This evening the village Board of Trustees will consider using $10,706 in parkland funds towards installation of a clock in the Maple Commons "pocket park."
I have designed small parks and I can say that what is needed is more plants! That park is a harsh environment - must soften that wall- plant larger trees- does it have any quality topsoil? I doubt it. I even called Dan O’Connor regarding the landscaping.
You mean all the trees they bulldozed to make the housing project? They won’t be happy until the destroy our once Tree City. Remember that it’s less than a year before the election for a new mayor- let’s start organizing now. And the primary is even sooner in June. Throw the bums out before they tear down every tree in the village for the Party’s wrong headed agenda!
Yes... absolutely! Thanks for your expertise. And native plants which I believe that you are known for including in your landscape designs. So much green space continues to be destroyed in the village. Why not do something positive by introducing native plants into the landscape?
I agree. The same is true of the work at Gottwald Circle. They’ve removed the plants from the median in front of the church and are planning to put cold gray stones down in its place. Why not put in plants?!
Whatever is planted there will soon be dead from all the exhaust and quite frankly, the inevitable lack of maintenance. One need only look at similar housing projects to see what awaits us. But perhaps this one will be different. Hope springs eternal.
Thank you for this update. In no way does this arbitrary clock that’s a boring common fixture in many towns actually represent Croton. Yes, a sculpture representing the trains and brick factories would have been much more interesting and unique to us, but clearly these trustees and the mayor have no artistic and historical vision. They just see a big clock with Roman numerals and think, “cool!” Sad. In most peoples’ mind the Dummy Light is Croton’s true landmark.
Well said, thanks. Can you imagine Peekskill or Ossining or Briarcliff Manor installing a replica Dummy Light in the middle of their towns and calling it “celebrating the past”? They would be laughed at. Putting a clock at the pocket park is essentially the same kind of phony history.
Here we go with that age old story of The Emperor has no Clothes. Are they trying to one-up Ossining who has a clock that no one looks at. The only time to take a look at the clock might be when you are waiting at the light to exit the parking lot. Certainly not motorists who are zipping up and down Maple St. to and from the train at a velocity much greater than the speed limit allows. The trustees should stop reaching into our pockets for frivolous and capricious expenditures.
When you think of the forest they mowed down in land that was earmarked for a public park and is now the world’s ugliest housing project. Now they think putting in a clock makes up for their village uglying ways. How about restoring the trees that they bulldozed. Haven’t seen our tree City signs anymore- guess the Mayor and trustees don’t care about Croton’s environment
I believe the developer ran out of money and was not able to move forward with the original planned landscaping for the pocket park which would have been much more robust and inviting. Is there a reason the developer is not paying for the clock?
I have only seen towns fund raise through donations for these unnecessary clocks. I have not seen tax dollars pay for the entire thing or at all. Also most towns that have them installed them many years ago. They really are obsolete now. The funny thing too about them is they have Roman numerals and most people don’t know how to read those. Yes they can guess by the the numbers positions what the time is but no one will do that. Everyone has phones. What will this board have us pay for next? Pay phones installed at Maple Commons? I feel like this is such a waste on the site especially since it’s very ugly looking with no greenery for privacy.
It turns out the clock is not being paid for out of “taxpayer funds” but out of the parkland funds that developers provide as a condition of approval of their projects (except for those that will now be exempt.) But it’s a distinction without a difference. The money still belongs to us, the villagers. See the update on this story posted this morning.
Given the small size and hostile location of the pocket "park", a better idea would be getting rid of the benches and surrounding pavement and planting trees, which would not only improve the view into and beyond, but mitigate some of the traffic pollution and CO2 emissions.
The proposed clock is forlorn and meaningless - just another waste of money.
I like the idea of the clock. One of the landmarks of Croton is the dummy light. The clock can be for the next generation to have as their own new landmark. I’m all for it. I agree with Ms. Johnsen’s comment for the need of trees, shrubs and flowers in the park. It would make it much more inviting.
I have designed small parks and I can say that what is needed is more plants! That park is a harsh environment - must soften that wall- plant larger trees- does it have any quality topsoil? I doubt it. I even called Dan O’Connor regarding the landscaping.
