Research


Scope and Content Note

The files in this series document the Jurisdictional Inquiry Unit's receipt of and responses to inquiries from state and local government officials and the general public regarding APA jurisdiction over land use and development in the Adirondack Park. Inquiries often address the issue of agency project review and permit jurisdiction as it pertains to the subdivision of property and construction of single-family dwellings. Inquiries also pertain to the construction of campgrounds, retail stores, and boathouses; the installation of on-site sewage disposal systems and fuel storage tanks; the placement of mobile homes; the removal of vegetation from and/or other alterations to shorelines for recreational purposes; and the sale of property.

Files contain file summary sheets listing name of person making inquiry, name of landowner, names of third parties involved, location of property, classification of property according to the Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan Map, proximity of property to wetlands or river areas, brief description of proposed project, determination rendered (i.e. within APA jurisdiction or not), and date of response to inquiry. Files also include incoming and outgoing correspondence; memoranda; deeds; surveys; lease agreements; contracts; architectural plans, drawings, and specifications; photographs; local zoning board compliance certificates; and APA project permit applications, permits, and orders approving projects.

CD-ROMs contain scanned images of architectural plans, survey maps, tax maps, sketch maps, and topographic maps from approximately 750 jurisdictional determination files. These images were scanned from files spanning the years 1973 to 1993 and are arranged in the same manner as the files themselves. The CD-ROMs supplement and do not duplicate the files contained on the microfilm.