The meeting was the second step in the village Parks Board’s effort to gather public input on how best to develop the park. The effort is being facilitated by Tim Hayes, associate director of the Center for Economic and Community Development at SUNY College at Oneonta.

Hayes began the meeting by presenting the results from a survey of the 52 property owners neighboring the park, conducted from Jan. 23 through Feb. 8.

Residents were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 (with one meaning "totally oppose" and five meaning "totally support") 13 different ideas for the park. Maintaining the skating area, used during the winter for ice skating and hockey, received the most support with a rating of 3.85 from the 34 completed surveys. Creating manicured lawns with paths, benches and landscaping finished second (3.76) and improving the entrance was third (3.59).

Three ideas received ratings below 2.5, indicating that survey respondents were generally opposed to adding them to the park. They included adding a skateboard park (2.06), adding basketball courts (2.41) and adding a covered skating area (2.44).

After reviewing the survey, Hayes asked attendees to divide into small groups which addressed three questions regarding the park: what do people want to see included in future development, what issues need to be addressed and how the desired goals can be achieved.

Six groups of four to seven people spent 20 minutes discussing each question and writing down their ideas on large sheets of paper.

Some of the ideas discussed were:

covering the skating rink with a roof or making it refrigerated to extend the ice skating season.

converting a portion of the park into a dog park.

creating a community gardens area with nature trails and picnic tables, and other items adults would enjoy with their young children.

improving the park’s drainage, concrete surface and lighting.

raising funds through grants or private donations to pay for the improvements to the park.

having adult supervision in some capacity during the park’s hours of operations.

Scott Evans, 15, said adding a skate/BMX bike park for kids would give them a safe, legal place to use skateboards and similar activities. He said the closest parks like that are in Bridgewater and Binghamton. He suggested moveable ramps and rails be purchased so the park could be used for other activities depending on the season.

In the survey, neighbors of the park raised similar issues and asked questions about keeping the park safe.

Two respondents made reference to drug use that allegedly takes place in the isolated park.

"There is drug activity in the area at night and police patrol cannot handle it," wrote the respondent. "No amount of lighting or patrol will negate the situation."

One survey respondent called the park an "underused village resource" that should be invested in for the future of the village.

Several respondents said the location was too swampy and inefficient as a park and should be relocated or allowed to return to its natural, wild state.

Hayes said the information gathered at Tuesday’s meeting and from the neighborhood survey will be compiled into a capstone report, which will be submitted to the Parks Board by the end of April for further review.

The Parks Board will then work with that information to develop a plan for the park, which would go before the full board for consideration.

Village trustee and Parks Board chair Jeff Katz said he thought the workshop went well.

"With members of the community designing a park for their own use, things should turn out alright," Katz said.