Last week, Senator James Skoufis joined Town of Cornwall Supervisor Josh Wojehowski and Councilwoman Virginia Scott on a tour of the Riverlight Park playground. The senator secured a $400,000 grant which will allow the town to replace the aging equipment next year.

The scope of the project has been developed and the town’s engineering firm has provided preliminary renderings for the new playground. The next step is to release a Request for Proposal for equipment and construction contractors. The hope is to break ground in the spring with completion estimated to be sometime in the summer.

There are multiple reasons why the town has decided to modernize one of the most used resources in the park. Besides its age, the equipment is rusting and falling apart. A zip line was eliminated after the town settled two lawsuits following injuries. The insurance company recommended its removal or have two attendants on site seven days a week. The mulch underneath the equipment isn’t thick enough to meet insurance guidelines and the fact the equipment is made of wood isn’t favorable either. Most importantly, the playground isn’t ADA accessible.

The new amenities will include different types of swings, as well as domed climbing apparatus. It will be made of recycled plastic and be accessible to all. Foam padding will replace the mulch.

Replacement of the 20-year playground is the second step in the town’s multi-phase effort to upgrade the entire park adjacent to Town Hall. The tennis courts were recently rehabilitated and last year pickleball courts were installed. With about $1 million dedicated from the NY Forward grant, the council plans to address the area around Rings Pond.

Wojehowski explained additional plans include converting the old icehouse, located by the gazebo, to a pavilion. This entails stabilizing the structure and adding lighting. The restrooms located by the Little League fields need to be rehabilitated and made to be ADA accessible. A skatepark is being considered and a walking trail around the pond will be created along with story walk kiosks in conjunction with the Cornwall Public Library. A number of years ago rain gardens were created on the backside of the pond, but Wojehowski said they don’t do enough to collect nutrients and prevent the pond from overflowing during heavy rain events. The goal is to create additional rain gardens stretching to the road leading to the Little League Complex, as well as plant pollinator gardens with help from the Cornwall Garden Club and the Cornwall Conservation Advisory Committee.

The town is in the process of applying for a $50,000 grant for pollinator gardens, but the supervisor said the board isn’t stopping there. He said the town will continue to seek additional grant money to supplement what’s already been awarded through NY Forward.

Although it’s not part of the Riverlight Park project, Wojehowski discussed the state of the pool with the senator. He said the board is considering not opening the pool next summer and instead taking the year to figure out what to do next. He said the concrete is 70 to 80 years old and doesn’t retain water. The pool is bleeding money and it’s not being used as much as anticipated. Scott added it costs $115,000 to run the pool, but the town only took in $15,000.

Repairs will cost more than $1 million, but the board is also considering ripping it out and replacing it with a bigger pool, or perhaps install splash pads.