A long-planned greenway along the Quassaick Creek is moving closer to reality as Scenic Hudson seeks to acquire eight acres near Snake Hill that could eventually help connect Muchattoes Lake and Crystal Lake.

The council approved a resolution on Monday supporting Scenic Hudson Land Trust’s application to the Orange County Open Space Fund for the purchase of a portion of 139 Ellis Ave. The property is part of a larger vision for a continuous greenway connecting the Hudson River, Muchattoes Lake and Crystal Lake through Newburgh and New Windsor.

Scenic Hudson has agreed on terms with Ellis Development Group LLC to purchase approximately eight acres on the northern shoulder of Snake Hill. The property borders the city’s water tower and Crystal Lake property and includes forest, rock outcroppings and an elevated area with views across the Hudson River toward Fishkill Ridge.

“This is exciting for the city of Newburgh that we’re finally moving forward and we’re doing this,” said Councilmember Ramona Monteverde during the council’s Thursday work session. “I like to believe that this is the beginning and next will be designating Crystal Lake a park.”

The Ellis Avenue property could become a public hiking destination for Newburgh residents and visitors in the short term according to Scenic Hudson. Longer term, the property could combine with neighboring city and privately owned lands to form a section of the greenway between Muchattoes Lake and Crystal Lake.

The acquisition would depend in part on funding from Orange County. Scenic Hudson is seeking a matching grant through the county’s Open Space Fund, which could cover up to half of the property’s $755,000 purchase price, which is representative of the property’s current appraised fair market value.

The proposed eight-acre parcel would first have to result from a subdivision and site development plan before the city’s Planning Board. Ellis Development Group intends to retain approximately four acres of the property and construct new housing there, according to Scenic Hudson. The purchase is also contingent on the completion of due diligence, including a title investigation, boundary survey and environmental site assessment.

The council’s resolution would not purchase the land or provide city funding for the acquisition. Instead, it supports Scenic Hudson’s application to the county program, which requires a resolution from the municipality where the proposed acquisition is located.

Councilmember Ronald Zorrilla said the Ellis Avenue acquisition is part of a broader effort to turn the long-discussed greenway into reality. The vision of connecting the waterfront to Crystal Lake is happening “little by little,” Zorrilla said, adding that the effort is “gathering steam.”

That larger vision extends beyond the City of Newburgh. Across the municipal boundary in New Windsor, another portion of the proposed greenway is taking shape around the town’s Little Falls property.

Marni Burns, a landscape architect with OLIN who has been working with Scenic Hudson, the Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance and other partners, discussed preliminary plans for the New Windsor portion during the town’s community day on Sept. 19. The property currently consists largely of open space and includes two ponds, with concepts calling for trails and a park that could eventually connect to the larger greenway. Burns said that planners were seeking community feedback on what residents would like to see there.

The Little Falls project would feed into a broader plan for approximately 2.5 miles of trail along Quassaick Creek, stretching from the Hudson River toward Snake Hill and connecting areas of Newburgh and New Windsor. The route could eventually allow people to hike or bike along the creek corridor.

The greenway has been a long-held vision of the Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance, which Burns said has been working toward creating a trail along the creek for more than 20 years.

Other properties along the proposed route are also moving toward public use. The Orange County IDA is completing an environmental assessment of its approximately 4.7-acre former Diamond Candle Factory property along the creek, with plans to turn the site into public parkland, according to Scenic Hudson.

New Windsor is also pursuing the formal dedication of approximately 32 acres at Little Falls as parkland, according to Scenic Hudson. Along with the Ellis Avenue acquisition and the former Diamond Candle Factory site, the Little Falls property would add another piece of parkland along the proposed route connecting Newburgh and New Windsor.