Clifton Park announces park planning meeting schedule

PHOTOGRAPHER: Marc Schultz

A bird's-eye view of the parcel Shenendehowa Central School District sold to the Town of Clifton Park in Dec. 2017.

Clifton Park has announced an official schedule for the town’s comprehensive park planning process that will tackle turning a 37-acre parcel — purchased a year ago from the Shenendehowa Central School District — into a town park.

The Clifton Park Town Board, in collaboration with the Town Center Park Planning Committee, announced on Wednesday the beginning of a series of visioning workshops, tours and “pop up” workshops as part of the public participation process into the future design for the Town Center Park located at Exit 9.

The process will follow the same template used in previous long range, comprehensive, public planning studies, such as the Town Open Space Plan, Western Clifton Park GEIS and the Town Center Plan.

In February, the town announced that it had entered into a contract with Elan Planning, and Behan Planning and Design to work on the park planning project.

The meetings, according to a press release from the town, will be led by town officials alongside Elan Planning, and Behan Planning and Design. The events, which are both informal and formal, will allow Clifton Park residents and community stakeholders to provide their thoughts and ideas for the future of the 37-plus-acre park.

“The comprehensive, public planning process will include a series of public events and workshops designed to guarantee multiple opportunities for people to learn about the 37-acre property and fully engage in the planning process. The Town Board appreciates the tremendous amount of time and effort invested by many in this endeavor to date and we are eagerly anticipating a vigorous and successful planning process,” Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett said.

The schedule is as follows:

First informal public site walk on April 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants will meet at the Clifton Park Public Safety Building parking lot.
Science and Health Fair Informal “Pop Up” Workshop on April 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Shenedehowa High School East.
Vision Charrette on May 1 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clifton Park Senior Community Center.
Second informal public site walk on May 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants will meet at the Clifton Park Public Safety Building parking lot.
Town Center Park Planning Committee Meeting and Informal “Pop Up” Workshop on May 15 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Clifton Park Public Safety Building.
Design Charrette on June 5 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clifton Park Senior Community Center.

The park planning effort is projected to take 12 months, though the contract retains the firms for two years, in anticipation of the process taking longer.

The wooded park property, located off Maxwell Road, was purchased from the Shenendehowa school district after a public referendum in April 2017 saw voters reject a plan to sell the land to BBL Development — for about $2 million.

BBL planned to build a ShopRite supermarket on a portion of the property.

The sale of the land to the town — for $1.1 million — was approved by voters in a second referendum on Dec. 5, 2017. By law, the land can now only be used as a public park. The town and school district closed on the deal in February of 2018.