately 40% of the students in the Milford Central School are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch. This is a measure of economic need. The New York State Education Department Report Card on schools indicates that the average cost to educate a student in Milford, when administrative costs, transportation, debt service and other costs are added to the instructional expenditures is $21,612 while at the same time the median income in the town is $ 44,806. This is $20,000 less than the median income in the state and in the nation.
The quality of the education program at Milford Central School has received national recognition in the 2012 US News and World Report ranking of high schools. In 2012 they analyzed 21,776 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia based on 2009-2010 data.
U.S. News‘s comprehensive rankings methodology is based on the key principles that a great high school must serve all of its students well, not just those who are college-bound, and it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators.
The analysis looked at multiple factors:
1. Performance on state assessments in reading and math, factoring in the percentage of minority and economically disadvantaged students to ensure that a school was performing better than statistical predictions for all students.
2. Performance of college readiness based on enrollment and student performance in AP or IB classes.
Schools received an index score and from that schools were awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals, or not ranked at all. Milford was awarded a silver medal and ranked #116 in New York State and # 882 nationally, ranking higher than any school in a three-county area.
9.5 21st Century – Bringing Technology Home
Milford has successfully submitted grant proposals to enhance educational opportunities not only for the students, but for the community as well.
In 2008 Milford Central School was awarded a nearly $100,000 grant from Clarity Connect to extend availability of high-speed internet access to local district residents through the New York State Universal Broadband Access Grant. This grant will achieve the following:
· Extend the availability of high speed broadband to at least 90% of Milford Central School District residents by offering open access/vendor (network) neutral high speed access
· Provide a sliding-scale rate and free setup to low-income families located in the school district (with support from the grant for this objective).
· Provide broadband access to the District’s educational services
· Make a compelling case to residents for connection to broadband services
· Support residents by investing in digital literacy education
· Offer a free “Hot Spot” in the Village of Milford providing access for those residents unable or unwilling to subscribe directly so key services may still be accessed
In 2008 IBM donated 10 laptop computers toward the Connecting Rural Schools to the World project.
9.6 Power and the People: Harnessing the Power Around
In 1912 the Milford High School principal and a math teacher launched a campaign with the students to raise funds to bring electricity to the school. The students and the community collected newspapers, which they traded with an Oneonta business for wiring and equipment to electrify the school with power from the newly constructed hydroelectric dam at Goodyear Lake. Now 100 years later, a $272,980 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will allow Milford Central School to install a 41kW solar photovoltaic system to generate a portion of the school’s annual electric consumption. A portion of the elementary wing has been selected allowing maximum solar energy. A display case will be installed providing an educational opportunity for all students K-12 to learn about electric production from the photovoltaic panels on the roof.
Education at Milford Central School is not limited to K – 12. In 2010, Lorre Gregory, the school grants writer, and Susan Ward, a school board member, developed Career Opportunities in Rural Education (CORE), a multi-generational project focused on career counseling, educational and business opportunities, and financial aid advisement leading to the attainment of personal and career goals in order to prepare people in the region – from students through retirees – to compete in the global economy. Centered at Milford Central School, CORE is a site for adult education and continuing education for those who want to retrain for a new career or learn career options.
Education is about growing minds, but in so doing to grow character. From 1790 on, the residents of the town have, despite economic struggles, provided for the school system. Today students are actively involved in giving back to their community through a student developed and run philanthropy, M.I.S.S.I.O.N. (Meaningful Investments for Student Solutions in our Neighborhood). The three main funding priorities are
- ENVIRONMENT
- COMMUNITY
- EDUCATION
Caring for the land and the water; creating a place where others would want to live, and growing young minds were the goals of those who came here over 220 years ago. These remain the goals today in the students Milford sends forth in the changing world before them. The words of the Milford Education Foundation website echo the ethos of the earliest settlers to the town,
Imagine Inspire Innovate
Building our future through Scholarship, Entrepreneurship, and Philanthropy.
9.7 The Evolution of Springbrook
In 1925 a private institution that had no direct connection to the Milford schools opened along Route 28 in Milford Center, near the area that was once District #13 – Spoonville. Harriet Parish Smith and her husband Claude of Oneonta founded what was originally called The Upstate Baptist Home for Children, an orphanage on a working farm with barn, outbuildings, and 95 acres that was purchased from the Morris Family. The Smith’s learned that there was no facility in upstate New York where babies and children could be kept until they could find a home. Working with The American Baptist Church of New York they initiated the fundraising to develop the facility. In the early years about thirty children lived and worked at the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Hall supervised the home for many years.
Shortly after opening, Dutton Cottage was built next door as a place for the workers at the Home to live. The Home was sponsored by the Baptist Church and most of the original children were from Baptist families. In 1935 the brick Chellis-Nichols House was erected next door and was used for education and offices. Dutton Cottage was removed in 2012 in order to complete the expansion. Two of the three original buildings remain today. In the 1950s juveniles were also admitted to the Home. The children attended Milford schools.
In 1966 William Nunn became the Administrator and remained for more than 25 years. At this time the Home changed its name and expanded its mission. The religious affiliation did not change, only the name. The newly named Upstate Home for Children and Adults began accepting students with developmental disabilities. The residents came from many states, though most came from the upstate area. The Chellis-Nichols House became a community home for nine adults with developmental disabilities. In the 1967 the organization offered day school for area students before such services were provided by BOCES.
9.8 The Upstate Home Expands in Size and Mission
1977 saw the opening The Residential School Building, allowing the facility to serve seventy-two students ages 5 to 21. The expansion continued in 1993 with Kids Unlimited Preschool, the only integrated preschool program in Otsego County serving children ages three to five with and without developmental disabilities. Additional residential homes for students were built and by 2000 there were 47 residential students.
Springbrook was chosen as the new name in 2005. Patricia Kennedy, the Chief Executive Officer, indicated that there was a desire for a new name that reflected the spirit of hope and community. Springbrook is also the name of the stream that begins at Arnold Lake and flows nearby before it empties into the Susquehanna at Goodyear Lake.
With a $2.5 million matching grant provided by Tom Golisano, Springbrook began a campaign to raise funds to expand by building a “school within a school” to provide services for children with autism. The groundbreaking for the $22.5 million expansion was begun in July 2010 and is in the final stages.
Founded in 1925 as the Upstate Baptist Home, Springbrook now has 900 workers, and is the fifth largest employer in Otsego County. In addition to its Milford campus, the nonprofit organization offers a variety of programs for individuals and families and has 20 community homes in the region, as well as five community-based day programs serving over 550 individuals. For students considered Hard to Place (HTP) many have been sent out of state to access the necessary services. Springbrook has been approved as a certified HTP facility allowing these New York students to return closer to home and families.
On the rolling farmland of what was once called Spoonville, near the stream known as Springbrook, this facility provides education and services for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
9.9 Otsego Northern Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ONC-BOCES)
The Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) came into being in New York State through legislative enactment in 1948 in order to provide a program of shared educational services. It was originally considered a temporary measure that would enable small rural school districts to combine resources that might have been unavailable or unfeasible economically and become a multiple school BOCES district. BOCES have become a permanent part of the public education system with thirty-seven BOCES districts serving 721 of the 730 school districts in the state. Membership boundaries in a district have been subject to study and revision. Milford Central School is a member of the Otsego Northern Catskill BOCES (ONC-BOCES), one of the largest districts in geographical distance in New York, serving nineteen school districts.
The ONC-BOCES has two facilities. The Otsego Area Occupational Center is located in Milford, near the confluence of the Cherry Valley Creek and the Susquehanna River. The site is near where one of the early Milford Common Schools was located. Built in the 1970s, the Otsego Area Occupational Center relies on a private well system for its water. This facility serves approximately 325 students, plus faculty and staff. There are four major programs offered here:
1. Career and Technical Education – This is the largest program serving about 225 students. Most of these programs are geared towards preparing students for college or skilled workforce careers and are taken during the last two years of school. There are a number of specialized studies within this program including (*denotes those with the highest enrollment):
· Welding*
· Building Trades
· Automechanics
· Natural Resource Management*
· Visual Arts
· Information Technology*
· Culinary Arts*
· Health Occupations
In addition, the New Visions Healthcare Program provides motivated students interested in health care careers with a senior year engaged in clinical experiences with health care professionals at local hospitals, in conjunction with rigorous college preparatory classes.
In September a new Pre-Engineering program offered in conjunction with Syracuse University and SUNY Oneonta will be launched. Two programs were discontinued this year for lack of enrollment – Agricultural Studies and Criminal Justice.
2. Innovative Programs – on site programs for students with special needs that cannot be met by member schools.
3. Alternative Education Programs – leading to a high school diploma or equivalent for student whose needs are not being met in district programs.
4. Adult Career and Technical Education programs are designed to enhance academic and workforce skills to enable participants to gain employment or career advancement.
The land, the water, and educating the community have played central roles in the Town from its very beginning to today. In the three education facilities that lie along the Susquehanna Valley, approximately 2,000 or more students, teachers, and staff are involved in education in Milford today. All three facilities rely on land for play and recreation, safe and accessible roads, clear, unpolluted air and clean, safe water to drink. Community support and involvement remains unwavering through the centuries.
Section 10: HOUSING [11]
The 2010 Census provides the following information to better understand housing in the Town of Milford. It is important to keep in mind that the population and the various age groups in the population affect the housing occupancy and needs in the town.
Population
Total 3,044
Median Age 46.3
Under 18 614 21.2%
Above 21 2333 76.6%
62 and over 667 21.9%
20 – 64 1857 61% Generally, the working years
Relationships
In households 2,969 97.5%
Child under 18 503 16.5%
Household Types
Family 820 63.6%
w/children < 18 280 21.7%
Male – no W 64 5 %
w/children <18 36 2.5%
Female – no H 113 8.8%
w/children <18 63 4.9%
Over 65 all 378 29.3%
Housing Occupancy
Total Housing Units 1,672
Population in
owner-occupied units 2,372
Occupied Units 1,290 77.2%
Owner-Occupied 1,031 79.9%
Vacant 382 22%
(Of these 247 seasonal/69 vacant)
Renter Units 259 20.1%
Population in renter units 597
Generally children and those of potentially retired age are of similar amounts.
