- By Dan Veaner
- News
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The Village of Lansing will begin work on a new northside park, planned for the northeast corner of a parcel of land between Northwoods and Dart Drives. Mayor Donald Hartill says that $50,000 approved earlier this month in the 2016-17 budget will go toward design and initial work this summer, and that more money will be allotted to complete the park next year. Hartill says the new park will be a 'mirror image' of the southside Dankert Park."We want to develop a park very similar to Dankert Park on the South Side of Route 13," said Hartill. "To have a park in that parcel adjoining Wood Thrush Hollow Road or whatever we're going to call that road. It would be a similar thing for soccer-kind of activities, jungle gym. It should be a very nice addition to the Village."
The wooded parcel was at the center of a bitter controversy in 2012 when Better Housing for Tompkins County and the NRP Group proposed a $9 million project to build 80 affordable family apartments in the Village of Lansing. The 22 acre property is the middle of three parcels on the south side of Northwoods Drive. Village officials were pressured to oppose the development, largely because of concerns about traffic routing and access. About a year ago the Village purchased the property. Village officials saaid that a park and walking trails would be constructed there with most of the land remaining 'forever green'.
Dankert Park includes a playground, pavilion and baseball and soccer fieldPhilip R. Dankert Park is a nicely manicured park on Uptown Road with a soccer and baseball field, a basketball hoop, bicycle rack, and a pavilion with picnic tables. It's open daily from sunrise to 10 pm. The Village also maintains a playground across the street from Dankert Park. If officials can gain right of way for a walking path to cross railroad tracks at the foot of Bolton Point Road, a natural park may be established at Poison Ivy Point.
The Lansing Village Community Park, across the road from Dankert Park, features a playground for small children
Poison Ivy Point is owned by the Village of Lansing, but currently the only legal access is via Cayuga Lake. The Mayor hopes to negotiate with railroad officials to obtain the right of way for hikers.Hartill said the Village Trails Committee will participate in the planning of the new park, and that he says he hopes the planning can be completed and initial work begun this summer. Hartill says a park fund is in place, so the Village will not have to borrow money for the construction. He says that the part to be built this summer may be usable by summer's end.
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