Reimagining Reis Park in Somers

SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers is hot on the trail of a reimagined Reis Park.

Last year, the town was able to turn its long-awaited dream of a “land swap” with Angle Fly Preserve into reality when the state attorney general signed off on a conservation modification agreement between itself, the county, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The original easement allowed for the development of athletic fields at Angle Fly, a move that would otherwise be prohibited on protected open land.

The entrance to the 654-acre preserve maintained by the Somers Land Trust, is on Route 139 (Primrose Street). Bordered by Routes 35 and 100, its northeastern edge bumps up against Reis Park.

The “swap” resulted in the changing the designation of a 14.240-acre parcel of land within the preserve from “Athletic Field Area” to an “Open Space Recreation Area” and an 11.092-acre parcel, located in Reis Park, from “Open Space Recreation Area” to “Athletic Field Area.”

So, what will the town do now that it has more space to play with?

Well, first it has to come up with a plan.

To that end, the Town Board recently voted to engage the services of Mount Kisco-based KG+D, an architectural/design firm with 40 years of experience in public projects.

Besides renovations and additions in each of Somers’ four public schools, KG+D has worked on Merestead (Mount Kisco), the Bedford Hills Community House (historic restoration), the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem (education center), and the Caramoor Center for Music & the Arts in Katonah.

In May, the Reis Park Expansion Committee sought the town’s permission to accept KG+D professional services proposal for $45,000 and to include another $20,000 – for a total of $65,000 – for the firm’s fee schedule and “incidentals.”

That approval was granted at the Town Board’s June 6 meeting.

Pointing out that KG+D is a “local company that had done a lot of projects here in and in Westchester County,” Town Supervisor Robert Scorrano said it knows Reis Park “pretty well.”

The land swap was just the first step toward “reimagining” the 82-acre campus “for future generations to come,” he added.
Councilman Richard Clinchy agreed it was a game changer.

The town must now decide whether it merely plunks something on the 11-acre parcel or whether it revamps the park’s entire configuration.

“Do you put a splash park in? Do you move the tennis courts? Are there better or more efficient ways of using the space?” Clinchy asked, noting that tops on the wish list of local first responders is an emergency access road.

He also pointed out that since Reis is situated in an environmentally sensitive area any changes have to be considered very carefully.

“Right, that’s why we’re bringing in the experts,” Scorrano said.

Plan of Action 

Here are a few facts about Reis Park, according to KG+D’s service proposal.

It was originally owned by the Wright-Reis family and gifted to the town in 1967.

It offers athletic fields, basketball courts, tennis/pickleball courts, playgrounds, fitness and nature trails, a picnic pavilion, a performance stage, a comfort and concession station, and parking.

Currently there are no indoor recreation facilities at Reis, but that could be on the table in the future.

The Somers Library and the town’s Parks and Recreation Department’s offices are both located there.

It’s centrally and ideally located adjacent to and between the Somers High School’s and Primrose Elementary School’s campuses, as well as Van Tassel Park and the 654-acre Angle Fly Preserve.

Altogether, that amounts to more than 880 acres of publicly owned land that stretch more than 2¼ miles.

The firm said its goal is “to assist the town in expanding outdoor activity opportunities in the near term and potentially reimaging how the park and its interconnected public land areas are used long-term.”

Its past experiences include facilities assessment and master planning for more than 400 campuses and buildings encompassing more than 40,000 square feet of public facilities.

Things on its “to do” list for the feasibility study include analyzing existing programs and spaces, developing and proposing alternatives, and coming up with a plan of action for phasing and costs.

Gathering information, analyzing data, creating/evaluating/refining design options, and producing the study document is expected to take between nine to 12 weeks once they get rolling.

It will also concoct a plan of action for phasing and costs.

Of course this will include seeking input from all community stakeholders, including, KG+D said, school administrators, students and faculty, committee members, businesses, town staff, and residents.

The firm said that its primary focus is the improvement of social infrastructure in the region and that it enjoys “master planning campuses that enrich the lives of the people in the community.”

Adding that “there is no one size fits all,” KG+D said it was looking “forward to learning the specific goals of the constituents and uncovering opportunities within the boundaries of Reis Park, the planned acquisition parcel, and the adjacent publicly owned properties.”

Aerial photography provided by Bedford Photo-Graphic, Inc., located in Somers. For more information, call 914-301-5955 or visit www.bedfoto.com.