The American Community Survey uses Census data to sample and estimate the following:
Median Value of housing
Milford $136,300
Otsego County $126,126
New York State $306,000
Income Milford Otsego County NYS
Median Family $49,244 $42,146 $54,645
Per Capita $23,948 $22,902 $30,948
Homes with mortgages 500 48.2%
Homes without mortgages 537 51.8%
Households earning < $25,000 22.3%
According to local real estate agencies there are incentives for first time home ownership. The Integrated Housing Needs & Opportunities Study for Otsego County (2009) defines Affordable Housing as housing costing 30% of the owner’s monthly income. It is possible to secure a mortgage for affordable housing for a family earning $25,000. There are currently at least nine houses for sale in the Milford Township for less than $100,000.
There are two pro-active programs in Milford that assist people with lower incomes with the means to increase their economic opportunities. Career Opportunities in Rural Education (CORE), a multi-generational project focused on career counseling, educational and business opportunities, and financial aid advisement leading to the attainment of personal and career goals in order to prepare people in the region – from students through retirees – to compete in the global economy. Centered at Milford CS, CORE is a site for adult education and continuing education for those who want to retrain for a new career or learn career options. ONC BOCES in Milford also offers adult education opportunities to learn a variety of skills for workforce entry and progress.
Rental units throughout the county are in shorter supply for both moderate and low income tenants. Subsidized funding sources in Otsego County provide 533 housing units for low income tenants low income tenants. The majority of these – 58.3% – are located in Oneonta. Units are typically developed in more urban areas to provide greater access to jobs, transportation, and services. There are 28 subsidized housing units, ranging from one to three bedrooms, available in the Village of Milford, at the site of the former Milford Central School.
There have been discussions of building additional units but there has not been movement in that direction. With an aging population there is currently no subsidized housing available for the elderly. When 30% of the population is over 65, this is an area that warrants further study.
School Population and Housing
The schools in Otsego County have seen declining numbers of enrolled students. The New York State Education Department commissioned the Rockefeller Institute of Government to conduct two studies of the enrollment patterns of the Otsego Northern Catskill BOCES to determine if reorganizing the districts would better serve the educational interests of the region. Two studies have been completed (2007 and 2009). ONC BOCES has 19 component school districts and is located in one of the most rural areas of the state. It has the second lowest enrollment of the 37 BOCES – an average of 537 students – and covers 1,661 square miles, making it the 12th largest. The Rockefeller Institute analysis of the declining enrollments across the districts determined that an aging population and a lack of robust economic growth have and will continue to have the greatest impact on declining school populations.
Section 11: CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES [12]
The Township of Milford is home to number of cultural, recreational and historic facilities that serve the local population and many tourists that visit the area. These facilities are grouped below according to location within the Town of Milford and the surrounding region.
11.1 Village of Milford
Sayre House
The Sayre House is the present home to the Greater Milford Historical Society. This Federal style house was deeded from the Eggleston family, to the Greater Milford Historical Society. The house was owned by David Sayre, a relative of the Eggleston’s, who came to Milford from Greene County and had the house built in 1808. It now houses historical displays and is used as a meeting place.
Milford Free Library
On November 16, 1923, a meeting was held to organize a free library. Thanks to twelve people who had such a great interest in planning for and creating a library, eighty-nine years later, the Library still exists. The by-laws for the Library were drafted and accepted on December 10, 1923 and are the same by-laws currently in use. Books were kept at one of the local churches until 1929. They were then moved to a store front on East Main Street, the Tipple building, which was previously owned by a J.E. Smith. In the 1940’s the Library was moved to the west part of the Wilbur Block, located on the northeast corner of East and North Main Streets. In 1949 a Village Center was built. This included a fire hall, village office, and library. Later the ambulance garage was added. The Library Board met at the new building on November 22, 1949, twenty-six years after the first organizational meeting. Funding for the Library comes from the Village, the Town of Milford, the Board of Education, the Four County Library Association and The State. Various fundraisers are held throughout the year to also support the Library. Current circulation for books is 4,908, with periodicals and movies about 1,200. Children’s books circulation is about 1,204 with other circulations at about 325 for children. Internet access is also available. A Summer Reading Program for children in grades K through 12 is encouraged by a talk at the Milford Central School before summer vacation begins by the librarian. When children register for the Program, they receive a bag containing a reading record sheet, bookmark, and pencil. For every five books read, a child then earns a prize. Barbara Campbell is the current librarian who continues the long tradition of offering service to the Village and Township of Milford at the Library. (Source: Milford Free Library Association 1923-1993, Pamphlet by Louise B. Armstrong and an interview with Barbara Campbell)
Milford Depot Station
Built in 1869, the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad gives a chance to experience what was once the primary form of transportation throughout the country – riding the rails. In an area rich with railroad history the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad takes visitors back in time with vintage rail cars and locomotives through the scenic wilderness of the upper Susquehanna River Valley. The Railroad crosses the river twice over two steel-truss bridges, and travels through a variety of landscapes, including forests, wetlands and rolling farms. In the beautifully restored Milford Depot in Milford, also built in 1869, visitors can view a variety of exhibits and displays. (www.leatherstocking Railway Historical Society)
Wilbur Park
Wilbur Park is privately owned by the residents of the Village of Milford, but is open to the general public for their enjoyment. Wilber Park is a ten acre park. Winsor Field was originally built by Deane Winsor, the former owner and manager of the Milford Mac’s Baseball Team. Winsor Field is available by reservation only. Wilber Park also has a Pavilion and Concession Stand available for daily rental. (www. Village of Milford, NY)
Presbyterian Meeting House
Now known as The Upper Susquehanna Cultural Center, the former Presbyterian Meeting House was built in 1810. The Meeting House played a vital role in the social and political climate of Milford, as it served as the town meeting hall, court, and church. Many businesses sprang up around the Meeting House. The Presbyterian Church gave the building to the Greater Milford Historical Association and has since been restored by the Association. It is still used for village meetings and as a meeting place for other groups and organizations.
11.2 Township of Milford
The Susquehanna River Named A National Historic Trail
In July 2012 US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar announced that the Susquehanna River was to be designated as a National Historic Trail as a connector to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. For the Susquehanna River, as the headwater to Chesapeake Bay, the recognition will support conservation, stewardship, recreation, and tourism within the state and the Bay watershed.
The National Park Service, which administers the trail, will provide technical and financial assistance to state agencies and local organizations to promote and manage the trail. Comprehensive planning for the Susquehanna portion of the trail will begin in the near future.
Expanding the National Historic Trail is a part of the Obama administration’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, which has been described as a model of conservation in the 21st Century. The goal of the Historic Trail designation is to encourage outdoor tourism and build local connections to cultural resources and promote water-based recreation that preserves, protects, and promotes our resources.
Goodyear Lake [13]
Settlers along the banks of the Susquehanna built dams for gristmills from the earliest times. Isaac Collier, one of the early settlers, built the first dam across the Susquehanna in 1806. The water powered a sawmill and a gristmill and Collier’s fortune grew. Peter Collier, one of his sons, continued in the family business. In 1823, partnering with his son-in-law Jared Goodyear they built another dam for a larger water-powered sawmill very near the site of the present Collier’s dam. Both men prospered economically. When Goodyear died in 1874 his wealth was estimated at nearly one million dollars, the largest estate ever recorded to that time in Otsego County.
Herbert Jennings bought the 65-mile trolley road that ran from the Mohawk Valley to the Susquehanna Valley. In 1904 Jennings then bought the Goodyear gristmill and lands along the Susquehanna River for $6,000 with the intention of building a hydroelectric dam that could power the trolleys.
In 1906, 150 men began construction of the $200,000 project. The floodgates on the completed 36-foot high Collier’s Dam closed on October 16. On October 22, 1907 water flowed over the dam for the first time, flooding over 500 acres of land and buildings, creating a two-mile long Goodyear Lake. The power plant went into operation a few weeks later, making it one of the earliest hydroelectric plants of this size in New York State. The Susquehanna Power Company owned dam generated electricity that provided the power for both the interurban railroad as well as power and light for villages along the way.
While farms and timber harvesting continued on the hills surrounding the lake, soon the land surrounding Goodyear Lake became a popular place for camping, boating, and summer cottages. Summer cottages were built on the west and east shores of the lake on 25, 50, and 75-foot lots that could be purchased for $100 – $150 or less. In 1913 a D & H Railroad station was built on the east side of the lake to transport people to the lake.
Around 1919 a five-story ice plant was built on the western shore of Goodyear Lake. Ice harvested from the lake was sold to homes and businesses in the area until 1933. Boats would cross the lake to deliver to homes and camps on the eastern shore. In time there were stores, restaurants, dancehalls, hotels, and boarding houses on both sides of the lake. A number of summer places around the lake were large and had barns, garages, and accessory buildings that accommodated servants, workers, and transient guests.
In 1921, The Goodyear Lake Association held its first official meeting. The Association was made up of landowners and leaseholders. Their goal was maintaining the quality of the land and water and building an active community, echoing the concerns of the earliest settlers of the town. In 1926 the Association became incorporated and certain lots were designated as access points for those who did not have waterfront property. The Association members paid for roads to be built until the 1930s when the Town took over many of the roads. The members also paid for part-time law enforcement. In the 1930s and 1940s building around the lake flourished and the 1950s saw a shift from seasonal to increased (and conversion) full-time residences.
The Susquehanna Power Company sold the dam to New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG). In 1967 NYSEG announced that they no longer wanted to be in the power generating business. They offered the dam and the land for $1 but stipulated that if no one took the offer they would pull the plug and drain the lake. The Federal Power Commission stepped in. Instead NYSEG offered $50,000 to anyone who would take over the generating plant. The Goodyear Lake Association raised an additional $25,000 to lure interested parties into taking over the facility. Through years of struggle, Stapenhorst, a Canadian firm submitted a proposal to overhaul the dam and use it as a site to demonstrate their new generating systems. In 1991 the dam and the hydroelectric facility were sold once more. The current owner is Enel Green Power, a leading provider of renewable power throughout the world, including 60 hydroelectric plants in North America.
