Committee for the Environment asks trustees to designate Nostrand–Howard pocket as park

At the Oct. 15 work session, members of the Committee for the Environment asked the Village Board to designate a small, village-owned riverside parcel (referred to as the Nostrand–Howard pocket) as parkland.

Kate DeHayes, a committee member, described year-and-a-half volunteer work that removed invasive knotweed, installed stream-side plantings funded by a Department of Environmental Conservation grant and created a wood‑chip pathway. “We started in May of 2023... we did a lot of manual labor and removed the very, very dense amount of knotweed,” she said, and noted neighbors had submitted letters of support.

Dan Cushnik, identified as chairperson of the Committee for the Environment, said the site is intended to be part of a larger Greenway linkage and that designation as a park would protect the parcel from other future uses and allow amenities such as benches, signage and waste receptacles.

Trustees expressed broad support for the concept but emphasized operational questions: who would maintain garbage cans and other amenities if volunteers step back, how DPW and Parks would absorb new maintenance duties, and whether a nonprofit or other funding mechanism should be developed to underwrite upkeep. Trustees asked staff to bring the proposal to the next regular meeting with the map and cost estimates for signage and any immediate needs.

Board members signaled interest in moving the designation forward at the regular meeting, with the understanding that the trustees would also consider a maintenance plan and staffing implications before adopting final language.