May 5, 2011 -- Just in time for the spring sports season, Westchester County has three new ball fields.
The two fields in Yorktown Heights and one in New Rochelle are part of the county government's Legacy program, an initiative of the county and its local governments designed to address the growing demand for places to play team sports.
County Executive Robert P. Astorino joined with local officials on Thursday, May 5 to inaugurate the fields: the Woodlands Legacy Fields complex in Yorktown Heights and Fosina Field at City (Flowers) Park in New Rochelle.
"These are welcome additions to our parks," said Astorino. "I know they will become great destinations for athletes and fans and kids of all ages who want to have fun. I thank local officials and members of the county Board of Legislators for making these possible."
The Woodlands Legacy Fields includes an all-weather, multi-purpose field with lights, and soccer, football and lacrosse players will run on its turf nearly year-round for many seasons to come. Woodlands also features a natural-grass field with 60-foot baselines for softball and Little League baseball. Ground on the project was broken in 2007. Under an inter-municipal agreement with the county, the Yorktown Parks and Recreation Department will operate and maintain the field complex, which is on town property on Strang Boulevard off Route 132.
The all-new, all-weather Fosina Field at City (Flowers) Park in New Rochelle is now open for play, also for soccer, football and lacrosse. The field is part of a multi-phase project at the park, which, when compete, will be a flagship recreational facility incorporating five athletic fields that are configured in a way that permits multiple sports to be played simultaneously, plus a new playground, a water-feature "sprayground," basketball court and natural areas for passive recreation. Like the turf field at Yorktown, the park will be lighted for evening use. The City (Flowers) Park project's design team, Stantec Consultants, recently received a national facility design award for the adjacent Skidelsky field completed in 2009. The park is located on city property and will be managed by New Rochelle's Parks and Recreation Department under an inter-municipal agreement with the county. It is located at Fifth and Potter avenues in New Rochelle.
Officials and legislators involved with the two projects praised them.
New Rochelle Mayor Bramson said, "This outstanding legacy project is proof that, even in challenging times, we can come together to accomplish big things for the people of New Rochelle and Westchester County."
Similar sentiments came from county Legislators James Maisano, whose district comprises New Rochelle and Pelham; county Legislator Sheila Marcotte, whose district includes New Rochelle, Eastchester and Tuckahoe; and county Legislators Judy Myers, who represents New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Scarsdale.
Said Maisano, "Everyone worked together in a bi-partisan way to put New Rochelle's kids first, and this project will improve our community for decades."
Marcotte said, "The success of this Legacy program can be measured by the smiles of the children who will happily, and safely, call this their home field."
And Myers commented, "The opening of this field adds onto the number of athletic fields open to all residents of Westchester County and is a very welcome addition in particular to this southern area of the county that has too few fields and too little open space."
Likewise, praise for the Yorktown project came from town and county officials.
Town Supervisor Susan Siegel said, "It's been a long time coming but I believe this was worth the wait. We have an abundance of youth athletes here in Yorktown who will be delighted to play at this beautiful, state-of-the-art facility."
County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, whose district includes Yorktown, New Castle and Somers, said, These ballfields are the culmination of a lot of hard work and cooperation among a number of groups and individuals, and will serve as an important community resource for many years to come."
County Legislator John Testa of Peekskill said, "Quality recreational facilities are essential for the quality of life of a community. Working together, Yorktown and the County have created a facility all can be proud of that will serve the community for generations."