Today, Goodyear Lake area is the most populous of the settlements in Milford with approximately 500 residences in the area surrounding the lake. Of those, more than eighty percent were built prior to 1980 and the majority of the homes were built prior to the adoption of zoning. The Goodyear Lake Association has maintained an active advocacy role for the area and the town throughout the years. The members regularly have the water quality of the lake monitored. It remains good to very good. They also work diligently to protect this valuable biosphere, combating invasive species of plants and animals, and protecting and preserving the quality of the lake and the quality of life around the lake.
The Lake and the Town residents take pride in a family of bald eagles. Since 2001, a pair of bald eagles have nested over the lake. The lake provides an abundant food supply. Once endangered, this pair – one of New York’s newest native-born eagle pairs – and their many offspring, are a reminder of what New York ingenuity, and dedication to the land, the water, and the community can achieve to preserve, protect, and thrive.
Arnold Lake State Forest
Description:
Trails lie on New York State and Otsego County lands surrounding Arnold Lake. The main trail is a 5.5 mile loop that crosses public highways at three places with several short, steep pitches. Can be skied comfortably by cross-country skiers of modest ability.
Description:
Trails lie on New York State and Otsego County lands surrounding Arnold Lake. The main trail is a 5.5 mile loop that crosses public highways at three places with several short, steep pitches. Can be skied comfortably by cross-country skiers of modest ability.Trails lie on New York State and Otsego County lands surrounding Arnold Lake. The main trail is a 5.5 mile loop that crosses public highways at three places with several short, steep pitches. Can be skied comfortably by cross-country skiers of modest ability.
Trails lie in Milford and Hartwick Townships. The main trail is a 5.5 mile loop that crosses public highways at three places with several short, steep pitches which can be skied comfortably by cross-country skiers of modest ability.
Riddell State Park [14]
Robert V. Riddell, a toolmaker from Colliersville, loved the land that had been passed down from generation to generation through his family. When he died in 2002, he left the 1,042 acres to his daughter, Patricia Riddell Kent. He had suggested to Patricia and her husband Steven L. Kent, “that they hang onto the land for 30 years, and then if possible, to do their best to keep the land in its natural state.” Robert V. Riddell believed that land is not a renewable resource, and that so much of our area’s land was being developed for commercial purposes. He also believed that for our short time on earth, we are caretakers of the land entrusted to us to take care of for future generations to enjoy. Honoring the philosophy of her father, Patricia Riddell Kent and Steven L. Kent donated the land as a New York State Park. In this way, the land would be protected from commercial development and exploitation, and it would be kept in its natural state for future generations to enjoy.
The ownership of the land comprising Riddell State Park can be traced back to Alonzo Every around 1871. In those days, it was a working farm. Then Every left the farm to his daughter Vinnie Every Riddell and her husband Murray Riddell. Portions of the original homestead still remain in ruin near the location where I-88 divides the property. (A larger, more stately house was built closer to Route 7 near the bridge, but burned down in 1978.) Vinnie and Murray left the land to their eldest son Every “Deke” Riddell, but he didn’t pay property taxes, so younger son Alton B. Riddell of Cooperstown Junction and Alton’s son Robert V. Riddell of Colliersville took over ownership of the land, paying the taxes. The land was no longer a working farm by then. Alton was a well-known milk tester and his son Robert V. was a toolmaker. They did lease the land to Junior Norton for his cows and draft horses, and Junior cut the fields for hay.
Today, the land is divided into two portions by Interstate 88, and the park is currently open for passive use. The north side has the 200 acre field and creek portion. The Schenevus Creek meanders throughout the fields. The South side of the interstate has the other 800+ acres, which is the hill portion. One can take a forty-five minute walk up the old logging road (logging road is accessible by parking along Gersoni Road … look for “State Lands” signs) to find a waterfall, which is off trail to the left. Hartwick College sold the upper tract of its Pine Lake Property to New York State Parks, so that 800 acres joins up with Patricia and Steven’s donated 1,042 acres along with some adjoining new York State Department of Environmental Conservation land that is now a part of the State Park, making this the largest State Park in the Central Leatherstocking Region. There is a beautiful bog at the top of the hill called Mud Lake. Follow trail markers. It is a lovely 4.5 mile walk over this hill ending up at Pine Lake. Benefactors Patricia and Steven lead walks and hikes three times annually to give tours and share history.
Henderson Boy Scout Camp at Crumhorn Mountain
Otsego, Delaware and Schoharie counties make up the Otschodela Council Boy Scouts of America. Boy Scout Camp Henderson is situated on 630 acres of rolling hills and mature forest on Crumhorn Mountain in upstate New York. Its reservation is home to a superb lake and miles of hiking trails that meet all ability levels. With its 12 camp sites with tent platforms and lean-tos, this Boy Scout camp is always ready to provide a fun and an adventurous Boy Scout summer camp experience. (www.BoyScount)
Special Events
In addition to the above institutions and recreational facilities, the Township has various community/cultural events throughout the year.
The annual Polar Bear Plunge at Goodyear Lake in February. The money raised goes to local hospice, children with medical issues, and some to the Milford Fire Department.
An Earth Festival held at the Milford Central School in April to bring about an awareness of our environment. Many local groups participate in the Festival.
Memorial Day weekend brings many canoeists to the area to participate in the annual 70 mile General Clinton Canoe Regatta on the Susquehanna River which passes through Milford.
A Garlic Festival is held in the field near Wood Bull Antiques on Rt. 28 North in July. The Festival attracts farmers and vendors from all over the county and surrounding counties. A variety of products made from garlic are available for purchase and growers also offer tips for growing garlic.
Another annual event is Goodyear Lake Day/Festival in August. It is a wonderful community building, all day celebration at the Lake that includes music, dancing, games, children’s activities, a children’s parade, exhibits by local organizations, a boat parade, and a magnificent fireworks display that is the climax of the Day! A 5K Race, Polar Bear Run, is also included in the festivities.
11.3 Oneonta – City and Township
The people of Milford Village and Township have in close proximity several educational institutions and venues that provide quality programming for local residents and the traveling public.
Hartwick College
Hartwick College is a four-year private nondenominational, coeducational liberal arts and sciences college of 1500 students, located in Oneonta, New York. Hartwick offers an expansive curriculum, which emphasizes a unique experimental approach to the liberal arts. Through personalized teaching, collaborative research, a unique January Term, a wide range of internships, and vast study abroad opportunities, Hartwick ensures students are prepared for the world ahead. A three-year Bachelor’s Degree Program and strong financial aid and scholarship offerings keep Hartwick affordable. The college also houses The Yager Museum of Art & Culture, which is a teaching museum that connects Hartwick’s classrooms to the world and the world to the Hartwick College community. (www.hartwick)
SUNY College at Oneonta
SUNY College at Oneonta was established in 1889 as a state normal school with the sole mission of training teachers. The SUNY College at Oneonta was a founding member of the State University of New York system in 1948. Today SUNY Oneonta is a four-year multi-purpose public college with an enrollment of about 6,000 undergraduate students. Programs are offered in the liberal arts, sciences, social sciences, and professional studies. 69 majors and nearly 70 minors and five pre-professional programs are offered and each is designed to prepare students for successful careers or graduate school. The College is known for outstanding and accessible faculty, a campus community committed to academics and service, developing students into life-long learners and a beautiful campus that helps nurture connections between upper Susquehanna Valley and rural central New York and our global society. The Science Discovery Center which is a “hands on Science Discovery museum for all ages” is housed on the campus. (www.SUNY College Oneonta)
Neahwa Park
Neahwa Park is the largest park in the city and consists of 75 acres including Damaschke Field. The parks other facilities include a lighted softball facility, a skateboard park, tennis and basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, picnic pavilions, numerous multi-purpose fields, playground structures, and the picturesque Hodges Pond. The Little Red Caboose is located in Neahwa Park. This historic train car commemorates the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen who came together in 1883 to help improve the working, salary, and safety aspects of their jobs.
Damaschke Field
Damaschke Field is one of the oldest, most historic ballparks still in use. It opened in 1906, with the Grandstand dating back to 1939. The facility boasts some of the closest seats in minor league baseball as well as a picnic area and buildings that were part of the 2007 renovation. The field is the summer home of the Collegiate Baseball Team, the Outlaws. Other local baseball teams also use the field.
Catella Park
Catella Park is adjacent to Neahwa Park. Catella is home to multi-purpose fields used for baseball, softball and soccer.
Wilber Park is located near downtown Oneonta; the upper level of this park can be accessed via Center Street and has a large picnic pavilion, basketball court, modern playground structure and the beautiful Applebaugh Gardens. The lower level is accessed via Spruce Street and includes a small picnic pavilion, Briggs Swimming Pool, the George Waddington Tennis Courts, handball courts, and two softball fields. Intermingled throughout Wilber Park’s 56 acres are a host of quiet walking and biking trails.
Susquehanna River Park
Susquehanna River Park is located at the end of Silas Lane, near I-88 exit 13. Susquehanna River Park is home to soccer fields used by the Oneonta Soccer club in the spring and the Oneonta Youth Soccer Association in the fall. The Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway is also located at the facility. The Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway (also called the OSG) is a proposed bicycle and pedestrian trail, which will follow the Susquehanna River for approximately six miles in the city and town of Oneonta, New York. It will run from the Susquehanna River Park in the West End of Oneonta, through the city of Oneonta, and out to Fortin Park in the East End of Oneonta.
Swart-Wilcox Historic Park
Swart-Wilcox Historic Park is located in the city’s 6th Ward and is home to a baseball and soccer field as well as the historic Swart-Wilcox House, Oneonta’s oldest structure. The plots for the city’s Community Garden program are also located at Swart-Wilcox Park.
