Projects are being completed all over the county to renovate and upgrade the county’s parks.
The Schenectady County Legislature bonded $2 million at the end of 2005 to improve the county’s parks system. Each legislative district was allocated $500,000 for various parks and recreation initiatives.
County attorney Christopher Gardner said the money for these projects was a way to attract more middle class families into the county and improve the quality of life of county residents.
Chairwoman of the County Legislature Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, announced last month that $80,000 of the $500,000 her district received was going toward new playground equipment for River Road Park in Niskayuna.
River Road Park, located on River Road near the intersection of Rosendale Road, currently includes a pavilion, softball fields, a basketball court and walking trails.
Chairwoman of the Niskayuna Town Board Parks and Recreation Committee Liz Kasper said she has been working to purchase new equipment for River Road Park, and the county grant allowed her to do so.
The purchase of new equipment for River Road Park was something we had been exploring and this grant has helped us bring the project to fruition, she said.
Director of Glenville’s Parks Department James MacFarland said the county has agreed to give Glenville, also in District 3, about $150,000 for improvements to the town’s parks.
MacFarland said most of the improvements would occur in the newest town park Maalwyck Park near Lock 8.
`All I can say is we endorse this, we love it, thank you, county. This helps us quite a bit,` he said. `There are hard decisions when it comes to development money; they are big, one-time expenses.`
The village of Scotia also received money to install bathrooms at Freedom Park. Director of Scotia’s Parks and Recreation Department Jim Marx said the village received $38,000 from the county for the project.
Marx said normal bathrooms could not be constructed at the site because of its elevation and proximity to the river. Marx said the new bathrooms, which are hydraulic and air conditioned, were a great improvement to the area.
`It was fine when we only had eight concerts a year there, but now that we have 38 and bathrooms were becoming a problem,` he said.
Marx said Scotia Babe Ruth is receiving money from the county to fix up their field including improvements to the dugouts, a new fence and new infield.
The town of Rotterdam in District 4 has benefited from the county’s initiative with improvements to Memorial Park, but according to Legislator Joseph Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, the county was supposed to spend $255,000 on land for Rotterdam Little League fields, but as far as he knows, never closed on the deal.
`No one will give me an answer,` Suhrada said.
Gardner said the county was going to purchase parkland in Rotterdam for three baseball fields for the Rotterdam Little League. Gardner said there are currently some issues with wetlands on the property and the county is currently working with the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure three ball fields can fit on the property before the sale becomes final. In the mean time the county has extended its contract on the property until the end of the year. “