BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON — Members of the Canton Town Board, with input from two village trustees, discussed Wednesday night (June 8) whether or not to resubmit a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program application.

A concern expressed by Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley was the immediacy of the resubmission. The deadline is July 31.

“The big thing is what the application will say and there is no draft yet,” she stated. “There’s going to be a lot of quick work.”

Councilman Robert Santamoor emphasized the importance of having both boards “on board” for the grant resubmission, adding the new application could be an updated and more comprehensive version of the first application made in 2021 through the state’s Consolidated Funding Application. That application was unsuccessful.

The grant and having a LWRP designation will improve ways to explore Grasse River recreation opportunities.

“I think it’s really important,” said trustee Beth Larrabee of obtaining a LWRP designation. “It will help Meghan [Richardson, Canton Recreation Director] understand our assets and if we get the grant help us prioritize.

She added that points of concerns from the first application can be clarified in the revised application.

“It could help us get money for bigger projects,” said Larrabee, using an engineering study on the Canton Pavilion as an example.

“I would like this to be driven by the Recreation Committee,” said Councilman John Taillon.

The village board is expected to discuss the LWRP application issue at its June 15 monthly board meeting.

Ashley also inquired who would be the lead agency for this application, noting the town was the lead agency last year.

“We need to decide if the town wants to lead again,” she said.