A small park on the corner of Partition and Montgomery streets in Saugerties is slowly taking shape, with a new fence at the back of the property. The materials for the fence and the labor to erect it were donated, said Rosemary Brackett of the Saugerties Tree Commission. In addition, “we mulched, we planted many, many plants; it’s looking really good.” A new brick wall has been constructed, and while Brackett had hoped it could be built of antique bricks with the manufacturers’ names on them, this was not possible. “The wall got built with new red brick and bluestone on top, and the labor for the wall and some of the material was donated.”
Funds were donated for a second arbor within the park [“I call the bus stop the first arbor, as it will have flowering vines around it”] and on the other side we wanted another entrance,” Brackett said. Sawyer Bank donated funds for the second arbor, which John Stafford built and installed.
While the park is “coming along really well, we still have a lot of plants to plant and a lot of work to do,” Brackett said. While the ground is covered with wood chips, the commission hopes to have bluestone or brick on the walkways.
One of the goals in developing the park was to incorporate Saugerties history, Brackett said, While the wall is made with new brick, a space on the ground is now lined with bricks from the local brickyards, stamped with their names, Brackett said.
Trustee Vince Buono asked whether the commission will install benches. Brackett responded that the garden contains several blocks of bluestone, which are comfortable to sit on. The committee developing the park is still discussing the question of benches and a final decision has not been made.
The next big step is a water hookup, which Brackett said would make all the work in the garden easier.
The commission already has plans for children’s’ activities, guest speakers and community programs to make the park a lively part of the community, Brackett said.
Trustee Donald Hackett praised the mason who constructed the brick wall in the garden, Anthony Mennella. Brackett said he’s local, and wanted to give back to the community. “I was glad when he came forward; we wouldn’t have found the funds for that.” She complimented the board as a whole for seeing how a small, bare lot could be transformed.
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