Officials Seal the Deal on Waterfront Park Funding

It was an exquisite morning on the banks of the Hudson Tuesday for Westchester County and Dobbs Ferry village officials to seal the deal on a $6 million resolution to revitalize Waterfront Park.

"We're still in the preliminary stages of what will ultimately come to fruition here in Dobbs Ferry," Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino said. "But even reaching an agreement is a huge step forward."

Astorino, accompanied by County Legislator Tom Abinanti and Dobbs Ferry Mayor Hartley Connett, came to Waterfront Park  to show his support for the project, which has been in the works for more than 15 years. 

"I was here in 1983 as the village prosecutor when the park was first dedicated to the history of Dobbs Ferry," Abinanti said. "I was as struck then—as I am now—not just by the beauty of the river, but also by the history present at this location."

According to officials, the county has pledged to spend $2 million on the project, New York State will pay $1 million, the village will pay $1 million and a private donor will contribute the final $1 million.

"And this private donor has also promised to give another $500,000 if the village is able to match that through fundraising efforts," Astorino said.

The private philanthropist to whom Astorino referred is resident Marie McKellar, who has been an enthusiastic advocate for the reconstruction of Waterfront Park since 1998.

"Marie was the spark plug that made all this finally happen," Abinanti said. "When a private citizen steps up and volunteers her own money for a community improvement project, you know you're doing the right thing to support it."

The major impetus for the county's involvement in this local initiative was the opportunity to add another half-mile segment to the RiverWalk pedestrian path, which will one day run 51-miles non-stop from Manhattan to Putnam County.

"This is not just a pipe dream," Astorino said. "There are already 33 miles of trail way—either paved or unpaved—that are open for use."

Astorino also recognized that each segment has offered its own economic and environmental challenges—Dobbs Ferry has posed a particular problem, due to the eroding shoreline, which will need to be stabilized.

"Funding is always a balancing act with this type of project," Astorino said. "But it should be well worth it in the end."

Astorino was not able to offer a timeline on when the project would proceed, emphasizing that only a preliminary agreement had been made.

"The Intermunicipal Agreements have yet to be signed," he said. "We won't know any dates until that is done."

Besides adding a walking trail and assuring that the park does not fall into the river—a major concern—plans for the park include: a comfort station with bathrooms, a new playground that replaces the current one, a gazebo, benches, recycling and trash receptacles, a permanent performing stage, and possibly even a fishing pier.

Even more than the basic economic gains anticipated from improving the village's valuable shoreline, officials also asserted that the project should stimulate jobs and increase activity in Dobbs Ferry's struggling downtown area. 

"Too often preserving the environment and stimulating the economy are at odds with each other," Astorino said. "This project is working toward both."

Residents who were able to attend the ceremony also expressed delight at the promise of strolling through the redesigned park. 

"I've lived here for 27 years," Charlotte Frankenthaler, a member of Dobbs Ferry's Waterfront Improvement Committee, said. "I remember when there were once community vegetable gardens—I'm so excited it may be that way once again."

Frankenthaler added: "I've traveled much of the world in my life, but there are no views that compare to those of the Hudson River."