Summit Lake & Its Watercourse
In May 2019, the Village of Philmont’s Summit Lake and Its Watercourse Brownfield Opportunity Area plan was officially accepted by New York State and designated as a BOA consisting of 427 acres in the Village of Philmont with seventeen sites identified as catalytic for revitalization and redevelopment, seven of which are deemed priority sites.
“Brownfields” are classified as dormant buildings, sites, or land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes where potential contaminants have impeded redevelopment, turning the properties into economic and environmental drains on localities.
New York State’s Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program provides communities grant-funding and technical assistance to develop area-wide, community-based plans to redevelop brownfields and other vacant and abandoned sites, transforming them into properties that facilitate community investment and improvement. The Village of Philmont’s BOA pinpoints Summit Lake (the reservoir), a 24-acre publicly owned body of water and critical public amenity, as a central revitalization catalyst for Philmont. The core of Philmont’s BOA, Summit Lake encapsulates the Village’s rich industrial history of innovative water-power engineering. Mills and artifacts of the watercourse contribute historical assets for area revitalization, and strategic sites in close proximity to Summit Lake will create opportunities for redevelopment and community development—including housing, retail, commercial, and public amenities like lake-side parks—that will connect and integrate the lake waterfront to key sites, downtown, and High Falls Conservation Area.
The BOA planning process consists of three distinctive program steps.
Planning
Designation
Implementation
Community Center & Playground Redesign Presentations (Dec 4, 5 and 12)
Special Events
Monthly updates on the progress of LWRP and BOA activities are provided in Village Board minutes accessed here.
BOA Subareas 
BOA Pre-development Activities
BOA Development Partner
Philmont Beautification, Inc. has spearheaded renewal in Philmont for 20 years, contributing over 40 revitalization projects using a unique community-based model that brings the Philmont community together to collaborate on multifaceted development projects that provide residents opportunities to contribute to the revitalization of the Village of Philmont, NY in the spirit and tradition of a rural barn raising.
BOA | Priority Redevelopment Sites
- Summit Lake
- Community Center
- Playground
- Aiken Knitting Mill #3
- Elm Street Extension (parcel #5)
- Elm Street Extension (parcel #6)
- Canal Street
view all catalytic redevelopment sites
Summit Lake & Its Watercourse (BOA) Related Projects
Cultural Resources Survey
Community Center & Playground Redesign Presentations (Dec 4, 5 and 12)
Lake Waterfront Revitalization Project (LWRP) Reports & Studies
Summit Lake Reservoir Watershed Assessment
Summit Lake Water Quality Improvement Analysis Cover Letter
Summit Lake Water Quality Improvement Analysis Report
Summit Lake Summary of Surface Water and Sediment Sampling
Summit Lake Bathymetric Measurements Map
Summit Lake and Its Watershed Behan Planning & Design Report