Hoosick Play Structure – Time For A Redesign
New Playground Design Presented
At Hoosick Town Board Meeting
by Deb Alter
An update on the Castle Playground project was presented by Wendy Larson of the Hoosick Kiwanis Club and Karen Armstrong of Parkitects, a park and playground design group located in Lansing, New York. Armstrong, who has worked with many communities to design and build playgrounds that address the specific needs of each one. Nearby communities they have worked with include Sand Lake, Malta, and Wilton, but they have completed many projects throughout upstate New York.
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Armstrong said the castle theme was really great, but that a thorough inspection of most of the existing playground equipment has shown that it needs to be replaced. The old wooden structures cannot be retrofitted, as parts are not available, and the wooden supporting structures are rotting; they are beyond repair and unsafe. The redesign proposal includes colorful new equipment that is safe, fun, and accessible for all children, meeting ADA requirements. Based on the playground audit, Parkitects and the Hoosick Kiwanis Playground Committee have come up with a proposal for what can stay and what should go, and a new design that is interesting, fun, inviting, and age appropriate. “Play value” and safety were top considerations. Armstrong and the Board also discussed the pros and cons of different surface (ground) coverings. The playground will still have a castle theme. Armstrong commented that whenever she is in Hoosick, she notices many mothers with children two to five years old taking walks around town. The reason, she believes is because there is nothing appropriate for that age group to play on in the park.
The playground update will be done in phases. Phase one will be to create the space for the two to five year olds. In order to keep costs down, Kiwanis Club and other community members will chip in to help remove the old and install the new playground elements. The areas to be addressed in Phase One will be cleared out this Fall in order to be ready for installation in the spring.
“The project has been so much fun to work on,” Larson said, “if it’s anything to do with kids – I’m there!”
The Town has budgeted $75,400 for the entire project; the proposed new playground is projected to cost $79,000. The equipment has been priced out through a State contract agreement, but the Board will look into what, if anything, requires an RFP. Highway Superintendent Bill Shiland will spearhead the process.
The state has set the tax cap at .73% for the upcoming budget year. A Public Hearing will be held on October 22 at 7 pm at the Town Offices about overriding the tax cap in case it becomes necessary. The cap was 2% last year. A draft of the Supervisor’s tentative budget, which he has already started working on, will be emailed to Board members by October 1, and there will be a budget workshop on October 8 at 6 pm.
Kaila Matatt, Recreation Director, reported that 10,274 swimmers used the Town Pool this summer. Of the revenue, 20% was from swimming lessons, 37% from the concessions, and 43% from admission fees. She also passed on a request that the skating rink be opened sooner for inline hockey players and teams, in effect, extending the ice hockey season as they are some of the same people. The Board supported the idea, but requested more information about the sponsoring organization and insurance. They agreed that the fee would be the same as for regular rink rentals, $60 per hour.
Upcoming Events
• HAYC3 has many upcoming community events including the Hullaballoo weekend September 25 to 27 and the Harvest Dinner on October 3. Find details at HAYC3.org.
• CiviCure invites everyone to participate in the Rolf Max Sternberg 5K Road Race for Vibrant Communities on Saturday, September 26.
The Walter A. Wood Tractor and Agriculture Show will be on October 3 in Wood Memorial Park.
• The St. Mary’s Cow Plop is October 11 this year.
• Everyone is encouraged to get involved in Hoosick Rising. The next meeting is September 22 at 6 pm at the Senior Center on Church Street.
• The Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site invites public participation in an historical and archeological survey of the Battlefield. There will be a special meeting on September 22 at 7 pm in the HFCS auditorium.
Department Reports
• The Town Clerk took in $5,648 in fees for permits, etc., in August.
• Highway Superintendent Shiland reported that the new truck is in and ready to go.
• Town Historian Phil Leonard reported that he had added five new names to the Veterans’ Wall and two more have been ordered. The cost of adding names has increased. He also presented a new board highlighting many of the stores and shops in the Town and Village from earlier times.
• Councilpersons Mark Surdam and Bruce Patire are working with Highway Superintendent Shiland on acquiring another new (used) truck. Shiland will make sure to get an ad in the newspaper.
• Councilperson Hyde thanked the Board and the community for their support during her mother’s illness and recent death.
Old and Ongoing Business:
• The Town’s consultant, LaBerge Group, has put together the information needed for the Consolidated Funding Grant (to help with the pool pump house and the bath house) and sent it to NYS Parks and Recreation. Additional information was requested by the State, and the Town Attorney is working on it.
• The Town has received three applications for the Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer position.
• The Baby Lane clean up has been completed. Lots of tires were found buried on the property that caused extra expense.
• The Town’s Land Use Laws have been converted to digital format for the Town website.
New Business:
The Board passed a resolution to form The Town of Hoosick Solar Committee to discuss regulation of large solar installations in the Town. The Solar Committee will report back to the Board by the end of April 2016.
An application for a variance to put up a sign on Route 22 for Brown’s Brewing was approved by the Board.
The Town sought an estimate for the pool cover, which is necessary to protect its investment in the pool, and for safety, and received a price of $27,550. Shiland said he will put it out for bid and he hopes to get a better price.
Ann Bornt was reappointed to the Hoosick Housing Authority for another five-year term and Terry Barber was reappointed to another term on the Assessment Review Board (if she is willing).
The Town of Hoosick is supporting Rensselaer and Albany Counties’ coordinated efforts to compete for funds from the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. Additional information about how you can help and about the initiative can be found at www.ny.gov/programs/upstate-revitalization-initiative.
The required White Creek Bridge audits were approved, as was the FEMA Flood Plain resolution. A motion was passed to authorize the management fee for the North Hoosick Fire Department retirement fund.
The October Town Board Meeting has been moved from its regular date because that Monday is a holiday. The new Town Board Meeting date is Thursday, October 15 at 7 pm.[/private]