Foothills Performing Arts Center
The Foothills Performing Arts Center is a not-for-profit entertainment and civic center that serves the cultural, educational, and community needs of the Otsego, Delaware, and Chenango region. Since its grand opening in 2005, FPAC has become an exciting modern venue for live entertainment from nationally known artists and bands, as well as local favorites. Drama, vocal, and musical instruction is available at Foothills, and it is home to resident acting company S.T.A.R.T. In addition, Foothills is the rehearsal home for local youth string orchestra, the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble. (www.City of Oneonta.com)
Orpheus Theatre
Orpheus Theatre was founded in 1984, and has been firmly rooted in the community ever since, pulling from the large talent pool of area residents for all areas of production including: performers, directors, choreographers, costume designers, lighting & set designers, and musical directors. By offering workshops for children and teens, Orpheus Theatre continues to expose children to the world of theatre: teaching lessons, providing performance opportunities, and instilling a genuine love for theatre in area youth. Orpheus has also recently opened up their mission to include aspiring playwrights to submit new works and compete for a fully-produced production of their original work directed by an up-and-coming new director. Although a community theatre company, Orpheus does work with and hire union musicians for all productions, and the occasional union actor. Orpheus Theatre is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 community theatre company operating with the standards of a professional theatre company throughout the entire theatrical experience; producing quality theatre with and for our community. (www.Orpheus)
11.4 Laurens Township
Gilbert Lake State Park
Gilbert Lake State Park’s lake and three ponds lie in wooded, hilly terrain in the foothills of the Catskills. In addition to cabins and campsites, the park has more than 12 miles of interconnecting trails for hikers, skiers, snowmobilers and snowshoers. Playgrounds and a disc golf course, as well as swimming, boat rentals, boating (car top/hard bottom boats with permit only) and fishing are also featured. Gilbert Lake is also home to the New York State Civilian Conservation Corps Museum.
11.5 Cooperstown Area
Doubleday Field
Doubleday Field is named after Abner Doubleday (1819-1893), a Union Army General and allegedly the originator of baseball. Doubleday Field is the summer home of the Collegiate Baseball Program Team, The Hawkeyes.
Glimmerglass Festival
The Glimmerglass Festival (formerly known as Glimmerglass Opera) presents an annual season of operas and musical theater. The opera company was founded in 1975 by Peter Macris. The summer festival is held at the Alice Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake, eight miles north of Cooperstown, NY. The summer-only season usually consists of four operas performed in rotating repertory. Glimmerglass is well known for producing new, lesser-known, and rare works, many of which have been co-produced with the New York City Opera. It is the second-largest summer opera festival in the United States, led by Artistic and General Director Francesca Zambello. The main stage productions are supplemented by special performances, concerts and lectures throughout the season. (www.Cooperstown)
Glimmerglass State Park
Glimmerglass State Park is located eight miles outside the village of Cooperstown, overlooks Otsego Lake, the “Glimmerglass” of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. Glimmerglass State Park has a swimming beach in the summer. The rolling, partially-wooded terrain is host to a wide variety of wildlife. An uphill trail through the forest affords a spectacular view of Otsego Lake; the Beaver Pond and Woodland trails are picturesque and of interest for the variety of wildflowers, shrubs, ferns and mosses. The Hyde Hall Mansion, Covered Bridge, and a self-guided Beaver Pond Nature Trail are within park boundaries and open to visitors. Winter visitors can go tubing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, show-shoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, winter hiking. (www.Cooperstown.com.)
Otsego Lake
Otsego Lake, a ten mile long stretch of water that is the headwaters of the Susquehanna River, offers myriad swimming, fishing, boating and other recreational opportunities. Many, however, simply sit on a bench and marvel at the clean, placid waters. A great way to appreciate this grand lake is by taking an hour tour on the Glimmerglass Queen Tour Boat, which departs from Lakefront Park, en route to a wonderfully relaxing tour of Otsego Lake and views of all the great rolling hills and greener-than-green lands. (www.Cooperstown.com.)
Fenimore Art Museum
Fenimore Art Museum is home to the New York Historical Association and Research Library. The impressive neo-Georgian structure was built in the 1930s on the site of James Fenimore Cooper’s early 19th century farmhouse on the shore of Otsego Lake, Cooper’s Glimmerglass. Fenimore House was large enough to have both extensive exhibition galleries as well as office and library space. The collections and programs continued to expand and a separate library building was constructed in 1968. In 1995 a new 18,000 square foot wing was added to Fenimore House to house the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection which is one of the nation’s premier collections of American Indian Art. In 1999 in recognition of the world-class collections the name Fenimore House Museum was changed to Fenimore Art Museum. (www.NYSHA)
Farmers’ Museum
The site of The Farmers’ Museum has deep roots in New York State’s rural past. The land has been part of a working farm since 1813, when it was owned by James Fenimore Cooper. Judge Samuel Nelson, whose office is part of The Farmers’ Museum Village, bought the farm in 1829 and raised sheep. Fenimore Farm, as it came to be known, changed hands again in the 1870s when the farm was acquired by the Clark family. The Farmers’ Museum is a private, non-governmental educational organization. It is closely affiliated with its sister organization, Fenimore Art Museum, the museum showcase of the New York State Historical Association. (www.NYSHA)
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame, located at 25 Main Street, Cooperstown, is an independent, non-profit educational institution dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on our culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections for a global audience as well as honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to our national pastime. (www.BaseballHallofFame.org.)
Section 12: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT [15]
12.1 Introduction
The economic history of the Town of Milford has been primarily agricultural based. Following the American Revolution, this agrarian society continued until the turn of the 20th century. With the coming of the Industrial Age, the landscape of the Town changed. Technological advances in farm machinery, equipment, and ultimately refrigeration favored large farms in the Midwest and Western states. What had been a very diverse farming community that provided dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables to the region and to the New York City market as well as hops for the beer industry began to concentrate on dairy production.
Dairy farming became the predominant form of agriculture in the Town and region during the first half of the 20th century. Although still a struggle for many farmers, dairy farming and the industrial towns of Upstate New York (Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Binghamton, etc.) thrived during this time. As we have moved into the latter part of the century and now into the 21st century, the region has seen a decline in the viability of these industrial cities and the demise of the family farm.
The Town of Milford is strategically located within transportation corridors that are necessary for economic development. Interstate 88 borders the southernmost part of the Town with Binghamton less than an hour away and Albany just over an hour away. State Highway 28 is accessible from Exit 17 of I-88 and runs through the length of the eastern side of the Town south to north, paralleling the Susquehanna River. The presence of the River also makes the Town rich in economic development potential. Access to the River provides opportunity for businesses that require large amounts of water in their operations.
A regional perspective must guide the Town of Milford’s approach to economic development. Businesses located in Milford will provide jobs to non-residents and residents alike. In turn, businesses in Oneonta, Cooperstown and other towns will provide jobs to Milford residents.
12.2 Existing Businesses
A case study of Small Town and Rural Economic Development reached the following findings:
An oft-quoted feature of a typical local economy is that most new jobs are created by existing businesses, not by firms attracted to the area or by small business start-ups. While the net number of jobs directly created is certainly sufficient justification for considerable attention to developing local enterprises, the true arguments for supporting existing industry go beyond mere direct job creation. First, a job that is not lost (to competition from other regions or through changing market structure) is just as valuable as one gained through an expansion, a start-up, or by attracting a new firm to the area. Second the condition of existing industries in an area becomes a signaling mechanism for people making investment decisions. If young people get the sense that local industries are in decline, they may opt to move to another area rather than face those risks – even when they prefer to stay close to their friends and family. Similarly, declining local industry may discourage corporate investment. Corporations view declining areas as risky – the salvage value of investments is likely to be lower. Also, as the local tax base declines with local industry, either services will decline, or remaining industries may be asked to pay higher taxes to maintain services at their existing levels. Finally, existing industries become a kind of training ground for spinoff businesses of entrepreneurial spirit. [16]
There are many different businesses in the Town of Milford including, but not limited to restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfasts, creameries, breweries, sand and gravel pits, farms, retail outlets, car dealerships, engineering firms, antique dealers, construction companies, sawmills and lumberyards and many home offices. Below is a description of several businesses that paint a picture of the diversity of businesses in the Town.
Springbrook, formerly the Upstate Home for Children and Adults, has its main facility in the Town of Milford. Springbrook is a not-for-profit, state licensed organization serving nearly 700 people with development disability from across New York State and beyond. They employ over 900 people in the Central Leatherstocking Region. Their mission statement reads, “At Springbrook, we have a heartfelt commitment to serve people with special needs. We take pride in our Christian heritage, our family centered programs and our ability to meet the ever-changing needs of those we serve.” [17]
Jett Industries, located in Colliersville in the Town of Milford is “a leading general contractor to construct and modify water and wastewater treatment facilities with more than 150 public projects completed over the past 19 years. The company, founded in 1985, has grown from two employees to more than 100, buildings projects throughout New York State. In addition to water and wastewater facility construction, Jett provides general contracting for bridge, utility and pre-engineered construction.” [18]
Wightman Specialty Woods also is located in the Town of Milford. In 1945, brothers Charles and Cyrus Wightman climbed into Charlie’s Ford Model A pick-up truck and drove to Laurens, New York for their first logging and milling job. With little more than an Oreland sawmill, a Clear Track Crawler tractor and a drive to succeed, Wightman Specialty Woods was born. Over the last six decades, Wightman’s has grown into a full-scale wood-manufacturing operation committed to bringing the highest quality wood products to the market. Exacting standards combined with impeccable craftsmanship have created Wightman’s reputation as one of the region’s top resources for solid wood materials. They employ over thirty workers.
Cooperstown Brewing Company, located in the Town of Milford, was founded in 1994. The company brews premium ales, porters, and stouts using the finest two-row English barley malts, West Coast hops and the English Ringwood Yeast. Guests of the brewery in addition to tasting are invited to participate in brewery tours.
Cooperstown Cheese Company is located in the Town of Milford. The company makes, sells and distributes cheese. The retail store in the Town of Milford sells a variety of New York artisan cheeses. The company offers a cheese-making workshop where people can participate in commercial yet small batch cheese making. All of the company’s Toma brand cheeses use hormone free milk from Lester Tyler’s Sunny Acres Farm. The cows are Brown Swiss, which give milk that is high in butterfat and used by the traditional cheese makers in Italy who developed the cheeses centuries ago. Lester’s Brown Swiss are nationally acclaimed and recognized.
