After years of anticipation, the village of Fayetteville will soon be home to the Canal Landing Park.
Village officials, former Mayor Marian Loosmann and a host of state representatives gathered Oct. 22 to break ground at the site of a new park that will provide a playground area, biking/hiking trails, a shelter pavilion and a bathroom facility.
The village has entered into a long-term lease with the state department of Parks and Historic Preservation for the 10-acre park in lower Fayetteville on the former Department of Transportation site. Mayor Mark Olson said the groundbreaking marks more than three decades of diligent work from several administrations. He noted then-Mayor Russell Parnell first inquired about the use of the land in September 1977.
Olson dedicated the park to all of the village mayors that had worked on project.
This spring, representatives from Stearns & Wheler met several times with the village board to map out the designs for the park.
The $500,000 project is funded through two state grants. The village DPW will maintain the grounds.
Tim Simpson Construction of Chenango Forks was awarded the project at the village board’s Sept. 13 meeting.
Olson said work will begin immediately.
Others attending the ceremony included town Supervisor Ed Theobald, village trustees Dan Kinsella, Mike Small and Mary Coleman, village clerk Lorie Corsette, State Sen. David Valesky, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, former Assemblyman Jeff Brown, and Robert Hiltbrand, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation regional director.
