NEIGHBORHOOD PRIORITIES

It has been said that election time is
a good time to get things done.

HERE ARE A FEW NEIGHBORHOOD
PRIORITIES TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE
NEXT FOUR MONTHS:

1.Raze the abandoned derelict building
corner of New Scotland Ave/Whitehall Rd.

Remove contaminated soils and truck in
clean fill and soil to create a rolling berm.

Plant the berm with grasses, a mix of
flowering shrubs, hardwoods and conifers.

Add a few benches, a flag pole and a small
granite monument, dedicating this 3/4 acre
pocket park site as the Dan O'Connell
Memorial Pocket Park.

Dan lived the latter part of his life on
Whitehall Rd in the yellow wood house
at the corner of Holmes Court. It is
fitting that the 8th Ward have this site
to remember Dan and his many good
works for the people of Albany.

2. Buckingham Pond Park is the center
piece of our neighborhood. It is in need
of a lot of work to bring it up to par with
Washington Park.

The City crews have worked hard to prepare
Washington Park for the coming Tulip
Festival. Now, it is time to turn attention
to Buckingham Pond Park.

April 2 post repeated here:

Mayor Jennings delivered. Jack will be back taking care
of Buckingham PondPark.

Thank you Mayor Jennings and Jack.

However, the pond park is in rough shape after the winter.
It will take more than Jack cutting the grass to restore the
pond park after a hard winter.The archives of this site contain
numerous recommendations for improving the park.To recap:
the City Parks and Recreation Dept has some major work to
do here, including:

1. resurfacing the pathways with coarse crushed bluestone

2. repairing the Milner Ave foot bridge split rail fence and
pathway

3. restoring and replanting the planters at both ends of the
foot bridge

4. removing a number of dead trees including the big cotton-
woods that overhang the path at the foot of Lenox, S side of pond

5. cutting vines that are strangling younger trees and clearing
brush from around young conifers and hardwoods ,to permit their
growth.See the southern and wester parts of the pond park.

Several of the young conifers,including the two Hemlocks
closest to Rafts Way, S side of pond park should be transplanted
to more open spaces on the dredged fill site so that the conifers
might grow to their mature shapes and sizes.

6. stabilizing pond shore erosion by planting trees and shrubs that
thrive in wet conditions. (see lists of thesein earlier posts this site
this year).

7. building a stone bulkhead , adding fill and plantings, such as Red
Osier Dogwoods, to stabilize the eroding shore and foot path, S side
p0nd fromEuclid to Lenox8. cleaning up litter and yard wastes
dumped along the southern and western parts of the pond park

9. planting some suitable pondf riendly trees and shrubs, including
Black Alder,Willows, SycamoresRed Maples, Wich Hazels
SilkyDogwoods, Canaan Firs, White Flowering Dogwoods, Burning
Bushes, Rose of Sharon, Spice Bushes, WinterBerry Hollys, Rugosa
Roses, Lilacs and Butterfly Bushes.All of these ,and more ,can be
obtained at reasonable costs from the various Soil and Water
Conservation District sales this Spring.

Click on prior post Plant a Tree.... for details.These are a few of the
more pressing needs. Consult earlier posts for more recommended
actions.

Residents living within the pond park watershed can help improve
pond water quality and save the pond, by reducing applications of lawn
chemicals and fertilizers.Not littering, or dumping yard waste and
picking up after your dogs will also contribute to a cleaner park
environment.

Thank you. Joe Sullivan


3. Create a 23 acre neighborhood green belt
bordered by Krum Kill Rd, Crescent Drive and
Rte85-NYSTW.

The city already owns the western 10 acre
parcel. The landlocked 5 acre wooded ravine
parcel, owned by John McDermott, can be
acquired by a grant from the state or land
conservancy. The remaining 7 acres bordered
by Krum Kill Rd, New Scotland Ave and
Crescent Dr, can be acquired by means of
city initiated Transfer of Development Rights
arrangement, whereby, in return for deeding
this 7 acre parcel as park land; the landowners
receive parcels(s) of city/county and or state land
downtown, of equal value to the 7 acre parcel
fronting on Krum Kill Rd.

4. Increase police car, bike, foot and mounted
patrols in this neighborhood, particularly around
Buckingham Pond Park , Crestwod Plaza and
along New Scotland Ave, Whitehall Rd, S. Manning
Blvd, Western Ave, Krum Kill Rd-Bender Lane and
Buckingham Drive and Hackett Blvd; during the
summer months when home break ins, robberies
assaults, vandalism and drug dealings become more
frequent.

City speed limits must be strictly enforced on
neighborhood streets, which are routeways for daily
commuter traffic, including: New Scotland Ave,
S. Manning, Whitehall Rd, Krum Kill Rd-Bender La
Buckingham Dr and Western Ave .

Also, tributary streets which are being used more
frequently to circumvent traffic congestion on
the main roads, including: Berkshire, Ormond
Friebel, Tampa Ave between Krum Kill and
Buckingham, Lenox and Euclid Aves, Greenway
Cortland, Hackett, Collins and Ferndale.

Joe Sullivan