Trustee Matt Etu, during the Village Board meeting on May 13, presented to the public a plan for the reinvestment of Williamsville’s parks.
(Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation regarding the plan.)
Etu said the plan, titled “Picture Our Parks 2025” represents the culmination of a yearlong effort by the village Parks Committee.
He said the Parks Committee, in concert with Molly Vendura, a landscape architect, have proposed plans for the reinvigoration of Island Park, the complete redevelopment and renewal of South Long Park, as well as minor improvements and capital projects for the balance of village parks.
The proposed improvements total an estimated $2 to $3 million throughout the next five years.
“Picture Our Parks 2025 will need more grants and sponsorships to make some of the bigger projects a reality, but the smaller projects need our investment now,” Etu said. “It is plain to see that the $20,000 that has been historically allocated to our parks just isn’t enough to achieve substantive improvements. This is why there is $125,000 increase in the budget for parks capital improvements. These expenditures will be tangible; every resident will see it, touch it, use it and benefit from it.”
Etu’s presentation and remarks were offered during a public hearing on the parks plan. The Village Board agreed to allow the hearing to remain open – a decision they unanimously made to allow the community and its stakeholders more time to review and comment on the plan.
Comments and questions regarding POP 25 may be emailed to kdepriest@village.williamsville.ny.us.
The public hearing and the board meeting were recorded through Zoom, a multi-user video conference platform. (To view the meeting recording, CLICK HERE). The Village Board and village committees are currently using Zoom as a way to conduct business meetings during the pandemic.
For further information about Picture Our Parks, including all of the relevant renderings, CLICK HERE.