The town of Colonie dedicated 41 contiguous acres to the Pine Bush Preserve last year.
COLONIE – Created to protect undeveloped land, Colonie’s Open Space Preservation Fund is another tool the town has to preserve and possibly expand the roughly 2,000 acres of land for recreation and its 13 neighborhood pocket parks in the town. Town Supervisor Peter Crummey said the town is not done yet.
The reserve fund, started in 2024, has $500,000 set aside for purchasing meaningful vacant property to remain undeveloped that can be beneficial to the community and cultivated for new parks. The fund, according to Crummey, will continue to grow for opportunities that may arise.
In an email interview, Crummey said the fund has no financial cap or timeframe for when the monies need to be spent. And there are no current plans to seek bonds to purchase open space.
“Budgeting for an Open Space Fund is an investment in our town,” said Crummey. “Setting aside funds now simply ensures we can act responsibly and quickly when opportunities arise. It’s about protecting our community’s future.”
A past example was when the town acquired 127 acres of open space along Sand Creek Road in 2013 through a mitigation process with a developer. Town officials now plan to enhance it with a more accessible network of nature trails, according to Crummey.
Crummey said the fund is specifically set aside for purchasing any vacant property to remain underdeveloped. The town board is not currently looking for land in a specific area or working with any consultants, according to the supervisor.
Mark King, executive director of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, said he agrees with establishing and growing the reserve fund as a “smart planning tool” until the appropriate opportunity arises. “Because Colonie is a fairly densely developed community, the remaining opportunities for land protection are limited,” King said.
The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission said it supports the way the town of Colonie is handling the Open Space Fund, but executive director Christopher Hawver said that they would welcome and appreciate the opportunity for more Pine Bush lands added to the preserve through these funds.
Crummey says that under his administration, the town dedicated 41 contiguous acres to the Pine Bush Preserve.
“Colonie’s leadership deserves recognition for their ongoing commitment to building this resource to support open space priorities throughout the municipality,” Hawver said. “Regardless of how or when the Town ultimately chooses to invest these resources, we can all agree that our community is stronger when we commit to protecting and expanding open space for everyone to enjoy.”
The Town Board will have the final say on any proposed acquisitions for the fund when the time comes.
Though setting this money aside for future use may seem like it is being taken away from other areas within the budget currently, Crummey said that it “protects community assets that once lost can never be replaced such as, open spaces, parks and natural landscapes that provide long-term benefits. An open space fund also supports environmental health.”
“Establishing a dedicated fund shows long-term commitment and responsible planning,” Crummey said. “It ensures that conservation isn’t an afterthought but rather a core investment in the community’s future well-being, resilience, and identity.”
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