Town seeks public's vision for recreation plan

Warwick — Does Warwick have enough soccer fields? What about ball fields? Or swimming, hiking or even skate-boarding? If you have a suggestion for the town’s recreation program, town officials want to hear about it. On Wednesday, Nov. 30, the town is holding open houses at Warwick Town Hall, the Florida Senior Center and the Greenwood Lake Senior Center where residents may bring their suggestions. Each of the three sessions runs from 7 to 9 p.m. The town is preparing a park and recreation 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. “A park and recreation plan is an important community planning tool as it not only assesses the condition of existing parks and resources, but it also provides residents with an opportunity to let their elected officials know what they want or need at their local parks,” said Supervisor Michael Sweeton in a release. “This is an opportunity for people to come out and say what they want in the town’s recreation.” Each of the three locations will have a planner from the Laberge Group, a multi-disciplinary municipal consulting firm based in Albany. The town hired Laberge Group to work with the town’s parks and recreation commission. Each location also will have photographs of existing conditions at the parks and summaries of each park’s resources. Maps will identify the location of parks and other recreational resources, including existing and proposed trails. Residents are invited to share their ideas about what they feel is needed, such as additional ball fields, new playgrounds, or more basketball courts. They will also be asked to identify what other recreational facilities they would like to see in the community, such as trails or neighborhood tot lots. And residents who can’t make the meetings on the 30th may still have their voices heard. An online resident survey will take place Nov. 28 to Dec. 12. All residents will receive a postcard with information on how to log in. For those without internet access, the postcard will tell how to obtain a paper copy. When all of the data is collected by the end of the year, planners will put together a road map of what is wanted and needed. Sweeton said the report will be presented to the board by spring. Then, town will have a priority list and look for funding through grants or possibly a referendum. “When we figure out what we need, then we need to figure out how to pay for it,” said Sweeton. “Maybe it ends up being a partnership between public, private, schools, like it’s been in the past.” Sweeton noted that the Warwick Soccer Club paid half for the lighting at the Town Park fields and that the Warwick Little League has also contributed greatly to its field on Union Corners Road. For more information on the public visioning open house or the town’s park and recreation plan efforts, contact Sweeton at 986-1120 Ext. 5. Warwick households that do not receive a postcard with survey information should call Korie McAllister at 1-800-755-2237 for a Resident ID number.