The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) Board of Directors approved the expansion of the Upper Saranac Lake Marina at its May meeting. The newest proprietors of the former Hickok’s Marina, now Upper Saranac Marina, were granted their request to expand up to 92 boat slips and docks extending 200 feet out into the waterbody. The marina is located on the 79-acre Lower Fish Creek Pond, and is connected to Upper Saranac Lake by way of a narrow 50-foot-wide, .85-mile channel.
The APA permit approval was granted despite an outcry of objections from nearby property owners, environmental advocacy groups and longtime visitors of Fish Creek Campground. Of the 112 public comments, 78 were against and 34 of in favor. Those who objected raised concerns over increased boat traffic, safety risks, and environmental and water quality degradation.
APA staff dismissed the calls from five advocacy groups, including the Upper Saranac Foundation (USF), to hold an adjudicatory hearing to gain essential facts and review evidence as to how the expansion may impact the ecosystem, water quality, and the public’s enjoyment of Fish Creek Pond and surrounding water bodies. Claudia Braymer, deputy director of Protect the Adirondacks, said that “the proposed piers will be nearly two times the maximum length of 100 feet allowed for docks on Lake George (45 square miles), a waterbody that is 374 times the size of Lower Fish Creek Pond.”
Also dismissed were numerous requests for a carrying capacity study as called for in the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan and the Saranac Lake Wild Forest Unit Management Plan. The USF comment letter to the APA identified the need for a capacity study to assess the physical, biological, and social impacts of the marinas expansion and to understand the appropriate balance between environmental protection and development.
Other opponents of the marina argued that Hickok’s Livery never had 71-slips, accounting for the approved 29% increase to 92 slips. Advisories stated that the expansion approval didn’t account for the type of intended boat use (22-foot motor boats) compared to the previous use, primarily rowboats and canoes.
The marina still needs to receive approval from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). This will offer an additional opportunity for public comment. Currently the marina’s permit application submitted to the DEC is considered incomplete.