Warwick skate park construction funding approved

After more than 10 years of effort by the Warwick Skatepark Initiative and other invested parties, the village of Warwick will soon have its own skate park at Veterans Memorial Park.

During the December 16 Warwick Village Board meeting, the board approved a resolution accepting the donation from the Vincent Kosuga and Pauline Kosuga Foundation to fund the construction of the skate park. Mayor Michael Newhard noted that the grant amounted to $650,000 and added that another $132,000 is being provided in equipment and services to prep the site. Initial work to prepare the site can begin as soon as possible, while design work will be completed in summer 2025.

“I can’t thank the Skatepark Initiative enough for their passion but also for stick-to-itiveness for this project,” said Newhard. “It’s a beautiful park, beautifully designed, and it will satisfy the needs of our community for a long time and I think it will bring a lot of people into our community who will enjoy it as well.”

Pedestrian safety

The board discussed the idea of adding stop signs to busy village intersections to improve pedestrian safety and enhance the walkability of the village. Trustee Thomas McKnight shared that research conducted for the village’s Safe Streets For All initiative revealed two intersections with consistent issues: Forester Avenue at Veterans Memorial Park and West Street and Pond Hill. The board discussed the potential for creating four-way stops at each of those intersections. Warwick Police Chief John Rader weighed in, noting that while it would be best if people were better drivers, installing stop signs in areas known for heavy traffic and speeding could help slow vehicles down; he agreed with the board that this was worth reviewing.

The New York State Department of Transportation can begin work on reconfiguring the Maple Avenue and Colonial Avenue intersection now that the village has reached an agreement with St. Anthony’s hospital to relocate a water pump/water booster station. Newhard explained that the station was located underneath a monument at the intersection and needed to be moved so work on the area can begin. The monument will be relocated to a new pocket park, enabling the DOT to create a T-intersection with lighting and turn signals. Newhard also noted that this new configuration will create more pedestrian crossings and improve walkability in an area that has been lacking.

Village lighting

If anyone finds any issues with village streetlights, they will no longer have to reach out to Orange and Rockland, as the village of Warwick will now be the owners of those lights. Trustee Barry Cheney shared that concerns should be brought to the attention of the village DPW. Cheney also reminded village residents that DPW will be collecting Christmas trees for recycling. Trees must be placed on the curb by January 13. Alternatively, the town of Warwick chip site will accept trees through January 31.