More than 100 voices tell town how to play ball, etc.

Warwick — More than 100 people packed Town Hall two weeks ago at one of three visioning sessions for the town’s recreation programs and facilities. Three separate sessions were held simultaneously at the Town Hall, the Florida Senior Center and the Greenwood Lake Senior Center. Supervisor Michael Sweeton attended all three at different points of the night. “We had good feedback,” Sweeton said. “We heard things we hadn’t thought of and many things we have.” The town sponsored the open house events to help prepare its park and recreations plan for all town facilities. The plan will build on ideas initially developed through the town’s Comprehensive Planning and Open Space Planning efforts. The goal is to assess the conditions of the town’s community parks, identify current and future needs, and establish a plan to meet those needs. Once completed, the plan will guide future parkland acquisition and recreational facilities development in the Town of Warwick. Individuals as well as representatives for organized leagues attended the sessions. School board members attended, according to Sweeton, as well as coaches from the schools, something he sees as a big plus. “The schools are interested in a partnership with the town. That’s something we haven’t always seen,” he said. The town’s soccer club, football board, baseball league were present, as well as the start-up roller hockey and lacrosse leagues. A planner from the Laberge Group, a multi-disciplinary municipal consulting firm based in Albany, attended each session. The town hired Laberge to work with the town’s parks and recreation commission to develop a plan. This week marked the conclusion of the town’s online resident survey. Residents received a postcard in the mail with log-in information to complete a survey of what they felt the town needed to meet its recreational needs. Now, the data is being compiled from both the survey and the visioning sessions and will be presented to the Town Board sometime in the spring. From there, Sweeton said, a plan will be developed and the town will search for grants to help pay for it.