Lauraville Landing Park (2018 LGAA)

Village of Clyde (Winner)
County: Wayne County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 923-3971

Over twenty years ago, local planning and community groups began to look at the property along the Erie Canal in the Village of Clyde. The property was abandoned by the West Shore railroad. In 2000, the Village of Clyde acquired ownership for $10,000 through a grant. During the years following this acquisition, many additions were added to this vacant land based on several planning reports completed by various outside entities. The main idea from these reports was to develop the land into a park and provide a stop for boaters along the canal. The result of these efforts is now a beautiful park called Lauraville Landing which is due to the fact that Clyde used to be referred to as “Lauraville” in the 1800’s.

Lauraville Landing includes trails and walkways, a boat dock and boat launch parking, power stations, a pavilion, lighting, pump out stations, a storage shed, a playground and restrooms. In addition, a local community group – Clyde SPAN – has continued to work with the Village on improvements. Two years ago, the group created four primitive campsites in a wooded area on the west side of the park. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. The trail was cleared so as to loop through the campsites back to the main trail where there is a picnic area with tables and BBQ grills. All amenities were donated by the group.

The $600,000 cost of the project was funded by a variety of sources including state and federal grants, the Town of Galen, Wayne County Neighborhood Health and others. The park has been a tremendous asset to the community as it offers a safe place for children to play, a pavilion where families or groups can hold events, trails where people can walk and a place for boaters to stop overnight. Each year more and more boaters have either stopped or stayed at the park. In 2017, it is estimated that 100-120 boats stopped at Lauraville Landing. Since it’s a short walk or bike ride to the Village downtown area, businesses benefit from the additional visitors. Furthermore, Clyde Savannah Central School district uses the park for their summer recreation program.

The next phases of this project include: new frontage at the boat dock area, historic markers, additional signage, and a kayak/canoe launch. In fact, the Village was recently awarded a planning grant for updates to the boat dock area and has applied for a grant for historical markers. The continuation of the park completion has been a commitment made by Village officials spanning multiple election cycles. The people of Clyde are also committed to preserving their past, bettering their community, and preparing the way for future generations.