Chili Park to provide family entertainment

Proposed park to provide family entertainment and recreation

By Colleen Onuffer

For years, the Town of Chili had its eyes set on a 48-acre parcel of land on Archer Road, just south of The Father’s House church. Once the owner of the former farmland decided to sell and agreed to terms with the Town, plans began for a new park in Chili. The property will tie into the community center that opened earlier this year, expanding the recreational opportunities available to residents.

Town Supervisor David Dunning wanted to establish a place that families could use to play a game of flag football or toss around a baseball. Those opportunities currently don’t exist due to the Town’s large sports groups using area fields. “We didn’t have that family-type park. And that’s what I wanted,” said Dunning. “More and more, we’re finding the demand for that. They just want another place to go, something to do in their community.”

Visions for the parcel range from walking trails and bike paths to an amphitheater for summer concerts and movies. Other ideas include open-air pavilions and closed lodges that can be rented out, a skate park, tennis and pickle ball courts, a multi-purpose field that can be used for soccer or football, and another field for softball, baseball, or kickball. The Town would also love to have space for an ice-skating rink.

“There’s very high demand [for a dog park],” said Dunning. “Right now, the design includes a pond for the dogs to jump in and swim around.” Another feature that residents expressed high interest in is a community garden. Although details for how it would operate are still undetermined, the goal is to allow schools and students to grow various vegetables and plants on the property. “Because this is old farmland, the soils are ideal for growing,” explained Dunning.

The land formerly belonged to the Zuber family, where it was used for their dairy operation. In fact, there used to be a milk house on Archer Road that was dismantled piece by piece by the Historic Preservation Board and will be reassembled on-site in honor of the Zubers. Another tribute to the family is the name proposed for the property, Milk House Park at Zuber Farms, a suggestion that came from a resident.

Following significant input from community members – 703 responses to the online survey, approximately 50 people in attendance at the public meeting, multiple Facebook comments, and a dozen individual emails – concept plans for the property have been created.

Next, the Town will look into additional resources to help fund the project. The initial demo of the barn and house on the property, along with engineering on-site, came from a $500,000 grant. The remaining grant money will be used to move the project forward, such as finishing the connection between the community center, the park, and Archer Road. Likely by summer 2022, residents will see roads going in and will be able to use the property for walking, biking, and cross-country skiing.

“I was overwhelmed by the support this had,” stated Dunning, noting how well the project has been received by the community. “Thank you for embracing it, and I look forward to helping to get it developed in my tenure.”

David Dunning - Chili Town Supervisor