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City confirms purchase of 70-acre parcel; council to consider parkland designation and rules
Summary
City officials said a recent closing completed purchase of the 70-acre parcel informally called the Kingston Wilderness. Staff told the committee the site will be sent to the Common Council for a parkland declaration and a municipal code to manage use, and warned that access and visitor safety require planning before public outreach.
Kingston city staff reported that the municipality has closed on a roughly 70-acre property the office has been referring to internally as the “Kingston Wilderness.” The acquisition is complete, but the city has not adopted the name officially and will seek Common Council action to declare the land municipal parkland and establish the code and rules that would govern it.
City staff said the parcel is much larger than the city’s next-largest park (about 25 acres at Hesburgh Park) and carries hazards and access constraints that mean it should not be widely promoted until management decisions and basic amenities are in place. “We own it too. We are not calling it Kingston Wilderness necessarily,” staff said. “So there’s gonna be parkland declaration and designation by the Common Council that will be going through the loop in the next month…and also an establishment of code and different rules for that property.”
Why it matters: the land adds a substantial new tract to the city’s holdings and raises questions about permitted uses, public safety and whether the parcel should be opened at all for general recreation. Staff cited cliffs, caves and the absence of a parking area or intuitive access trails as reasons to delay public promotion. Officials said they are working with the Common Council and with neighboring municipalities and land trusts on code language and on an initial public meeting before opening the property for routine public use.
Supporting details: staff said they are considering whether to create a community advisory group similar to the one used for Post Office Park and expect a community meeting before any naming or long-term management decisions. The city is evaluating whether the property will require directional restrictions (for example, signage, fences, or limited access points) given its physical risks. Staff also noted the parcel’s adjacency to other conserved lands and the need to align new rules with existing local open-space policy.
What’s next: staff said the Common Council will receive the parkland-declaration paperwork in coming weeks and that the city will publicize a community meeting prior to any decision on an official name, access plan or park rules. The city is maintaining discretion about public access while it drafts code and plans to coordinate a press approach that discourages immediate visitation until basic safety and access features are in place.
