Stunning New Orange County Park Plans in Detail by CE Steve Neuhaus
- ejreporter
- Sep 28
- 6 min read
A drone shot, of the future Orange County Park at the former Camp LaGuardia Site, with significant landscaping improvements already complete. County Executive Steve Neuhaus emphasized "This is going to be for the People's enjoyment!, Our newest Park"
Commissioner of Planning Alan Sorensen said, " I believe its going to be one of the "Premier!" destinations for families and visitors in the Mid-Hudson Valley Region.
It encompasses a significant historic site and area, and with the access roads shaped like a heart it reflects both its important history and future.
In case you missed his video presentation in County Executive Steve Neuhaus' latest "Blue Print Orange" for the towns of Chester and Blooming Grove in Southern Orange County, the county's video team taped the CE along with County Planner Alan Sorensen and County Parks Commissioner Travis Ewald in a beautiful video. I strongly suggest that, if you can. take a few minutes to follow the link below to the actual video you will get a clearer sense of the passion and commitment and joy the team is putting into this project. How can you not smile when you see the portion named "Picnic Hill".
Covered in a massive amount of dirt during cleanup, the DPW unearthed a beautiful overlook wall in front of the main LaGuardia building, and with quite a view Eastward. Planning Commissioner Alan Sorensen said it was like peeling away the layers at an archeological dig in Central America... and considering its age its condition is remarkable and will make a nice public gathering place in the future.
CE Steve Neuhaus and Planning Commissioner Alan Sorensen walking the Park's current pathways.
Left: County Executive Steve Neuhaus, Right: Parks Commissioner Travis Ewald
In the video they strode through several major sections of the former Camp LaGuardia Park (258.3 acres), CE Neuhaus asking Travis Ewald to point out where the currently planned top features will be placed, including (near the main buildings) a playground, a splash park, a spectacular stone lookout, a dog run, playing courts, RV Parking, Camp Sites and Camping Amenities. At the spot where the Chester and Blooming Grove borders meet, the new Schunnemunk Rail Trail is already taking form where it connects with the Heritage Trail, and Commissioner Ewald says he expects the first TWO MILES to be ready by late Spring. He added that the many other features will be done in later Phases. Several of the more "natural" recreation and meeting areas that will need less "hands-on" work, may be available for limited use sooner rather than later. such as "Picnic Hill".
The yellow line winding up the left side of this map is the connection to the new Schunnemunk Rail Trail, expected to be in use by late Spring 2026.
While the majority of the 258.3 acres is in Chester, there are 59.6 significant acres of LaGuardia property in Blooming Grove. The County Exec has met with and toured the site during all of the planning and design stages with Blooming Grove Supervisor Rob Jeroloman. His input is already evident in this Phase 1 work. Jeroloman was also active in the preceeding years of obtaining the right of way for the Schunnemunk Rail Trail through Blooming Grove to the Moodna Trestle. With the Open Space Institute putting a big emphasis of wanting "Interconnectivity", it is the icing on the cake to see the linkage between the Heritage Trail and the beginning of the Schunnemunk Trail where it goes straight up the side of the Map, then parallel to Rout 94 along the ancient rail bed and the Moodna Creek and through the Center of the Village of Washingtonville on its way North and eventually up Schunnemunk Mountain.
In recent years, as traffic has grown, we see more and more instances of bicycle vs. motor vehicle serious accidents in these busy rural communities.... including one just last week at the intersection of Round Hill Road and Route 208. Track enthusiasts and hikers also risk their lives daily. Soon both children and adults, as well as those with physical challenges will have a lengthy trail with numerous trailheads, along a safe route, and with some spectacular views AT this new Park and all the way from this new Park to Salisbury Mills and the Schunnemunk Meadows Trail at the Moodna Trestle, (as well as along the Heritage Trail Westward). This will not only improve safety, it will offer huge stress relief both to those using the Trail and the friends and family who worry about them weaving their way through traffic.
In an earlier Podcast CE Steve Neuhaus made the case for a significant section of the 258.3 acres to be set aside for farming. The surrounding area has numerous farms and the entire Chester Valley (including Blooming Grove), lays claim to historic farms with broad spans of famed "Black Dirt", from glacial movement that came through the area and deposited fragments that enriched the soils with minerals and other rich biodiverse ingredients. This area is known for its "Legacy Farming", and with a public that gives a lot of attention to good nutrition, as evidenced by its ever-growing successful Farmers Markets. It is common to hear people remarking "You are what you eat", and they also know that the food "Is" the soil as well as the seed that develops it.
Numerous buildings in serious disrepair have been demolished and their remnants are currently being cleaned up. Some others, Sorensen said, will be renovated for new uses.
This Past Spring the County's Department of Public Works tackled the massive undertaking of restoring much of the green property near the entrance and buildings, clearing brush and leveling the grounds and completing significant landscaping.
Considering its age and disrepair for so long, the condition of the overlook wall
is remarkable.
A significant addition to the Blooming Grove portion of the LaGuardia site in recent years is work that resident Diana KyDon, her husband George KyDon, and a team of helpers did to tend to a historic cemetery there. It includes a memorial for Brigadier Seth Marvin, 1745-1815, who served with Orange County, New York, militia during the American Revolution. Diana, George and the rest of their team did an amazing job with repairs, cleaning of gravestones, raising an American Flag, raking, mowing and whatever else needed to be done there during the past several years to show proper respect. They have other plans for the site's recognition as an important piece of local history.
What is the future of the remaining two large buildings? We don't know at present, but chances are that will not be too long before there are at least some conceptual ideas in another "Blue Print Orange" presentation.
Link to the "Blue Print Orange" Future of LaGuardia Project Video
Some history of the site:
The original LaGuardia buildings were constructed as a Women's Prison in 1918 and later transferred to New York City as a Homeless Shelter. Orange County bought it in 2007 for $8.5M after numerous efforts with the City failed to keep track of a number of homeless men who (against the local contract with the City) were also felons and drunks wandering Chester roads, sometimes passed out on the roadside, and frightening local residents. Technically the site was then renamed "Central Orange Development Area" but has continued to be known as LaGuardia, after NYC Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia who dubbed it a "Repair Shop for the Homeless". In those early days they had a record of successful rehabilitation and jobs for its residents. Since that time the only purchase offer of consequence was a plan to build up to 600 homes, many of them "affordable units", by Mountco Dev. Corp. The plan dissolved when after several years of negotiations to lower the number of houses and include 170,000 sf of commercial space (to balance out the infrastructure costs of that much housing) at the last minute the developer wanted to include a caveat that the commercial space would be required "Only if interested buyers showed up". Otherwise the entire project would revert to all housing. Both Chester and Blooming Grove said "No thank you." Several other interesting proposals came along, but their monetary offers were considered too big a risk due to them being only worth a fraction of the land's value.
During the years since Orange County purchased this land, many in the public have requested that it be parkland. With cooperation and support from granting agencies and a wide team effort, the County has stepped up to the plate, giving the people in this corner of the County a big step up in meeting their recreational needs
By Edie Johnson
Executive Editor
Orange County Courier Journal
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