by Kristina Gabalski
The Village of Spencerport and the Town of Ogden have received some significant grant monies to help with the development of the East Avenue Heritage Trail/Park along the Erie Canal that both municipalities hope will bring tourism to the community.
Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard says the town has received a state grant of $275,000 under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2011 Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.
The grant will help to cover half of the $550,000 projected cost of constructing the park, which would include more than three acres and be the first park developed on the canal in the town.
Plans for the park include an 80 foot long boat dock, Lenhard says. “People will be able to come by boat and have a picnic.”
Also included are lamp posts and fixtures, electric outlets for exhibitor tents, benches, picnic tables, bike/cross country ski racks and public access for boating and ice skating.
The park will include shaded picnicking areas with picnic tables and grills, Lenhard says. The park will be designed and constructed for four season recreational activities.
Future plans include the construction of three pavilions, one with a fireplace and restrooms and two open pavilions with electric.
“We’re excited,” Lenhard says, “the project has blossomed.”
She explains the land for the park is owned by Monroe County, but the town has been given approval by the county to purchase the parcel for a token fee. The project has also received verbal approval from the New York State Canal Corporation.
An access road will connect the park to Lyell Avenue, she says.
Lenhard gives credit for the project concept to Kris Schultz of Schultz Associates Engineers and Land Surveyors, P.C., who envisioned it.
“If it weren’t for Kris Schultz, we wouldn’t be doing this,” she says. “He is a resident who really cares about the community. I admire Kris Schultz for coming up with this plan. It takes a vision.”
Schultz presented both the town and the Village of Spencerport with plans for continued development of the Heritage Trail.
He told the Suburban News in September 2011 that the park and trail project will be a tangible asset to the community, “and will be there for generations to come.”
The town plans to accomplish much of the work of constructing the park with in-kind services, “then we won’t have to contract out,” Supervisor Lenhard says.
In addition, some innovative “recycling” of local materials will also help to save money and preserve pieces of local history.
The town has removed the Trimmer Rd. railroad bridge and Lenhard says Medina sandstone salvaged from that project will be saved for use in the park. “It could be used for a fireplace in the lodge or for walkways,” she says.
The town is also acquiring 5,000 square feet of granite from the roof of the Civic Center Garage in Rochester. The roof is being removed and replaced with a “green” roof, Lenhard says.
“We will use it for picnic tables, we’re really excited about that,” she notes. “It will be saving (preservation of) some of Rochester, too.”
Some clearing of the land has already been done. “The project is moving much faster than we anticipated,” Lenhard says.
The Village of Spencerport has received a grant of $74,992.50 for development of the Heritage Trail in the village. The project will complement existing canal side improvements and add space for additional festival vendors.
Mayor Joyce Lobene says the village began to revitalize the canal front back in the mid-1990s, “when New York State woke up to the fact that they had something very special in this state that was of great historical value to all.”
“Spencerport heeded Albany’s call to revitalize and began by building the Clyde Carter Memorial Gazebo and Dock on the southwest canal bank,” Lobene continues. “Several years later, the Lester Merz Pavilion was built on the northeast bank and the Depot Museum and Visitor’s Center on the southeast side was added several years ago. This past spring, the new dock was built in front of the Depot, giving us more dock space as well as the beginning of the Heritage Trail.”
The grant money will provide the village the opportunity to complete the trail to the village line as the completion of canal shore revitalization, Lobene says.
“We are grateful for the grant from the state to do so,” she says. “Working in tandem with the Town of Ogden to further extend the trail to Lyell is a bonus that we had not planned on, but are grateful for.”
“The past few years have seen many of our residents – young and old – walking or biking along our canal towpath,” Lobene says. “We are delighted to be able to provide them with a safe trail to enjoy.”
The village plans to encourage families, service clubs and scouts to be a part of the Heritage Trail by planting a garden or raising funds for benches and picnic tables, Lobene adds.
“While the Heritage Trail will complete the Canal Banks Projects, I am also looking forward to having the (CSX) railroad bridge come down and being able to clean up that area and making it a welcome gate to our Business District,” she says, “as well as the development of a nature park in a few years on our DPW grounds.”
“The cooperation we have received from New York State and Monroe County as well as the support and help from our residents to make Spencerport someplace special is unheard of in many other towns and villages,” Lobene says. “We are very fortunate and I never forget that. What they do not realize is that it is our people who are the special in Spencerport – Someplace Special.”