12.3 Tourism
The region has long been a tourist and vacation destination for urban residents from downstate. The region’s beauty and favorable summer climate has drawn retirees to the region as well. These tourists and retirees bring needed funding and purchasing power to the Town and region. According to the Otsego County Economic Development Department, there are over 500,000 visitors to the County annually and they bring in $134 million in revenue to the region. Two of the Town’s biggest tourist and retiree attractions are the Susquehanna River and Goodyear Lake.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens said, “Designating the Susquehanna River as a connecting trail to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail will offer enhanced outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities for residents and New York visitors. As a headwater state of the Chesapeake Bay, DEC is pleased that this designation will support conservation, stewardship, recreation and tourism within the state and the larger Bay watershed.” Goodyear Lake is a man-made body of water along the Susquehanna River in the southern part of the Town. Most of the town retirees and short term transient rentals are located at Goodyear Lake.
The largest tourist draw in the County of Otsego is Cooperstown located north of the Town of Milford about ten miles. The Baseball Hall of Fame has long been a destination spot for national and international baseball enthusiasts. Recently, the development of Cooperstown Dreams Park has brought in more tourists, primarily little league baseball players and their families. Sixty-four teams play per week for twelve weeks each year. Many businesses and residents of the Town of Milford have benefitted from this increase in tourism. Local service businesses like restaurants, bed and breakfasts, antique dealers, motels, and retail businesses benefit from increased customers. Residents through short term transient rental permits are able to rent their homes, rooms or adjacent second homes for extra income.
In 2002, Steve and Trish Kent donated the Robert V. Riddell State Park to the State of New York. At over a thousand acres, the park is a diverse area with forests, rivers, streams and wetlands. Hiking trails cross the property allowing free access to the park. The main entrance is in the Town of Milford and located just off Exit 17 of I-88. The park will be an ideal location for an enlarged campground that can cater to tourists who want to camp or park their RV. They will have Oneonta just to the west on I-88 and Cooperstown to the north. The development of this state park will bring new tourists to the Town of Milford.
12.4 Agriculture
The Town has a very hilly topography with high quality soils primarily located in the valleys. The hill soils are thin with a hardpan located close to the surface. These soils, coupled with the climate and rainfall, are ideal for growing grass like most of the Northeastern United State. With dairy farming the perishability of milk and its bulk makes dairy farming in close proximity to large metropolitan areas advantageous for the region’s farmers.
Hop-growing was prevalent in Otsego County in the late 19th Century, but experienced rapid decline as of the turn of the 20th Century. “It’s like a fragile piece of glass or something, it’s almost ready to break, and it’s almost gone. You know, Milford, a hundred years ago, was one of the top five hop-growing towns in Otsego County. I know, for sure, of three hop houses left in the Township of Milford. There was one of these on every farm!” [19]
So what happened? During the “Golden Age” of the hops industry, market prices soared, and many farmers, eager for sudden wealth, plowed every available piece of land. While they depended on other income from dairy, potatoes, grain or lumber, they also planned to save profit derived from their hops. Unfortunately, West Coast farmers had the same idea. Achieving greater yields and utilizing mechanized picking, they manipulated the market so that in 1882, the price peaked at an unheard of price of over $1.25 per pound and plunged considerably the following year. These violent price fluctuations made profits more uncertain. Local growers grew skeptical of these risks and began to cut the size of their hop yards in favor of the more stable occupations of dairying and the raising of corn, grain and potatoes. [20]
Then, a series of disasters conspired to destroy the local growers. In 1909, the crop was hit with the downey mildew sphaerotheca humuli, often referred to erroneously as “blight” or “blue mold.” Efforts to defeat the disease were in vain and after two dismal years put the family farmer out of business. Then, in 1914, an extreme attack of hop aphids broke out that further added to their demise. By this time, the picture in Upstate New York was one of disaster, and farmers no longer could afford to make further attempts at growing hops. The final blow came as Prohibition eliminated virtually all need for hops. Eventually, hop yards were plowed, other crops were planted, and the barns and equipment were converted to other uses or left to rot. There were only a few attempts to grow hops following the repeal of Prohibition, and small crops were reported as late as 1953 in neighboring Schoharie County. [21]
There has been a resurgence in the interest of growing hops. The Northeast Hop Alliance (NeHA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation incorporated in New York with chapters in New York and Vermont. Their mission statement says, “the Northeast Hop Alliance is a broad based coalition established to explore the feasibility of re-establishing commercial specialty hops production in the New York and the Northeast.”
Their goals are as follows:
(1) Secure financial, scientific and community resources to support
the commercial viability of commercial hops production in New York and the Northeast;
(2) Enhance the cultural heritage of hops production through
education, agri-tourism, and architectural preservation.
In Madison County, a Hops Harvester was acquired by the Madison Cornell Cooperative Extension (“CCE”) Offices for regional training and education. CCE and the University of Vermont provide technical assistance to NeHA.
A law that benefits breweries and hops growers was recently passed by the New York State legislature. According to the Times Union of Utica, July 18, 2012, farm breweries will be allowed to sell New York State labeled wine at their retail outlets. In addition, farm wineries will be permitted to sell New York State labeled beer for off-premises consumption. Farm breweries will be able to obtain licenses to operate restaurants, conference centers, inns, bed and breakfasts or hotels on or adjacent to the farm brewery. Both farm breweries and farm wineries will be allowed to conduct tastings of New York State produced beer and wine at their premises. Farm breweries will be allowed to sell beer-making equipment and supplies, food complementing beer and wine, souvenir items, and additional products similar to those allowed under the Farm Winery Act. Brewers in the State producing 60 million or fewer gallons annually will get a refundable tax credit and be exempted from the $150 annual brand label fee. Hop production has risen 400% in the past two years to about 60 acres statewide. A provision in the legislation calls for 90% of the hops and 90% of the ingredients in the local beer to be New York grown by 2024.
12.5 Infrastructure
Throughout the Town of Milford and the County of Otsego, there is a need for high speed internet access and cellular phone reception. The internet and the use of cell phones and smart phones enable rural businesses to level the playing field with many urban and suburban businesses.
Every rural economy will face continued challenges in the future. The old ways of interacting with the rest of the world will continue to be replaced by new activities or new ways of performing familiar functions. Change is inevitable. Rural areas that embrace change which shapes the future in ways that bring new ideas to work the sparsely settled landscape will fare better than areas that passively allow change to sweep them haphazardly from one form of marginal existence to another. [22]
With the advent of the internet, many residents can telecommute to Albany, Syracuse, New York City and other population centers. In addition, many businesses thrive through internet sales and through advertising their businesses to prospective tourists.
12.6 Area Economic Resources [23]
The Otsego County Economic Development Department administers the Otsego County Job Development Loan Program. Assistance may be provided for industrial, service and non-retail commercial projects. Funds can be used for fixed asset and non-fixed asset purchases including, but not limited to the following:
(1) acquisitions and/or new construction;
(2) renovations and/or additions to facilities;
(3) purchase of capital equipment; and
(4) working capital.
In addition, funds can be applied for reimbursement of reasonable project “soft costs” that include architectural, engineering, consultant, interim financing and legal fees. The loans are available in amounts ranging from $20,000 to $150,000 with a fixed interest rate of 4% and terms of up to 15 years. The Town is encouraged to coordinate with the Otsego County Economic Development Department to educate local farmers and businessmen about the availability of such funding to assist in business retention, expansion and attraction.
The Otsego County Economic Development Department also administers an Otsego County Micro-Enterprise Revolving Loan Fund for businesses employing fewer than five (5) employees. These loans are available in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 with a 4% fixed interest rate and terms of up to 15 years.
The Otsego County Economic Development Department finally administers a Rural Economic Development Loan Fund targeted towards agricultural and hi-tech businesses. These loans are available in amounts ranging from $12,000 to $75,000 with a 4% fixed interest rate and terms up to 15 years.
The Otsego County Department of Tourism is another entity that is positioned to assist local tourism-related businesses through promotion efforts.
Section 13: COMMUNITY FACILITIES, SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE
13.1 Community Facilities & Services
Police protection is provided by both Otsego County and New York State. The Otsego County Sheriff headquarters are located in Cooperstown. The State Police Barracks are located in Oneonta.
Fire protection is provided by the Milford Volunteer Fire Department and through Shared Services with other municipalities. Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Milford Emergency Squad. Two major health care networks with regional hospitals and clinics, Bassett Healthcare and Fox Care, serve the area.
The Town of Milford Highway Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of town highways. The highway department also has shared services arrangements with other municipalities.
The United States Postal Service has post offices located in the Village of Milford, Colliersville, and Portlandville.
The Milford Center Community Bible Church is located on State Highway 28 in Milford Center. The Portlandville Methodist Church is located on State Highway 28. The Cooperstown Junction United Methodist Church is located on State Highway 7 in the Town of Milford. The Milford United Methodist Church is located within the Village of Milford.
13.2 Transportation Infrastructure [24]
Transportation and roads are critical elements to the Town of Milford. The 2010 census figures indicate:
88% of the working population commutes to work by car, truck, or van
76%, drive alone
12.8% commute in car pools
4.1 % walk to work
5.1 % utilize public transit
Owing in part to the sprawling, rural nature of the community and the topography, the majority of residents drive to their employment or college classes. There is limited public transportation available. The Oneonta Public Transit (OPT) system provides a reasonably priced, hourly bus service that runs a fixed route along the Route 7 & 28 corridor between Oneonta and Cooperstown, with connecting lines to the colleges at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick. Buses run from 6 AM to 6 PM.
The major employers in the county are Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, SUNY Oneonta, Fox Hospital in Oneonta, and Springbrook in Milford. All of the major employers can be reached via fixed route public transportation. Similarly, people pursuing higher education have public transportation to take them to the colleges in Oneonta provided they can reach the Route 7 & 28 corridor.
OPT also provides a paratransit service for individuals who cannot access the regular fixed route buses and who meet the eligibility criteria. This is a subscription service that requires eligibility and an application process.
Roads
The Town of Milford encompasses 46.11 square miles of land area. State, county, and town roads traverse the area.
