STREAMSIDE STROLL Plans for the Riverwalk, a landscaped pathway along the south side of the Willowemoc Creek in Livingston Manor, are moving toward completion. The summer views seen here and below, marked “A” and “B,” are located on the Riverwalk plan further down the page. Manor Ink file photo
What’s next for Rockland?
Funds sought for multiple projects
By Kat Slattery | Manor Ink
PARK’S END The “stream deposition area” where the Little Beaverkill and Willowemoc meet.
Livingston Manor, NY – In the Town of Rockland there has been much discussion about what may be happening in the near future for the hamlets of Livingston Manor and Roscoe. For that reason, Manor Ink sat down with Town Supervisor Rob Eggleton to gain insight into what is on the drawing board for the town.
First up is the O&W Rail Trail, a hiking-and-biking pathway that will follow the county’s old train railbed all the way from Wurtsboro to Roscoe. Segments of the trail has been completed, and the planned extension from the Parksville leg to the Manor, Eggleton reported is now moving out of the engineering phase to funding. This one-and-a-half-mile extension will run from Rotary Park on Pleasant Street to Dahlia Road, where it will meet up with an addition to the Parksville portion that the Town of Liberty is undertaking.
Eggleton said that the cost of the project for Rockland is about $2 million, and the next step will be applying for a federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant. Application for the grant is being aided by town consultant Russell Budd who, Eggleton said, “has been a great asset to us.”
Once that grant is awarded, the town can seek matching funds from the state and county to help fund the work. Eggleton stressed that an exciting part of the project is that the Rockland leg will be the eventual terminus of the fifty-mile trail. “We want the trail to connect from here all the way to the other end of the county,” Eggleton said. “This will bring a whole new group of visitors who want to hike the whole trail and then stay, eat in our restaurants and experience our villages.”
Riverwalk plans move ahead
ART IN THE PARK The raw tract behind Catskill Art Space that will be developed into a multi-use public space, marked “C” on the plan below. Manor Ink file photo
Also moving to the drawing board is the Riverwalk, a landscaped public pathway to run from Renaissance Park at the corner of Pearl and Main Streets along the Willowemoc and behind the shops on Main Street a terminus in back of Catskill Art Space. Eggleton said that overgrown vegetation would be removed within the park, and the town is working with the DEC to recover some of the park land that has been lost to flooding while shoring up the creek banks.
Plans call for benches to be installed at intervals along the walkways, and CAS envisions outdoor art installations and classes in the open space behind its building. Along the walk there may also be gardens and eating areas.
The town has also applied for a New York Forward grant, a state funding program to revitalize downtowns in smaller and rural communities, and a decision is expected this month. Eggleton was enthused by the support the town’s application has received from the Mid-Hudson Economic Development Council whose members toured the Manor last year.
He said no village or hamlet in Sullivan County has received such a grant (though Liberty and Fallsburg have applied, too). The grant would be used not only for the Riverwalk, but also for other improvements in the Manor, including new and extended sidewalks and additional parking which is often in short supply during the summer months.
Sake brewery complex tie-in
Eggleton also spoke enthusiastically of the tie-in between these two projects and New York City restaurateur Bon Yagi’s development on Pleasant Street for a sake brewery, restaurant, shop complex and small hotel. His project, now called Livingston Legacy, will also include public space and a Japanese Garden, and will serve as a nice “bridge” between Rotary and Renaissance Parks.
The town is also hoping to work with the county to create a biking loop around the Manor, a route wending over the covered bridge off Old Rte. 17 and down Creamery Road into town. It would comprise another attraction for residents and visitors.
Finally, in Roscoe, Town Councilwoman Christine Routledge is working on plans and funding for improvements to Riverside Park. These would include an extension of the existing trail to the RCS elementary school building as well as additional recreational facilities like a skateboard area, bike path or “ninja warrior” area. Routledge is also working with the state on the feasibility of having a bike lane installed along Rte. 206 for a two-mile-long safe bike path around the hamlet.
