and additional parking for restaurant use. Several alternative development scenarios were studied for the Village Parcel, including the New Netherland Museum and Interpretive Arts Center. Both schemes incorporated proposed North Cove facilities for passive recreation, including a fishing dock and small boat launch, with beach restoration, scenic overlooks and nature trail. Buffer planting between trail and train tracks. The Greenway Vision Plan was formally adopted as an amendment to the 1977 Village Master Plan in December 1997. h. Croton-on-Hudson Feasibility Study, Village Waterfront Property, Imbiano Quigley Landscape Architects LLP, AKRF, 2000-2001. The first draft of this study (March 2000) considered four alternative scenarios for the 13.4-acre Hudson waterfront study area. The March 2000 draft presented four alternative scenarios: Passive Recreation; Passive Recreation with water dependent uses (barge restaurant, marina, boat launch); Waterfront Recreation with landbased restaurant, cultural center, and marina development; Active Recreation (ballfields, tennis courts, children’s play area, trails). The final version of the study, dated September 2001, describes a preferred alternative, which incorporated recommended features from the original four alternatives. Section 3.8 describes these waterfront planning efforts in more detail. i. Aquifer and Hydrogeology Studies Several reports have been prepared assessing the capacity of the Village well fields, and reviewing protection of the aquifer providing the Village’s ground water. These include three recent studies by Geraghty & Miller: Availability of ground-water resources at the Croton-on-Hudson well field, 1988; Aquifer protection plan, Crotonon-Hudson well field, 1989; Installation of Well 4, Croton-onHudson well field, 1992. j. Traffic Studies Traffic Calming Study, Various Roadways, February 2000, Pennoni Associates Inc., evaluated traffic issues along four roadway segments, and a multiple leg intersection, and identified specific PAGE 13 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN problems at intersections and roadways. To address these, the report provided traffic calming recommendations, including: curb bulb outs, chokers, realignments, traffic islands, as well as supplementary signage. k. Stormwater Management Studies The Village has authorized the consulting engineers, Dvirka and Bartilucci to undertake the development of a phased stormwater plan to address drainage, flooding, and stormwater runoff/hydrology conditions in priority areas of the Village. This study is slated for completion in 2003. PAGE 14 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 3.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS 3.1 Regional and Local Context The Village of Croton-on-Hudson is located on the eastern side of the Hudson River, in the northwest corner of Westchester County, approximately 40 miles north of New York City. The western boundary of Croton-on-Hudson extends to the middle of the Hudson River, coincident with the boundary of Westchester County. The eastern boundary of the Village is also the eastern boundary of the New York State coastal zone (see Figure 3.1). The 4.9-square mile village lies within the Town of Cortlandt, which also includes the Village of Buchanan. Surrounding municipalities are the Town of Cortlandt to the north and east, the Town of New Castle to the east, and the Town and Village of Ossining to the south. The Hudson River forms the Village’s western boundary with Haverstraw across the River, and Croton River serves as part of its eastern one. Together, the rivers contribute to the beautiful vistas for which Croton-on-Hudson is known. The Village is situated along regional highways and rail lines. US Highway Route 9 and New York State Highway Route 9A run along the western perimeter of the Village, providing north-south access through Croton-on-Hudson; State Route 129 provides access across Westchester in an east-west direction. Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson line runs from Grand Central Station to Croton-on-Hudson and beyond to Poughkeepsie. Amtrak stops in Croton-on-Hudson as well en route south to New York City and north and west to cities as far as Albany, Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal. This makes the Croton-Harmon station a regional transportation hub. 3.2 Natural Environment, Parks, and Open Space Resources Croton-on-Hudson’s natural features include its extensive riverfronts, hilly topography, natural areas, and expansive views. The topography of the Village affords dramatic views of the Hudson River to the west; along the Croton River gorge, steep banks lead down to the River’s edge. The scenic views of the two rivers are enhanced by the riverfront parks and extensive wooded areas throughout the Village. a. Geology Croton-on-Hudson is located within a bedrock complex approximately 480 million years in age. Known as the “Manhattan prong,” this series of metamorphic rocks extends from southwestern PAGE 15 Village of Croton-On-Hudson, NY Figure 3.1. Local Context Village Boundary 0 12500 25000 ft Source: New York State Atlas and Gazetteer, DeLorme Mapping Company BFJ Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart, Inc. 16 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Connecticut, northern Westchester County, south to the southern tip of Manhattan Island. The valleys are principally marble and more easily eroded than the schists and gneisses of this unit's higher elevations. The hills are primarily erosion-resistant and tightly folded metamorphic rocks, mostly gneisses and schists with some local deposits of quartzite, overlain with till