Town Roads
The Town of Milford maintains 58.75 miles of roadways. These roads vary in width from 10’ to 18’, with 1’ to 5’ shoulders. Some of the 10’ roads are single lane roads where drivers use the shoulders when a car comes from the opposite direction.
County Roads
Otsego County maintains 19.01 miles of road in the town. These are County Routes 35, 44, 46, 58, and 35 A and B. These roads range from 16’ to 20’ with 3’ to 5’ shoulders on either side.
State Roads
The New York State roads in the town are heavily traveled. The Average Annual Daily Travel rate follows:
· Route 7 – Oneonta line to Colliersville 5,200 cars (8% trucks)
· Route 7 – Colliersville to Cooperstown Junction 3,200 cars (8% trucks)
· Route 28 – I-88 to County 35A 7,800 cars (9% trucks)
· Route 28 – County 35A to Hartwick line 6,600 cars (9% trucks)
· Route 166 – 28 to 35 A 3,000 cars (8% trucks)
· Interstate 88 from Oneonta to Rte 28 13,000 cars (25% trucks)
Significant variance may occur during the tourist season. Milford’s roads serve both to service property owners and give them access to other roads. Many of Milford’s roads also serve the commuting population of communities to the north, south, east, and west. Standards should be set for these roads, both to benefit the property owners, as well as for the safe passage of the local traffic. From the viewpoint of planning, it is extremely important that the roads, which serve local traffic and commuting traffic, be adequate in every way from the perspective of both safety and efficient travel. Road capacity to road use and road condition information is available in the baseline report of the Delta Road Use Agreement.
13.3 Water and Sewer Infrastructure [25]
The Village of Milford has a public water system supplying 217 hookups of residents and businesses. The water is supplied by two village-owned wells. The water system is operated, maintained, and billed by a municipal water corporation of the village. A new infrastructure for the system has been planned and will be implemented in years 2012-2013. There is no village sewer system; each property owner maintains his/her own septic system. Private wells and springs are the water source for properties outside the village limits.
Section 14: LOCAL GOVERNMENT [26]
The Town of Milford’s Local Government is comprised of the following elected offices:
Town Supervisor, Two-Year Term
Highway Superintendent, Four-Year Term
Town Board, Four-Year Term
Town Clerk, Two-Year Term
Tax Collector, Two-Year Term
Town Justice, Four-Year Term
The Town of Milford’s Local Government is comprised of the following appointed offices:
Assessor, serves at the pleasure of the Town Board
Zoning Enforcement Officer, serves as the pleasure of the Town Board
Planning Board, Five-Year Term
Zoning Board of Appeals, Five-Year Term
Town Historian, serves at the pleasure of the Town Board
Dog Warden, serves at the pleasure of the Town Board
Health Officer, serves at the pleasure of the Town Board
Board of Assessment Review, Five-Year Term
Section 15: STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, GOALS & OPPORTUNITIES
15.1 Land Use and Growth Management
The Town of Milford Community Survey of July 2012 laid out a vision of what land use and growth management should accomplish for the residents and business owners of the town. The preferred industries for growth and development include agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, education, and healthcare on a scale of small to mid-sized, employing 10 to 200 people. Responses to the question requesting the respondent’s position on hydro-fracking/gas drilling in the town showed that 358 responders were against drilling, 106 were for drilling, and 127 were unsure. Many factors were highly important to the residents’ quality of life as expressed in the survey. Of most importance was water, air and soil quality. Employment opportunities, accessible medical care, historic preservation, tourism, scenic landscape, open space, property maintenance, and community pride were also important to the respondents.
The Town of Milford intends to plan and manage land use, to maintain a high quality of life and protect our natural resources, to protect the town’s country-like atmosphere, scenic beauty and landscape, while effectively supporting sustainable growth and development, and to maintain and restore community pride, property maintenance and historic preservation resulting in safe, clean and welcoming neighborhoods.
The following strengths, weaknesses, goals and opportunities have been identified with respect to Land Use and Growth Management:
Strengths:
• Clean water, air and soil
• Country-like atmosphere
• Scenic beauty / landscape
• Tourism
• Proximity to employment
• Schools
Weaknesses:
• Government communication
• Lack of jobs
• Difficulty for business start-ups
• Zoning Ordinance outdated
• Risks and Industrialization associated with Gas Drilling
• Potential Overdevelopment
• Risk of Short Term Transient Rentals threatening community feel
Goals and Opportunities:
· Streamlining permitting process for new business;
· Fostering small businesses and pre-existing businesses;
· Develop and enforce codes and zoning that prohibit heavy industrial scale gas drilling, extensive clear cutting, overdevelopment in residential neighborhoods and agricultural areas;
· Protect environmentally sensitive areas, woodlands and wildlife habitats;
· Study ways to develop the manufacturing and industrial zone to encourage business in that district;
· Encourage agriculture and tourism;
· Control of junk and unmaintained properties;
· Support for growth in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing;
· Centrally located providing place for growth in housing market and job creation through tourism;
· Updating Zoning Ordinance.
15.2 Economic Development [27]
In the survey that was sent to town residents and landowners, Question 5 asked business owners to describe their place of business in the Town of Milford. Of the 77 responses 28 were commercial businesses (36%), 4 were industrial (5%), 17 were working farms (22%), 1 was an office (1%), and 27 were home offices (35%).
In Question 14 of the survey, residents were asked to rate how important the following factors are to their quality of life. The percentages next to each category indicate how many of the respondents considered the category to be of importance:
(1) Employment Opportunities – 71%;
(2) Active Operating Farms – 81%;
(3) Tourism as Part of Local Economy – 69%.
In Question 16, residents and landowners were asked to choose their top three preferred industries for growth and development in the Town of Milford. The top three in order were agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. The bottom three in order were warehousing, social assistance, and professional.
The following strengths, weaknesses, goals and opportunities have been identified with respect to Economic Development:
Strengths:
• Region’s agricultural base provides for opportunities to attract new farming populations to maintain and invest in existing farms, opportunities in agri-business, agri-tourism, clean-tech and renewable energy initiatives, and attract additional dairy and food processing production facilities, which need to be close to locally grown food supplies;
• Abundant supply of clean water;
• Accessible to transportation infrastructure with proximity to major urban markets and population centers through a well-developed state highway and federal interstate system;
· Quality of life, affordability (cost of living, housing and labor), scenic beauty, and distinctive architecture of many buildings that adds to town’s charm and attractiveness;
· Health care and medical services within region are major employers with opportunities for additional growth;
· Colleges and technical schools in the area and Springbrook are major employers with opportunities for additional growth;
· Access to continued education – there are multiple resources in the area for continued education in both academic and career/occupational pathways for a 21st century workforce;
· Recognized quality of K – 12 education at Milford Central School;
• Art and cultural amenities both within the town and nearby – Milford Historical Society, Foothills Performing Arts Center, CANO, Glimmerglass Opera, Fenimore Art Museum;
· Proximity to major tourism destination in Cooperstown;
· Centrally located between Cooperstown and Oneonta;
· Located on the Susquehanna River, a National Historical Trail, with opportunities for tourism development;
· Accessibility to Albany and Binghamton within 90 minutes on I-88;
· Accessibility to rail for transport of goods and materials;
· An educated population – 90% of the population of Milford has attained at least a high school degree and 52% have gone on to college.
Weaknesses:
• Lack of a comprehensive plan with attention to attracting and developing a 21st century economy and development of community and economic development priorities;
• Lack of infrastructure funding to develop water and sewer facilities in densely populated areas and industrial zones;
• Aging population, brain drain of local graduates, and shrinking work force in key age cohorts, and projected demographic trends challenge the region’s ability to ensure that it will have a world-class 21st century work force;
· Local government does not have the staff to research and seek out funding opportunities;
· Town lacks a distinct identity becoming a “pass through” between Oneonta and Cooperstown;
• Aging housing stock and neighborhood deterioration in sections of town and village;
• Central business districts of Colliersville, Portlandville, and Milford village lack vibrancy and economic activity due to physical deterioration of buildings, lack of supportive zoning, any coherent economic development plan;
• Stagnation of local tax bases and diminished state and regional resource capacity for investments for funding community and economic development priorities;
• Weak IT infrastructure, particularly lack of broadband access, hampers town’s ability to attract businesses;
• Cynicism and negative attitudes.
Goals and Opportunities:
A comprehensive plan presents a unique opportunity to analyze the town’s strengths and weaknesses and use this knowledge as an opportunity to establish goals that both preserve the town’s history, resources, and rural character as well as set it on the path for economic survival and prosperity in the 21st century.
• Strengthen a sense of town identity and branding so that Milford is more than a “pass through” between Oneonta and Cooperstown;
· Who are the people who populate Milford? Separate fact from mythology and develop a stronger sense of community as it is now; Draw upon information gathered from the 2010 US Census and the 2012 Milford Survey to reintroduce the town to itself; Utilize newsletters and local forums to support greater knowledge of the town and foster local pride;
· Strengthen and expand economic development in Milford through new opportunities in farming, agri-business development opportunities, and food processing;
· Begin to view the aging population from a positive perspective; Tap into the knowledge and skills that the aging population offers, rather than as a drain or impediment; Future plans need not promote a common ageism bias;
· Develop a town committee devoted to development and advocacy; Consider a small part-time appointment to build organization and momentum;
· Align town goals with offerings from institutions of higher education to support economic development strategies through work force development that supports economic development, entrepreneurship, and other initiatives that formalize partnerships with Milford and economic development organizations; There are three colleges and a BOCES career center within 30 minutes of the town; Develop collaborations and synergy;
• Develop a plan to make Milford a tourism destination tapping into its location on the Susquehanna River, its proximity to Cooperstown, and a growing number of agri-businesses in the town;
• Identify additional opportunities to spur economic growth within health care, especially at-home care for aging population, and look at ways to strengthen this sector of the town’s economy;
· Align the town’s economic goals with zoning that is in harmony with those goals;
· Small entrepreneurs who developed businesses that met the town’s needs were key to the economic prosperity of 19th Century Milford; Reintroduce the town and the town government to Milford’s history; There are lessons to be learned from the past that can reinvigorate the economy of the 21st century.
