Putnam Lake Petition Moves Forward
Putnam Lake property owners rallied enough signatures to initiate the Patterson Town Board’s decision-making process in establishing a park district for community-use and ensuring proper lake management and maintenance.
In a letter dated July 20, 2011, Patterson town supervisor Michael Griffin wrote that if community members were able to obtain 51 percent of Putnam Lake residents’ signatures, the town board would be able to move forward in considering the approval of a special improvement area.
Resident and activist Didi Lifgren’s petition was realized as she and her committee collected 73 percent of signatures—almost 1,000 names—in order to address “the problems” that currently inhibit the potential of Putnam Lake.
“Under a park district, the four problems of Putnam Lake can be addressed,” Lifgren said at Sept. 7’s town board meeting. “The condition of the lake water, improvements needed to the parkland, a guaranteed funding source for both the lake and the parkland, and the majority who could not use these resources will now have full-use and benefit.”
According to Lifgren, the signatures were filed with the town clerk on Aug. 23. Griffin addressed the timeline during Sept. 7’s meeting, citing that the process to verify signatures is “a lot of work.”
Town Clerk Antoinette Kopeck assured residents and officials that someone was working on validate the petition every day and that the process would be completed in the next couple of weeks.
“The quicker the district is established, the less stress there is for the community,” Lifgren said.
During the Committee to Form a Putnam Lake District’s presentation this past Wednesday, resident Duane Holze commended his committee’s hard work and initial progress in establishing a park district for the lake.
“Seventy-three percent is incredible but it actually doesn’t tell the whole story,” Holze said. “There were an additional 15 percent of homeowners that could not be reached because of heavy vacation schedules and long work hours—actual support of homeowners is estimated at 85 percent.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.