Over the course of my administration, the Town Board and I have purchased and protected over
40 acres of strategic land to be preserved as open space. In 2017 the town invested in 4.3
acres of property along Mountainview Avenue to create a park at the Bear Swamp Preserve and
acquired approximately 30 acres to expand Hook Mountain Park. Both properties were
strategically located for connection to the Long Path and nearby parks. Just last fall, the town
opened a new community garden in Central Nyack with funding provided by Rockland County.
We will continue to make these types of investments to enhance our community, protect our
natural resources, and create recreational and educational opportunities.
I am now pleased to announce the creation of a new advisory commission which will advise
town government on protecting and conserving land, open space, as well as natural, historic,
cultural, and recreational resources. The commission will be initially composed of five members
who will serve on a volunteer basis with no compensation. This was put before the Town Board
and approved unanimously at the February 10, 2026 Town Board meeting.
Preserving open space can be particularly challenging in areas such as Clarkstown where large
swaths of land are not widely available to be purchased for open space. Recently, the New York
State DEC tagged Rockland County with an “urban” designation in its new wetlands regulations.
With little opportunity to simply acquire large areas of undeveloped land, local governments will
need to be creative in identifying non-traditional opportunities for creating additional open space.
The Greenway Commission will play an important role in this process.
Recent developments that contributed to recognizing the need to form this commission include
the Town’s continued partnership with the Orange County Land Trust, an organization dedicated
to preserving natural landscapes and resources such historic properties off of South Mountain
Road. The Greenway Commission will also play a crucial role in helping shape the future of the
historic Storms Tavern property in Valley Cottage, guiding the preservation efforts and potential
public use of the site recently acquired by the Town in a manner that safeguards the site’s
historic and cultural significance.
I’m proud to lead and work with a Town Board that remains firmly committed to responsible land
and environmental conservation. The creation of the Greenway Commission represents a
significant step forward in advancing what has long been a hallmark of my administration.
Growth and change are inevitable, but the creation of this commission provides our residents
with an additional resource to protect our land and natural resources.