15.3 Transportation
One of the major components of comprehensive planning concerns the adequacy of the public infrastructure. A thorough analysis of transportation systems within the town is essential to establishing goals and objectives consistent with the orderly growth and development of the community.
The majority of respondents to the survey regarded the physical quality of the roads lying within the Town of Milford as good or better. Eighty-six percent of survey respondents viewed snow removal as good or better. Respondents indicated that Milford’s transportation network is an asset. Respondents placed substantial importance on transportation infrastructure and the need to fund improved roads. The survey is one component used in the evaluation of Milford’s transportation system. The baseline report of the Delta Road Use Agreement is another source of information.
The following strengths, weaknesses, goals and opportunities have been identified with respect to Transportation:
Strengths:
• Transportation Network
• Proximity to Oneonta, Cooperstown, Binghamton, and Albany
• Proximity of New York City and Boston
• Quality of Roads
• Snow Removal
• Willingness of Community to Support Road Infrastructure with Funding
Weaknesses:
• Limited Public Transportation
• Town in Early Stages of Analysis of Road Infrastructure
• Lack of funding to maintain quality of county roads
• Irregular width of roads and shoulders on town and county roads
• Condition of State Route 7 from Oneonta line to Colliersville
Goals and Opportunities:
· Analyze the road use to road capacity of the town roads;
· Continue to prioritize road repair and repaving;
· Take an active role in advocating for the town with both the state and county DOT in determining road use, safety, and capacity;
· Determine if the speed limits established are sufficient for the current road usage on all roads;
· Work with state and county highway departments to determine greatest traffic hazard areas, including the intersections of Route 28/44 and 28/35A, to determine what safety measures are needed;
· At all levels, maximize efforts to reduce flooding conditions; and
· Increase communication with citizens regarding the work of the town Highway Department; There is satisfaction with snow removal, but little understanding of what the department does the rest of the year.
15.4 Natural Resources
The Town of Milford survey administered in 2012 included questions that allowed residents an opportunity to address the natural and man-made environments within the community. It is abundantly clear from the survey responses that natural and man-made resources were the most prized aspects and assets of the town.
When asked to identify the top three reasons for being connected to Milford, the reason most selected was the “country-like atmosphere.” The second most selected option was “scenic beauty”. The top five in order were:
Country-like atmosphere 362
Scenic beauty/landscape 335
Close to friends or relatives 216
Born in the area 192
Convenient to work 165
Eighty-three respondents chose “Other” to answer the above question. Of that number 23 cited either Goodyear Lake or the Susquehanna River.
When asked to identify factors that were of the highest importance to their quality of life, the top five were:
Water, Air & Soil Quality 406/595
Accessible Medical Care 295/594
Scenic Landscape 267/590
Open Space 244/589
Employment Opportunities 212/587
The survey respondents place great value and importance on the natural resources of water, air and soil quality and the scenic quality of the land of the hills, valleys, river and lakes that define our landscape. They identify the country-like atmosphere as a man-made resource they connect with in this town.
When given an opportunity to comment on the town’s strengths, sixty-six people again cited the scenic beauty that surrounds the town. One comment sums up the comments of many:
The town has a scenic river and lake with surrounding mountains. We have a beautiful state park (Riddell). Our relatively unspoiled landscape is a natural marvel that needs to be maintained over other competing interests and needs.
Thirty-eight people noted that the town’s air, soil, and/or water were assets. They valued the air quality, or the ability of the soil to provide for verdant landscapes, or provident gardens that provided healthy foods. A number of responses tied the man-made sense of rural community with the natural resources of the area as in this example:
Milford is a beautiful rural setting with great water recreation like fishing, swimming, and boating. It is near to many cultural and educational opportunities and not too far from major shopping areas. Its taxes are reasonable. It has clean air and water.
The rural character of Milford was embedded in many of the comments. People noted the feeling of small, safe, quiet town that cared about its children and its citizens, a place to raise children. Despite that many commuted to other places, or resided part of the year in other places, Milford was, “ A real community.” The character and nature of the town was a man-made resource that mattered.
Of the comments, four (4) people out of 580 +/- noted that the Marcellus Shale and the potential for hydrofracking were assets for the town.
When asked to describe perceptions of Milford’s deficiencies, weakness, or threats, 339 respondents took the opportunity to write. Of those, eighty-one wrote about threats to the natural resources of the town, and more specifically, the threat of hydrofracking and heavy industry. They cited it as a threat to a way of life, a threat to the quality of life, a threat to the environment, and a threat to our water and air. As summed up by one respondent:
[The] threat is irresponsible development of natural gas deposits that would risk air and water quality and turn rural landscapes into (an) industrial zone.
The following strengths, weaknesses, goals and opportunities have been identified with respect to Natural Resources:
Strengths:
· Clean air and water;
· Abundant open spaces;
· People recognize and value Milford’s sense of community;
· Scenic viewscapes – rolling hills, river valley, farms, and lakes
· Rural location without a sense of isolation;
· State forests and town and state parks for outdoor recreation;
· Agricultural identity provides an opportunity to attract new generation agri-business and agri-tourism endeavors;
· Quality of life and affordability add to the town’s charms.
Weaknesses: [28]
• Lack of funding to support required investment to monitor water quality of Susquehanna River and Goodyear Lake;
· Bank erosion along the river increasing potential for obstruction of flow;
· Limited funding for maintaining streams, drainage ways and drainage structures to alleviate the potential for obstruction of flow and flood risks, including vulnerable bridge locations at Portlandville and Colliersville;
· Significant silting up at Goodyear Lake decreasing size and depth of lake and potential altering of the ecosystem, increase in flood risk, and decreasing recreational opportunities;
• Invasive species in Goodyear Lake – zebra mussels, water chestnuts;
· Potential for gas drilling and heavy industry to threaten the aquifers that provide groundwater for farms, schools, and individual country dwellings;
· Potential threat of gas drilling and heavy industry associated with it to threaten the air and water quality and negatively impact the rural quality of life.
Goals and Opportunities:
· To enact land use regulations that would preserve and protect the land, water, and the air in ways that allow for a healthful, prosperous and independent quality of life;
· To continue to plan with foresight so that current and future generations might have a secure and healthy aquifer to provide water for homes, farms, and schools;
· To foster development in ways that are mindful of the rural beauty of the landscape and the sense of community and place;
· To encourage and foster improvement of land in a manner which benefits the community as a whole, but to prevent that development of land in any manner which threatens the health or well-being of the community as a whole;
· To seek development of the recreational facilities including the river, lakes, and state park that protect and preserve the quality of these natural resources.
15.5 Cultural, Recreational and Historic Resources
The community survey administered by the Town of Milford in July of 2012 gave respondents the opportunity to rate the importance of factors that affect their quality of life. The following qualities, elevated in importance by survey respondents, pertain to the Town’s Cultural, Recreational and Historic Opportunities:
(1) Water, Air & Soil Quality – 570 adjudged of heightened
importance out of 595 responses;
(2) Property Maintenance – 528 adjudged of heightened importance out of 595 responses;
(3) Open Space – 496 adjudged of heightened importance out of 589 responses;
(4) Historic Preservation – 434 adjudged of heightened importance out of 596 responses;
(5) Educational Opportunities – 425 adjudged of heightened importance out of 587 responses;
(6) Scenic beauty/landscape – 335 listed as one of the top reasons for their connection with the Town of Milford;
(7) Cultural Opportunities – 300 adjudged of heightened importance out of 582 responses;
(8) Recreation – 253 adjudged of heightened importance out of 575 responses.
The following strengths, weaknesses, goals and opportunities have been identified with respect to Cultural, Recreational and Historic Resources:
Strengths:
• Cultural Diversity;
• Profound appreciation amongst residents for natural resources and
scenic beauty;
• Cultural opportunities are valued by the community;
• Historic homes and buildings are still found within the Township;
• Village has a historian and the Town has a historian;
• Township has the Greater Milford Historical Association and is
open to all interested parties;
• Many recreational facilities available in the Township and
neighboring areas;
• Recreational facilities are valued by the community.
Weaknesses:
• Lack of community involvement to help ensure historic homes and
buildings are preserved;
• Inconsistent zoning to help protect land/home owners from
unsightly buildings and over building on land;
• Inconsistent zoning on amount of acreage for building lots;
• Allowance of housing that will decrease in value because of weak
and inconsistent zoning;
• Because of an aging population many older/historic homes are too
expensive to maintain and fall into disrepair;
• Weak zoning to prevent property from becoming blights;
• Scenic land gets divided into small parcels with no limits on what
type of buildings can be placed on the land;
• Possible over use of Goodyear Lake by large boat owners;
• Inadequate funding to support development of Riddell Park.
Goals and Opportunities:
• Start community committees to build/care recognition to owners of
historic buildings;
• Offer incentives to owners for maintenance and preservation of
historic buildings;
• Seek grants that support the goals for maintenance and
preservation of historic buildings;
• Involve community members in the grant searches especially town
and village historians;
• Ensure recreational facilities are maintained;
• Seek grants that will strengthen the maintenance of recreational
facilities;
• Limit sizes/types of boats on the lakes;
• Strengthen zoning laws pertaining to division of land, prevention of
blight, and types of homes that can be built/placed on the land;
• Encourage the maintenance of the character of the Township
through the preservation of viable and historic homes and farm
buildings;
• Foster and encourage the support of cultural and recreational
amenities in the Township and surrounding area;
· Build pride in the history of the township;
· Promote historical and cultural associations;
· Promote attractive gateways to the villages and hamlets in the Township;
· Preserve scenic vistas near historic homes and buildings;
· Encourage the use of recreational areas and facilities;
· Promote the recreational areas and facilities;
· Identify Historical Houses of Merit and Farms of Merit;
· Establish Advocacy and Public Relations Committees.
15.6 Housing
The Town of Milford Community Survey results found 89% of the respondents live in single family dwellings, 7% in mobile homes, and 4% in multiple family dwellings. The 2010 Census finds 80% of the housing is owner occupied and 20% is rented units. High density neighborhoods are located along the State Route 28 corridor and include the Village of Milford, hamlets of Portlandville and Milford Center, the east and west shores of Goodyear Lake, and Colliersville located on State Route 7.
