At the Senior Center on an evening in August, Tarrytown Village residents were given the conceptual details of what the Ferry Landings and Pierson Park riverfronts will look like in the year 2008 if all current planning remains on schedule.
Two professional groups, Tillett Lighting Design and Quennell Rothschild & Partners Inc. in Manhattan, were retained by Scenic Hudson and the Village to do the original design work.
Certainly much of the credit for what appears to be an exciting new Pierson Park plan goes to Scenic Hudson and the two consulting groups. However, a large measure of applause must go to the various citizen groups and individuals that came to the several public meetings voicing suggestions as to what would work and what would not. Ultimately, the Planning Board and Trustees will make the final decision for the project, and it should be noted that it is not often a village gets a major opportunity to shape its future.
A riverfront walkway of 3200 ft. will totally surround both Pierson Park and the proposed Ferry Landings development. The waterfront walk will be, at a minimum, 20 feet wide and will be set directly adjacent to the river for the entire length of both properties. Various riverview stations are to be provided to both walkers and bicyclists. Plantings, terraces, stairways, and gardens will be interspersed along the walkway. Lighting will be introduced throughout the area that will illuminate public activities in Pierson Park, while not being an irritant for residents.
A new Aquatic Center in the redesigned Pierson Park will be given to the Village by National RE/Sources and will be adjacent to the current Senior Center. Next to the Senior Center, the plan calls for a "Performance Pavillion" which will face the river along with a large spectator lawn that will be sloped toward the stage. The stage area facing the river is to prevent audiences from looking directly into a setting sun and to avoid music going into residential areas. Also planned for the Park is a bocce court, a kayak launch, horseshoe area, a playground for young children, and an extended fishing pier.
Funding for the entire project is expected to come from various sources including Scenic Hudson, N.Y. State, Westchester County, Village of Tarrytown and Federal sources. Current planning now calls for the existing courts to be moved to the non-resident parking lot on the West side of the railroad tracks. New parking will simultaneously be moved to the little-used Fire Training Center near the Striped Bass Restaurant.
If the ultimate finished product at Pierson Park is as exciting as the plan on paper then we will have something to be proud of well into the future. What is even more important, many of Tarrytown’s residents were instrumental in putting their own plan together.
