A Beach Road Makeover: Haverstraw
I sat down today to write about how so many things have changed in North Rockland in the past 20 years, and I realized that the one place that hasn’t changed is Beach Road in Haverstraw. I think it’s time has finally come.
Beach Road has become a weekly and sometimes daily destination for many local residents, especially in summer. Boaters, fishermen, kayakers, jet skiers, park walkers, and eagle watchers all spend big chunks of time down by the river. Hundreds of people visit local restaurants in North Rockland every weekend, and it seems like they all drive along the river on the way in or out. Just like 100 years ago when the swim clubs co- existed with the brick yards, nothing ever changes down by the river. If you have a way to get down there on a hot sunny day, then you wont leave until the sun goes down. And if you give people something to do, who knows how busy it would be.
Knowing full well that Mr Phillips has long talked about reclaiming big chunks of this unincorporated section of the Town, it’s not his fault that the Mirant deal went south, that the real estate market tanked and half the Town is lining up for a re assessment. But what could happen, and I think what should happen, is that we as a community step up and make something happen down here.
Some are sure to ask why now is the time to makeover Beach Road. The extortionist in me says that if United Water wants to site a water plant down there, tear up a mile of road, and drag us into a pissing match with outfits like Clearwater, than the least they can do is help Howard clean up a few acres of scrub. But that’s not what I was thinking. I was thinking more of a community commitment to this project, up to and including applying for grants and funding for remediation where environmental issues exist and lease agreements with property holders in exchange for public use. I’m talking about new and innovative recreational business models, much like the Rotella golf course and Haverstraw Marina were 30 years ago, that would draw business and seasonal jobs to the area, while improving the aesthetics of this 21st century road to the dump.
Ball fields for one hold true to this vision. Although many leagues pay and play at our local school yards, there is yet another level of leagues who would play and pay dearly if the facilities consisted of a little more than a rusty 55 gallon drum chained to the backstop. Restrooms, snack bars, lighting, and lockers cost little to maintain yet bring big revenue on game day, which is every day in the leagues. MiniGolf courses, which today is nothing like most have ever seen, bring high tech bells and whistles to a game that is for all ages. Plain old fields, where you can hold carnivals, car shows, flower shows or boat shows. All serviced by a centralized snack bar and comfort station, all right next to the marina, the county park, and all those fishing spots.
There’s no doubt that today is the day we need to start thinking of new and innovative ways to develop the riverfront corridor in the Town of Haverstraw. A project like this would bring needed jobs to our high school kids and give them a little something to do on a Saturday night. It would draw new people to the area, boost revenue in local business, and give our leagues and organizations the facilities and parking they need to have a top notch event, down by the river. Not only that, the Town might make a buck or two and clean up one of the nicer part’s of the Town.