Mohawk Riverside Landing Park is officially open for public use, a milestone that was marked with a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A small crowd gathered on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the park located in Latham on River Road to celebrate the opening. Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan was there to cut the ribbon.
The park is located at the site of the formerly vacant Latham Water Treatment Plant. The old structures were torn down in 2011 and the land developed into a passive park, which means it features a natural setting without athletic fields or playgrounds. There is an area with picnic tables, a restroom, parking spaces and bike paths that connect to the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Path.
“This is very big. This is an area that was a real eyesore, the building that was here was falling apart and so for many years, going back probably to ’96, there was hope of something being developed here that never came to fruition, “ said Mahan.
Original plans for the park called for more amenities, including basketball courts, a pavilion and solar panels. The design was dialed back due to lack of funds.
Most of the money for development of the park came from the City of Schenectady Industrial Development Agency and much of the work was done by the water department, which owns the land.
The town changed the speed limit on River Road in 2012 to 30 mph, and cited the park as a reason for the change.
Not wanting to pass up an opportunity to contribute to the park, brothers Evan and Caleb Czolowski, from Cub Scout Troop 62, donated two birdhouses they built to be placed in the park. The birdhouses will be homes for smaller birds. They drilled holes a certain diameter to keep sparrows out, because sparrows can become aggressive and try to take over the home.