The villages of Carthage and West Carthage have worked together on developing a waterfront plan to revitalize the Black River's shores. Now that it is about to be finalized, the villages will go their separate ways to implement the $3.4 million plan.

West Carthage Mayor Scott M. Burto said the village will apply for a state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation grant by December to begin its first project, which he said should be boat launches or the Long Falls Hydroelectric Park.

"It's great that we worked together and tried to improve the river as a whole, but we have things in West Carthage we want to focus on now," he said. "I think that's the way we need to look at it is one piece of the puzzle at a time."

The South Main Street boat launch is expected to cost $577,680, and the beach and boat launch north of the bridge would cost $152,868, according to calculations by Peter J. Smith & Co. Inc., Buffalo, which created the plan. Revitalizing the Hydroelectric Park behind the village Department of Public Works garage is estimated to cost $156,144.

Carthage President G. Wayne McIlroy said the village will revisit the document after current projects, such as opening Guyots Island and renovating the court and recreation buildings, are complete.

"At this time and in the near future, I don't see us doing any of these projects," he said. "This is one of those plans that you can dust off the shelf and say 'we already have this' when you apply for grants."

Bernard F. Frezza, a Carthage trustee and member of the Waterfront Planning Committee, said he thinks that after Guyots Island, the village's priorities should be extending Turning Point Park into the Rite Aid parking lot and renovating the farmers market area. The projects are expected to cost $166,986 and $195,180, respectively.

The proposed $1.7 million loop trail connecting the Twin Villages with a recreational path crossing the Black River twice is a project neither village is ready to embark on right away.

"The way the economics are right now, we don't want to get into anything," Mr. McIlroy said.

Mr. Burto pointed out that the cost estimates outlined in the plan's final draft are based on the "perfect plan" and can be scaled down.

The Waterfront Planning Committee likely will adopt the document and decide which projects to start first at its next meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the West Carthage municipal building.

The plan can be viewed on the village's Web site. Public comments submitted before the meeting via e-mail or mail, or stated during the meeting, will be considered before the plan is finalized.