Volunteers tidy up and assess P’ville Rail Trail

By Jack Dusenbury-Dalto | Manor Ink

Parksville, NY – On Saturday, June 4, people gathered at the entrance of the Parksville O&W Rail Trail on Old Rte. 17 to clean up trash and walk along a section of the trail that the towns of Rockland and Liberty plan to develop to link the existing trail to Livingston Manor.

The current Parksville trail from Cabernet Frank’s to Fox Mountain Rd. is 1.33 miles long. The plan is to extend the trail to Livingston Manor to make it 3.5 miles in length. The county’s goal is to have 50 miles of trail for biking and walking all the way from Wurtsboro to Livingston Manor. Funding and support has already been received for some planning and trail work.

Revitalization possibilities

Before the groups set out, Frank DeMayo, Liberty’s supervisor, expressed excitement about the trail helping with the resurgence of Parksville. He noted that there is an active Parksville Priorities Committee composed of residents and town officials working on various plans and events. Denise Frangipane, executive director of Sullivan Renaissance, spoke of the health benefits to residents and the potential economic benefits that visitors using the trail bring to local hamlets. “Witness all the new businesses that have sprung up in Hurleyville,” she said. “A revitalized and extended rail trail could lead to many opportunities.”

During the litter pluck, one group walked down the existing trail to pick up trash, view the trailside falls and help complete a “trail town assessment” – a look at the hamlet from the eyes of a visitor to determine what should be done to make it a more attractive destination.

Another group, led by supervisors DeMayo and Rob Eggleton of Livingston Manor, walked a future section of the trail from Fox Mountain Road to the old Sonoma Falls site. This section of the trail seemed to be in good shape and will not require much work to make it usable.

Later in the week, Manor Ink sat down with Supervisor Eggleton to get more information about the trail extension. Eggleton said he hoped to soon get the feasibility study which will provide details regarding trail construction costs for its two sections – from Rotary Park in the Manor to the Little Beaverkill and from there to Sonoma Falls. One more parcel needs to be acquired to get to Sonoma Falls. The Open Space Institute is working with the town to acquire that property.

Help from Sullivan Renaissance

Supervisor Eggleton said that the town will be applying for Sullivan Renaissance’s Golden Feather award to help with the costs. This grant of $400,000 is made up of contributions from Sullivan Renaissance, the Gerry Foundation and funds from New York State, plus a contribution from Rockland and Liberty as some of the extended trail falls within the boundaries of both towns.

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther is assisting the towns’ efforts, as well as the Sullivan County Planning Department, and federal funds may also be available. This amount may fund the trail from the Manor to the Little Beaverkill, but from there to Sonoma Falls will require a bridge so the trail can pass over the creek.

Eggleton said he hopes to complete the first portion from the Manor to the Little Beaverkill within two years.