Clean water, air and soil quality, the country-like atmosphere and scenic beauty of the area, convenience to work and medical services, were chosen as highly important factors of the quality of life for Milford residents. Property maintenance and community pride were also cited as important. 71% of the respondents have lived or owned property in the town for more than 15 years, 192 respondents were born here, 216 live in Milford to be close to family and friends. People over the age of 65 comprised 42% of the survey respondents; the 2010 Census indicates that population as 30%.
The following strengths, weaknesses, goals and opportunities have been identified with respect to Housing:
Strengths:
· Clean air, water and soil quality
· Natural beauty of area
· Convenience to work and medical services
· Affordable family housing
· Accessible community services and public facilities
Weaknesses:
· Lack of affordable full time rental properties
· Lack of subsidized housing for the elderly
· Slow economic growth inhibiting diversified population
· Deteriorated structures, especially along main corridors
Goals and Opportunities:
• Encourage the creation and maintenance of high quality diversified housing that meets the needs of all age and income groups resulting in neighborhoods that are safe, clean, friendly, and conveniently accessible to community services and public facilities;
· Maintain the natural beauty of the town;
· Encourage affordable diversified full time rental properties, senior housing and family home ownership;
· Strengthen property maintenance enforcement;
· Improve the appearance of our main corridors to enhance development opportunities;
· Study the positive and negative impacts of seasonal (transient) rental properties;
· Study the availability of housing;
· Study the affordability of housing.
Section 16: PERIODIC REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The maximum interval for review of this Comprehensive Plan, as required under Town Law Section 272-a, is five years.
[1] Summary and Report of Community Survey Prepared by the Center for Economic & Community Development at SUNY Oneonta (July 2012).
[2] Special thanks to Town of Milford Zoning Enforcement Officer Barbara Monroe, who identified relevant Town documents and research for the Comprehensive Plan Committee’s review and often facilitated the planning process.
[3] The information included in this Section entitled “Existing Land Use Patterns” derives from the 2008 Otsego County Mitigation Plan with contributions from the Otsego County Office of Emergency Services, Otsego County Health Department, Otsego County Planning Department, American Red Cross, New York State Emergency Management Office, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Otsego County Building and Codes, and Local Business and Churches.
[4] The information included in this Section entitled “Climate” derives from the 2008 Otsego County Mitigation Plan with contributions from the Otsego County Office of Emergency Services, Otsego County Health Department, Otsego County Planning Department, American Red Cross, New York State Emergency Management Office, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Otsego County Building and Codes, and Local Business and Churches.
[5] This Section entitled “Population and Demographics” is based on data from the 2010 census.
[6] This Section entitled “Town of Milford History” is derived from the accounts of Ezra Stevens, “Early History of the Town of Milford and Other Parts of Otsego County from 1773 to 1903;” Regina Harrison, “An Informal Chronology of Milford,” Time Once Past Never Returns, The Greater Milford Historical Association, Milford, NY, 1996; James Havener, “We Have Seen No Snakes or Wild Beasts: Early Settlement of Milford,” Time Once Past Never Returns, The Greater Milford Historical Association, Milford, NY, 1996; Harold Edson, “Business and Industry,” Time Once Past Never Returns, The Greater Milford Historical Association, Milford, NY, 1996; the Draft 1965 Town of Milford Comprehensive Plan, Town Historian Sandra Bullard, and Jim Havener, President of the Greater Milford Historical Association and Village of Milford Historian. Special thanks to Francine Stayter for her research and contribution.
[7] This Section entitled “Architecture in the Township of Milford” is derived from the following sources: Baker, John Milnes, American House Styles, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1994 1-(pg.73); Bullard, Albert and Sandra, Milford Township-Architecture of Older homes Still Standing, An inventory list, April, 2012; Duncan, Richard S., Otsego County – Its Towns and Treasures, The Farmers’ Museum, Inc. 2008; Schull, Diantha Dow, Landmarks of Otsego County, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, 1980; Stevens, Ezra, Accounts of Ezra Stevens, “Early History of the Town of Milford and Other Parts of Otsego County from 1773 to 1903.” Special thanks to Patricia Barlow for her research and contribution.
[8] GIS Mapping, Paragraphs 8.1 thru 8.7, prepared by Tavis Austin, AICP of Austin Consulting Services.
[9] Submitted by request to the Town of Milford by Dr. P. Jay Fleisher, Ph.D. Geologist and Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, Earth Sciences, SUNY-College at Oneonta. Reference upon which this statement is based includes the following:
Fleisher, P. J., 1977, Deglacial Chronology of the Oneonta, New York Area: p.41-50, in Cole, J. R. and Godfrey, L. R., (ed.), Proceedings of the Yager Conference at Hartwick College; Hartwick College, Oneonta, N. Y.
Fleisher, P. J., 1977, Glacial Geomorphology of the Upper Susquehanna Drainage: Section A-5, p. 1-22 (Road log p. 23-40), in Wilson, P. C. (ed.), Guidebook to Field Excursions, New York State Geological Association, 49th Annual Meeting, State University College at Oneonta, Oneonta, New York.
Fleisher, P. J., 1984, Topographic Control of Ice-marginal Deposition and Landform Development, Upper Susquehanna Drainage Basin, in Rickard, L. V. (ed.), The State Education Department, The University of the State of New York, Empire State Geogram, vol. 20, no. 1, p. 15.
Fleisher, P. J., 1986, Dead-ice Sinks and Moats: Environments of stagnant ice deposition: Geology, v. 14, no. 1, p. 39-42.
Fleisher, P. J., 1986, Late Wisconsinan Stratigraphy, Upper Susquehanna Drainage Basin, N. Y.: in Cadwell, D. H., Dineen, R. J. (eds.), The Wisconsinan Stage of the First Geological District of Eastern New York: New York State Museum Bulletin #455, p. 121-142.
Fleisher, P. Jay, 1991, Active and stagnant ice retreat; Deglaciation of central New York: in Ebert, J. R. (ed.), New York State Geological Association Field Trip Guidebook, 63rd Annual Meeting, Oneonta, N. Y., p. 307-323.
Fleisher, P. J., 1992, Remnant Ice in the Deglacial Environment: in Cadwell D. H. (ed.), Surficial Map Conference; Program and Proceedings, SUNY-Oneonta, New York State Geological Survey Open File Report 2M127, p. 63-68
Fleisher, P. J. 1993, Pleistocene sediment sources debris transport mechanisms and depositional environments; a Bering Glacier model applied to northeastern Appalachian Plateau, central New York: Geomorphology, v. 6, p. 331-355.
Fleisher, P. J., 2003, Glacial regime and depositional environments along the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet, northeastern Appalachian Plateau, New York New York: in Ebert, J. R. (ed.), New York State Geological Association Field Trip Guidebook, 75th Annual Meeting, Oneonta, N. Y., p. 102-140.
Cadwell. D.H., Muller, E.H.,and Fleisher. P.J., 2003, Geomorphic History of New York State: in Cremeens, D. L. And Hart, J. P., Geoarchaeology of landscapes in the glaciated northeast; Proceedings of Symposium, New York Natural History Conference VI, New York State Museum Bulletin 497, p. 7-14.
Fleisher, P. J., Knuepfer, P. L. K., and Butler, D. R., 2006, Ice Sheet Geomorphology – Past and Present Processes and Landforms; Proceedings of the 34th Annual Binghamton Symposium, GEOMORPHOLOGY, v. 75, 280 p.
[10] This Section entitled “Growing the Town: Growing the Minds” is derived from the following sources: “From One Room Schools to Computers: Education in Milford,” Regina Harrison in Time Once Past Never Returns, The Greater Milford Historical Association, Milford, NY, 1996; Early History of the Town of Milford, Ezra Stephens, 1903, with Corrections by Vera Chase and Joyce Riedinger, 1998; New York State Education Department School Report Card 2009-2011; US News and World Report; The History of Otsego County, New York 1740-1878, by D. Hamilton Hurd; Have the Children Been Fed William Nunn and Martha Hulings (1991) Rice Communications, Adams Center, NY. Special thanks to Francince Stayter for her research and contribution.
[11] The Section entitled “Housing” was derived from the 2010 U.S. Census. Special thanks to Francine Stayer for her research and contribution.
[12] Special thanks to Patricia Barlow for her research and contribution.
[13] This Section entitled “Goodyear Lake” is derived from the following sources: Stayter, Vincent A. & Stayter, Francine Z. (2007). Celebrating 100 Years: A History of Collier’s Dam and Goodyear Lake. Milford. NY, The Goodyear Lake Association; Official, approved minutes of the Goodyear Lake Association 1921 – 2012.
[14] This Section entitled “Riddell State Park” was authored by Patricia Riddell Kent.
[15] Special thanks to Town Supervisor Chris Harmon for his research and drafting of this section on Economic Development. Special thanks to Francine Stayter for her research of the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council analysis and findings.
[16] Scott Loveridge and Peter V. Schaeffer, Small Town and Rural Economic Development, A Case Study Approach.
[19] Al Bullard, Chairman of the Town of Milford Zoning Board of Appeals and local hops expert.
[22] Scott Loveridge and Peter V. Schaeffer, Small Town and Rural Economic Development, A Case Study Approach.
[23] The information included in this section was derived from the Town of New Lisbon Comprehensive Plan.
[24] The information included in this Section entitled “Transportation Infrastructure” is based on a New York State Department of Transportation Communication dated 7/27/2012, Town of Milford Highway Department Communication dated 8/2/2012, Otsego County Highway Department Communication dated 8/2/2012, and the 2010 Census Figures. Special thanks to Francine Stayter for her research and contribution.
[25] Special thanks to Town Board Member Barbara Snyder for her research and time commitment.
[26] Special thanks to Planning Board Member Gary Wickham for his research and time commitment.
[27] The Economic Strengths, Weaknesses, Goals and Opportunities were derived from the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis,” Adopted Oct. 6, 2011 and an economic report prepared by Town Supervisor Chris Harmon.
[28] Weaknesses were compiled based upon Comprehensive Plan Committee input and communication with OCCA, Otsego Soil and Water, Milford Mitigation Plan, and the Biological Field Station.