State of the Town Recreation & Parks Services
Published: 3/24/2005
In the third installment of my series on the State of the Town I will continue the discussion of the major services we offer residents, specifically, our Recreation and Parks services.
The Recreation Department provides a wide variety of programs and services to the community. A quarterly brochure of program offerings is published and sent out to all Town and School District residents. Last year, 681 programs were offered in the areas of athletics, enrichment, family and youth and wellness. More than 9,500 people took advantage of these programs.
Swimming lessons, sports programs, fitness, dance, arts and crafts, music and bridge lessons have stood the test of time and are regularly offered and well-supported. There are also programs such as disco dancing that are offered while they're popular but are replaced by the next hot trend.
It is important to point out that the recreation programs we offer are not supported by tax dollars. The fee covers the entire cost of the program plus an overhead factor for each program. In 2004, the cost of running recreation programs was $511,665. During that same period, we brought in $571,553 in fees. The additional revenue helps to offset the cost of recreation administration as well as the expense of having the Spiegel Center open for general community use.
Some of the improvements we have seen in recreation programming have come at your request, including the expansion of Child Care to a year-round service and Summer Playground that provides a lunch bunch program. Other initiatives that have been popular include the Father Daughter Valentines Dance and the Pittsford Triathlon that had over 100 participants in its first year.
The Senior Citizens are another important component of our recreational services. Last year we opened the VanHuysen Senior Center at 3750 Monroe Avenue. This was a milestone for our seniors who had waited patiently for a senior center that was accessible, had parking readily available and would meet their programming needs. Since opening the new facility, attendance at seniors events has climbed by nearly 1,100 people in 2004. Securing a home for our seniors is an accomplishment that the Town Board and I are very proud of.
Another source of great pride is our parks, our trails and our open spaces that offer a wide variety of outdoor experiences for our residents. Today, we have over 200 acres of land that comprise seven active parks, with an eighth under consideration. Great Embankment Park, Thornell Farm Park and Hopkins Park are designed for active recreational interests. Isaac Gordon Nature Park is a passive recreational area that provides walking trails in a beautiful and diverse environment. Port of Pittsford Park and the Copper Beach Park are parks the Town maintains within the Village. King's Bend Park provides opportunities for families, neighborhoods and community organizations to gather.
The Town Board and I have made a commitment to improve and expand our parks system to meet the needs of our residents. Two regulation baseball fields have been added to Great Embankment Park to address the growth of youth baseball programs. King's Bend Park came as a result of resident input that indicated a desire for a park location for family gatherings. In response, two cabins were built in the park, a playground was added in 2004 and additional picnic benches and grills will be added this year. Further, we are in the process of purchasing land along the Erie Canal that would allow us to have a significant park in the center of our community. We are in the process of property acquisition, but when done we will partner with the Village of Pittsford and invite the community to provide input on the development of an overall vision for this property. In addition to our active parks, the Town owns over 900 acres of open spaces throughout the Town. These environmentally significant areas (woodlots, wetlands and floodplains) are now protected by town ownership. Open spaces are additionally significant as they provide a backdrop and buffer between neighborhoods. Through the Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR), the town has protected an additional 1,100 acres of agricultural properties that preserves these spaces as farmland and protects the agricultural setting that is important to our community's history and landscape.
A lesser-known fact, the town maintains over 16 miles of trails and more than 10 miles of sidewalks throughout the community. Many residents make regular use of these amenities as part of their exercise or walking program. The trails take you into spectacular areas of the town allowing you to experience the diverse landscape that makes our community special.
The Town Board and I encourage your comments and suggestions about our Recreation and Parks services. Please feel free to write, call, or e-mail me to share any thoughts you may have about these services.
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