SERINO: INNOVATIVE USE OF WHEATON PARK LAND WILL MOVE POUGHKEEPSIE FORWARD

SERINO: INNOVATIVE USE OF WHEATON PARK LAND WILL MOVE POUGHKEEPSIE FORWARD

Serino/Skartados Bill Allowing City to Sell Land Signed Into Law

HYDE PARK, NY— NYS Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) announced today that her bill (S. 5812-A/7980-A) allowing the City of Poughkeepsie to sell its municipal parkland, known as Wheaton Park, to a private entity for public benefit and economic development was signed into law.

“The sale of Wheaton Park will not only provide for significant economic development opportunity within the City of Poughkeepsie, but it will also provide the funds necessary to improve and maintain the City’s most utilized green spaces,” said Senator Serino. “It’s a real win for the City as a whole, demonstrating innovative vision and a drive to improve quality of life throughout Poughkeepsie.”

Purchased by the City in 1911, the land became home to the Poughkeepsie Day Nursery which has occupied the space since, rendering the solitary structure on the land unusable by the public. Currently, since the nursery closed over a year ago, severe underutilization of the area’s green space has been reported and in response, the City of Poughkeepsie requested legislation that would allow this land to be sold in order to facilitate much needed capital improvements in other parks with higher utilization rates across the City.

After putting out a request for proposals for the area, the Pelton Partners were chosen to purchase the land—an organization with a proven track record of community-oriented development. Their proposal includes the building of apartments and townhouses and the preservation and improvement of some of the area’s green space. It’s important to note also that nearly $500,000, resulting from the sale would go towards improving other parks across the City.

Steven Tinkelman and Wayne Nussbickel, owners of Pelton Partners said, “We are thrilled to have the Pelton Manor property sale move forward as this project is a vital element in the revitalization to the City of Poughkeepsie. We are very grateful to have had Senator Serino  and Assemblyman Skartados advocating for the Pelton Manor Revitalization Project on the state level. This endeavor is the ideal combination of exciting new residential development, much needed parkland improvements and vital community initiatives that are so overdue in this very special, yet struggling, Mt. Carmel neighborhood. ”

Without State Legislation, the City of Poughkeepsie would have been lacking the authority necessary to sell the piece of land. The bill is sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Frank Skartados.

Senator Serino continued by thanking Assemblyman Skartados for his commitment to the passage of the bill saying, “The success of our area depends on the success of the City of Poughkeepsie and we need to be doing all that we can to encourage projects that strike a balance between economic development in the City and  preserving our unique green spaces and waterfront. I very much thank Assemblyman Skartados for his leadership on this issue. Working together, we are one step closer to making the vision of a thriving, successful Poughkeepsie a reality.”

The bill was signed into law by the Governor late Monday, October 25, 2015.

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