In New York, Dutchess County has acquired land from Scenic Hudson to create an accessible park for people of all abilities.
Dutchess County has acquired the 231-acre Lake Walton property in East Fishkill, adjacent to the Dutchess Rail Trail. Scenic Hudson acquired the property from a hedge fund and then contributed more than $500,000 to make the transfer to the county possible. Tuesday’s transaction marks the largest expansion of the county’s park system in decades. County Executive Marc Molinaro first announced plans for the property’s acquisition and creation of the park — to be called Lake Walton Preserve — in his State of the County address in February. In March, the county legislature voted unanimously to authorize the issuance of more than $1.6 million in serial bonds for the purchase.