You mean all the trees they bulldozed to make the housing project? They won’t be happy until the destroy our once Tree City. Remember that it’s less than a year before the election for a new mayor- let’s start organizing now. And the primary is even sooner in June. Throw the bums out before they tear down every tree in the village for the Party’s wrong headed agenda!
Yes... absolutely! Thanks for your expertise. And native plants which I believe that you are known for including in your landscape designs. So much green space continues to be destroyed in the village. Why not do something positive by introducing native plants into the landscape?
I agree. The same is true of the work at Gottwald Circle. They’ve removed the plants from the median in front of the church and are planning to put cold gray stones down in its place. Why not put in plants?!
I agree. Who is planning our outdoor spaces? A person who drastically lacks what is aesthetically pleasing for a village?
I don’t know- anyone?
Whatever is planted there will soon be dead from all the exhaust and quite frankly, the inevitable lack of maintenance. One need only look at similar housing projects to see what awaits us. But perhaps this one will be different. Hope springs eternal.
Really???! stones?! I did not know!
This is the same parkland fund, it should be said, that the board just exempted developers of affordable housing from paying into.
That, um, seems pretty relevant here…
Indeed it does.
The housing project that keeps on taking...and taking...and taking.....year after year.
Thank you for this update. In no way does this arbitrary clock that’s a boring common fixture in many towns actually represent Croton. Yes, a sculpture representing the trains and brick factories would have been much more interesting and unique to us, but clearly these trustees and the mayor have no artistic and historical vision. They just see a big clock with Roman numerals and think, “cool!” Sad. In most peoples’ mind the Dummy Light is Croton’s true landmark.
Well said, thanks. Can you imagine Peekskill or Ossining or Briarcliff Manor installing a replica Dummy Light in the middle of their towns and calling it “celebrating the past”? They would be laughed at. Putting a clock at the pocket park is essentially the same kind of phony history.
Excellent point! No that would never happen.
Here we go with that age old story of The Emperor has no Clothes. Are they trying to one-up Ossining who has a clock that no one looks at. The only time to take a look at the clock might be when you are waiting at the light to exit the parking lot. Certainly not motorists who are zipping up and down Maple St. to and from the train at a velocity much greater than the speed limit allows. The trustees should stop reaching into our pockets for frivolous and capricious expenditures.
A richer landscape would be more inviting than a clock. Invite birds, including hummingbirds, in. Invite butterflies.🦋
When you think of the forest they mowed down in land that was earmarked for a public park and is now the world’s ugliest housing project. Now they think putting in a clock makes up for their village uglying ways. How about restoring the trees that they bulldozed. Haven’t seen our tree City signs anymore- guess the Mayor and trustees don’t care about Croton’s environment
It might add some character to the characterless park. The blandness of it is pathetic.
I believe the developer ran out of money and was not able to move forward with the original planned landscaping for the pocket park which would have been much more robust and inviting. Is there a reason the developer is not paying for the clock?
I have only seen towns fund raise through donations for these unnecessary clocks. I have not seen tax dollars pay for the entire thing or at all. Also most towns that have them installed them many years ago. They really are obsolete now. The funny thing too about them is they have Roman numerals and most people don’t know how to read those. Yes they can guess by the the numbers positions what the time is but no one will do that. Everyone has phones. What will this board have us pay for next? Pay phones installed at Maple Commons? I feel like this is such a waste on the site especially since it’s very ugly looking with no greenery for privacy.
It turns out the clock is not being paid for out of “taxpayer funds” but out of the parkland funds that developers provide as a condition of approval of their projects (except for those that will now be exempt.) But it’s a distinction without a difference. The money still belongs to us, the villagers. See the update on this story posted this morning.
Yes, I understand the distinction but it’s still tax payers money. So it’s not a huge difference.
Given the small size and hostile location of the pocket "park", a better idea would be getting rid of the benches and surrounding pavement and planting trees, which would not only improve the view into and beyond, but mitigate some of the traffic pollution and CO2 emissions.
The proposed clock is forlorn and meaningless - just another waste of money.
I like the idea of the clock. One of the landmarks of Croton is the dummy light. The clock can be for the next generation to have as their own new landmark. I’m all for it. I agree with Ms. Johnsen’s comment for the need of trees, shrubs and flowers in the park. It would make it much more inviting.