Recreation front and center at community engagement session

AMENIA — Residents offered a wide range of ideas for parks, recreation programs and community events during an Engaging Amenia session at Town Hall on Saturday, March 14, as town officials continued work on a Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

The plan is intended to guide future improvements to parks, recreational spaces and programming across the town. The March 14 outreach session built on feedback gathered in June 2025 during the town’s Comprehensive Plan update process.

Consultant Jaclyn Tyler, co-founder of Westchester County-based Nexus Creative Design, led the session with her team. Tyler said the goal is to develop a recreation plan shaped by community input, with a focus on improving existing parks, expanding accessibility, strengthening programming and setting priorities for the future.

“We want to learn from you,” she said.

Tyler said the consulting team has identified 15 recreational properties in Amenia and is seeking public feedback on each, including parks, trails, the Town Hall grounds and the basketball court. Participants were asked how they currently use town spaces, what they would like to see added and what needs improvement.

“How do you play?” was a question posed to both adults and children. “What do you want to see in town? What works? What needs improvement?”

The discussion also touched on how the town can attract greater participation in local recreation. Tyler said effective communication will be key to building successful programs and encouraging residents to take part.

Planning Board member Ken Topolsky agreed, emphasizing that engagement must start within the community itself.

Planning for current and future recreation programs and park improvements brought residents together on Saturday, March 14, for a consultant-guided engagement session at the Town Hall. Town Councilmember Vicki Doyle spoke with Dutchess County legislator Eric Alexander, D-25, before making use of the sheet of red sticky dots she would use to identify her choices of recreational planning topics to be explored further.Photo by Leila Hawken

“Engagement begins from the inside out,” Topolsky said.

During the discussion, residents offered a variety of suggestions — some new and others that they said could be revived. Ideas included organizing trips to shows or sporting events, hosting community dinners and restaurant events, and introducing dog-related activities such as dog shows, training classes or a dog park. Flea markets and swap meets were also mentioned as potential gatherings.

Participants also explored interactive displays of potential park layouts, rearranging features such as tennis and pickleball courts, parking areas, baseball diamonds and fishing spots to visualize how future recreational spaces might be designed.

Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner said future programming should take residents’ work schedules into account and include options outside traditional working hours.

She also noted that younger families — a key demographic for recreation programs — were largely absent from the engagement session, raising concerns about participation.

Tyler said additional outreach sessions will be held as the planning process continues. Feedback from the meetings will be compiled into a summary report expected in the coming weeks.

For more information about recreation planning and to offer comments, go to www.engagingamenia.com.