Re: Proposed Adoption of the Debar Mountain Complex Unit Management Plan

The League recently submitted this letter of support to the Adirondack Park Agency advocating for the preservation of Debar Lodge. This follows the letter the League submitted to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in November 2020, urging them to reconsider their proposal to demolish the National Register-listed Debar Pond Lodge.

Dear Members of the APA Board,

Please accept these comments by the Preservation League of New York State (League) regarding the Proposed Adoption of the Debar Mountain Complex Unit Management Plan (UMP). The draft UMP proposes, among other things, the removal of the National Register listed Debar Pond Lodge Complex and its replacement with a day-use picnic area. While the League supports improvements for visitors to the park, we feel it should be done in a manner that does not sacrifice historic resources. As such, we strongly oppose the proposed demolition of the historic Debar Pond Lodge Complex.

The Debar Pond Lodge Complex in Franklin County is an important example of an Adirondack rustic camp and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by architect William Distin, the buildings represent one of the last significant developments of its type in the park. Distin was the designer of a number of buildings in the Adirondacks including St. John’s in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in Paul Smiths and the ice arena in Lake Placid that hosted events for the 1932 Winter Olympics. We feel that the preservation of his work is essential to understanding the long and rich history of the Adirondacks. If we lose these touchstones, we risk telling an incomplete story of one of New York’s and the nation’s most important places, the Adirondack State Park.

The League supports an alternative to the demolition of the Debar Pond Lodge that would utilize a constitutional land exchange amendment to avert demolition and allow public access to the buildings and its setting. This alternative would allow for a land exchange between New York State and a nonprofit organization whereby the state would pass the Debar Pond Lodge buildings and a few acres of land to the nonprofit in exchange for a much larger parcel of land of equal value, which would become part of the Adirondack State Park. This is a mechanism with which the League is very familiar as we were a leading partner in advocating for a similar successful land transfer to save the outbuildings of Great Camp Sagamore in 1983. That camp, as you know, is a tremendous asset for the state. Operated by the Sagamore Institute it continues to serve an important educational role.

This win-win land exchange would expand the Adirondack Park, preserve National Register listed historic buildings, save the cost of demolition by New York State, and create another wonderful opportunity for visitors to understand the full history of the Adirondack Park.

The nonprofit organization in this case would be the Debar Pond Institute, which would agree to restore and maintain the buildings while operating the Debar Pond Lodge Complex for public purposes, including the recreational use of Debar Pond. Uses will include educational programs, public recreation, lodging, and tours. This nonprofit has already formed and lists among its board members longtime Adirondack residents with a history of advocacy for the park and its historic resources. For its part, the Institute has already secured commitments for private funds to acquire 300 acres of land to satisfy their part of the land exchange. The next step is up to New York State.

The Preservation League of New York State calls on New York State to adopt the land exchange model as the best solution for keeping the history of the Adirondack Park alive and vital for all visitors. We stand ready to assist in any way we can.

With appreciation for your commitment to New York State,

Jay DiLorenzo

President
Preservation League of New York State