Last Thursday, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) sponsored a public meeting in Ellenville about Minnewaska State Park's new Master Plan. Only two such meetings were held, signifying how important the town of Wawarsing is to the Park. With recent acquisitions around Sam's Point and just east of Berme Road, thousands of acres of the park now lie within the town of Wawarsing, with an impact that extends far beyond a scenic skyline.

What was clear from the meeting is that the park is a victim of its own success: on most weekends, cars are turned away from the main entrance at Lake Minnewaska and Lake Awosting, driving on Route 44-55 is a nightmare, and the most heavily used areas of the park are showing signs of strain. In the words of one park official, it will only be a matter of time before someone is killed due to the dangerous traffic patterns the crowds create on summer weekends: thus the need for a new plan to address the problems brought on by healthy and desirable growth.

With OPRHP now searching for answers, we would like to propose a solution. Why not create another entrance to the park in the town of Wawarsing? OPRHP has already indicated that a new gateway to the park will be part of the revised Master Plan, and sighting it at the Western end of the park makes a lot of sense:

• Wawarsing contains thousands of acres of the park, most of it under-utilized.
• The Smiley Road, a carriageway that starts in the vicinity of Berme Road Park, goes all the way to Lake Awosting and is rich with local history.
• Traffic would most likely approach from Route 17, Route 209, or Route 52 through Pine Bush, alleviating congestion on Route 44/55 and 299 in New Paltz.
• Development of facilities, such as a campground or interpretive center, could occur on land adjacent to the preserve, addressing environmental concerns.

The benefits to the park are many, and the potential benefit to the town of Wawarsing could be huge. State parks attract a great demographic: people who will seek places to stay, places to eat, and who will come back time and time again. It will put Wawarsing "on the map," so to speak, to the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the park every year. And an added bonus will be the easier access to this phenomenal resource to local residents.

To further this cause, a small group has formed to explore this possibility with OPRHP. Those interested in participating can contact the Ellenville Journal at 647-9190 for more information. At the very least, we encourage everyone to write to the OPRHP to urge them to consider this proposal. Written comments can be submitted until August 11 to:

Mark Hohengasser
Planning Bureau – Agency Building One
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12238
mark.hohengasser@oprhp.state.ny.us

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