A new public park may be a part of Clifton Park’s future thanks to the town’s recent purchase of an undeveloped, 37-acre piece of land between Maxwell Drive and Moe Road. Previously owned by Shenendehowa Central School District, the official sale of this land parcel marks the end of a year-long controversy.
The Land Dispute
Back in December 2016, Shenendehowa’s Board of Education voted to sell their piece of land behind Shatekon Elementary to developer BBL for $2 million. The school district would then use the funds to potentially build a new school in Halfmoon or the local area.
However, in an effort to prevent BBL from transforming a large portion of the undeveloped property into a new supermarket, the Friends of Clifton Park Open Space acquired 7,000 signatures requesting a referendum on the final vote of the sale.
A few months later in April 2017, voters came out and rejected the proposal to sell the land to BBL, effectively ending the supermarket development plan. In response, Clifton Park town officials soon announced their intention to purchase the land for $1.1 million and use it for municipal (public) purposes.
The Future of the Property
The sale was finalized in February 2018 after voters showed their support for the town’s proposal in December 2017.
Although the property’s future is currently unknown, Clifton Park town officials are expected to hold community meetings to discuss what to do with it. According to an article by WAMC, one plan suggested by the Friends of Clifton Park Open Space is to transform it into a “Central Park.”
Would you be excited for the land to become a public park in Clifton Park?
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