"We’ve been extremely lucky," said Northumberland Councilman Dan Gale, co-chair of a Schuyler Park Committee that’s overseen progress. "Generosity from the community has been overwhelming. We’ve got most of the major pieces in place. We’ve still got some work to do. We’ll be adding a pavilion, playground, concession stand and restrooms as resources become available."

The site is located on the north side of Route 29, about midway between Schuylerville and Saratoga Springs, directly opposite the Farmer’s Daughter ice cream stand. Property was donated to the towns by the owners of Saratoga Builders LLC, Sam Palazzole and Dan Barber.

Seven acres have been set aside for athletic fields. Much of the remainder will stay wooded, with hiking trails built by local BOCES students.

On Saturday, about 20 volunteers finished laying sod —donated by Saratoga Sod Farm in Stillwater — a project that took about six weeks to complete. Backstops and fences have also been installed and on Monday crews were back digging out Little League field base paths.

Last fall, Swartout Construction of Schuylerville graded and cleared the site, donating the time and expense of its heavy equipment. WJ Morris Excavating Inc. also did grading and Brookside Nursery, Drum & Ayres Turf Services and Grasshopper Gardens have donated man hours and materials.

Laurie Griffen, who owns Saratoga Sod with her husband, Steve, is a town of Saratoga Planning Board member. At one time, the recreation field site was considered for other purses, including a sand pit and housing development.

"We saw how fast the town was growing and the need for athletic space and said, let’s stop and think outside the box," Griffen said.

With cooperation between the two towns and considerable public support, plans started coming together and are about to come to fruition.

The group Friends of Schuyler Park has been raising money for Phase II features such as the pavilion, playground, concession stand and restrooms. "They’re really gaining momentum now because people see it’s real," Griffen said.

Schuylerville High School athletic teams will be one of the park’s main beneficiaries.

"It’s saving the school district about $2 million because they don’t have to build fields of their own," Gale said.

Players, coaches and elementary students were among the volunteers who helped with recent sod work.

Old Saratoga Athletic Association has a number of youth sports programs that will be using the park. However, Gale said the facility is for everyone, not just organized recreation groups.

"It’s a public park," he said.

"It’s exciting," Griffen said. "Where there’s a will, there’s a way."

By PAUL POST, The Saratogian

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