Peekskill was cited by Greenway Council leaders as a model for other riverfront communities who might join the proposed Hudson River compact.

Word of Mr. Nowicki's arrest stunned this tightly knit riverfront community of 10,000.

The plan was prepared by the landscape architecture firm of Quennell Rothschild Associates after more than 90 meetings with residents of riverfront communities.

Mr. Stever denied the charges, saying that it was "important for the village to take control of its own destiny" to avoid the fate of other riverfront communities.

Nashwaaksis was settled in the 1760s following the Seven Years' War and developed into a riverfront community opposite what would become the provincial capital at Point Ste-Anne.

Planners hired by the automaker described for village officials a new riverfront community with a marina, apartment buildings, stores and perhaps a museum and a hotel.

And that money has rippled through the riverfront communities, resulting not only in chic cafes and pricey boutiques, but an influx of second homeowners to the east bank.

Also, many of the riverfront communities are trying to develop ferry service, which would bring commuters and tourists to their shores.

As visible signs of the change, many farms are giving way to second homes and suburban-type housing, while every riverfront community has seen an explosion of antique shops, restaurants and boutiques.

It is the quintessential road for a Sunday afternoon drive past tranquil pastureland, large sod farms with their rich black dirt, and peaceful riverfront communities.