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Minnewaska Park plan to be revamped - 9 July, 2008
Mid Hudson News
NEW PALTZ - Minnewaska State Park Preserve has attracted an average of 250,000 visitors a year during the last five years and it has grown to more than 20,000 acres since New York State started making plans in 1969 to make this part of Shawangunk ridgeline publicly accessible.
And now it’s time to formulate the second master plan, which will address park usage and public concerns. The first public information meeting was conducted at SUNY New Paltz Tuesday and another meeting will be conducted at the Ellenville High School auditorium, Thursday July 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
“We are going through the master plan process to address current issues in the park, to identify what the competing issues are, what the user issues are and put them into a comprehensive plan,” said James Hall, the executive director of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. “At this point, the part has more than doubled in size since the last master plan was done, really signifying now a reason to address the new.”
The last master plan was completed in 1993, and the park has become very popular for residents living in the Hudson Valley, the New York City metro area and New Jersey. An approach to the park entrance on Route 44/55 reminds motorists on weekends that it is a congested area, and lines of traffic leaving the ridgeline frequently back up through New Paltz on weekend evenings.
Hall and other park representatives listened to the public for more than hour, as they ran off questions about various issues and activities that concern the park, ranging from swimming, hunting, hiking, use by equestrians, rock and ice climbing as well as the potential for snow and ice biking.
But swimming seemed the draw most of the questions regarding a single activity in the park – especially the lack of facilities.
Tom Blake wondered why the public wasn’t allowed to swim in more places on a hot afternoon other than designated areas.
“I would like to see swimming be decriminalized,” he said. “I don’t think it’s rational for us to be forced to swim in postage stamp-sized swimming area.”
PIPC officials expect to have a new plan adopted by next year.
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