SOMERS — The town board will be holding a public meeting on the proposed plan to create a park district in Shenorock.

The United Owners Association owns Lake Shenorock and nine acres of property that would be included in the proposed district. But if the plan is adopted, the town would take control of the district. The town would then pay for what residents describe as much-needed renovations through bonds which would be paid back by residents in the district through taxes.

Murphy said the meeting, to be held during the April 8 work session at 7:30 p.m., will provide information to residents and give them a chance to express opinions and concerns.

“We do want their input,” Murphy said. “We want them to engage and understand what’s being talked about here.”

Homeowners are looking into renovating Lake Shenorock and the adjacent nine-parcel property, and possibly restoring the beach to allow swimming again — after being banned since 1977 — due to its connection to the Amawalk-Shenorock water district.

United Owners Association of Shenorock President Dennis DiSanto said association members pay dues of $100 annually toward maintaining the lake property, but DiSanto said after years of dwindling membership, the group cannot maintain the lake facilities. The group, which now has 12 members, has determined, after much research, the only way to take care of the property and restore the beach is to create a new park district, an idea he said has been tossed around by the association for decades.

He said the approximately 650 homeowners were mostly in favor of the district idea when it was first proposed about three years ago, but he’s unsure how the economy may have changed people’s opinions.

“Now that the economy’s not so good, we want to hear from the residents about which way they want us to go,” DiSanto said.

In order to make the lake safe for swimming, the homeowners would have to hire someone to dredge part of the lake and the beach area, which would cost approximately $1.2 million in capital costs, according to Joseph Barbagallo of the engineering firm Woodard and Curran, who is overseeing the project for the town.

The nine-acre parcel of land adjacent to the lake would require an excavator to remove refuse materials on two acres where there has been significant dumping on the site in the past. Barbagallo said the dumped materials are not believed to be a health hazard.

Another option would be to cap the area with dredged material taken from the lake. All work would require regulatory permits from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The cost of the land renovations are somewhere in the range of $1.3 to $2.9 million, depending on the actions the residents decide to take.

Barbagallo said the aging Shenorock Clubhouse would likely be removed from the park district plan.

“I know that the UOA (United Owners Association) has been in discussions with other entities that may be looking to purchase that property, therefore I think that has a very good chance of coming out of the district so we would really be looking at the beach and the nine acre parcel.”

Homeowners must also decide what kind of recreational activities the district will be used for, such as walking trails or a boat launch, or if other uses such as fall leaf composting will be allowed. It is also yet to be determined whether the park will be open to just district members or all Somers residents.

Once it is established what the Shenorock homeowners want from the district, Barbagallo said the operation and maintenance cost will become clearer. Homeowners will then have to vote on whether to make the plan a reality.

Mail this page to a friend