Town of Warwick Secures $1 Million for Parks

When the Town of Warwick acquired the 85-acre Mountain Lake Park, the former Kutz Camp, abutting the Fuller Preserve in 2020, it included a lake, two pools, tennis courts, outdoor and indoor event/art spaces, multiple cabins, a central wastewater system, multiple wells and a trail system. Now the Town has begun to review and upgrade these facilities with the help of a New York State grant.

 The Town of Warwick was awarded a $1,000,000 grant received from NYS, provided through Senator Skoufis’s office involves $600k to construct a new youth / kiddie wading pool at Mountain Lake Park, which will also include upgrading current pool facilities to improve water quality, infrastructure and technology; and the Town was awarded $400k to replace the playground and equipment at Airport Park, another parcel managed by the Town, that will add new ADA accessible rubber matting throughout the playground.

 “The Town of Warwick is committed to improving handicap accessibility throughout our town and supporting the kids and young parents here in Warwick,” said Warwick Town Supervisor, Jesse Dwyer. “We are grateful that Senator Skoufis shares the same sentiment and we thank him and his staff for their hard work in securing funds for the Town of Warwick,” continued Dwyer.

 Senator Skoufis said “Warwick’s public pool and parks are an important part of the community’s recreational fabric. They bring people of all ages and backgrounds together and the improvements this grant is funding will take Mountain Lake and Airport Park to the next level. I’m always delighted to partner with Supervisor Dwyer and local officials to ensure our community is getting its fair share from Albany and projects like this can come to fruition with State Senate support.”

 It was determined that the property is listed as one of the parcels in the Community Preservation Plan that satisfies the plan goals of “protecting Warwick’s rural quality and its natural environment especially in sensitive environmental areas, protecting groundwater sources and providing for recreational opportunities throughout the town,” when the Town annexed the property. The URJ Kutz Camp had provided 54 summers of fun for campers who enjoyed the lakeside retreat before it closed. Since thenThe Town of Warwick has encouraged residents to enjoy the facilities, open daily from 9 am to 6 pm and includes recreational activities ranging from walking/hiking, pickleball, passive boating, fishing, picnicking, and more. The Mountain Lake Park’s Lodge, Art’s Building, and Lakeside Pavilion are open for community use and rental as well

 One of the key elements supporting the adoption and implementation of the Town of Warwick Community Preservation Fund is the Community Preservation Project Plan (CPPP).. The CPPP serves to build upon the 1999 Comprehensive Plan and 2002 Zoning Law, as well as new initiatives, including but not limited to additional regulatory techniques and subdivision, zoning and wetland protection laws, as well as a multitude of other conservation strategies that have been adopted by the Town. To learn more, click on https://www.townofwarwick.org/community-preservation/.