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Parks & Recreation Projects

Gouveia Park Improvements
 
Gouveia Plans
 
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Gouveia Park, located at 1300 Albany Post Road, was gifted to the Village of Croton-on-Hudson in 2015 from John and Laurel Gouveia. The house on the property was built in 1967, and the Gouveias bought the property in 1984. The Village accepted the Gift of the 15.69-acre property and house along with a $1,000,000 endowment and agreed to the terms and conditions outlined in Ms. Gouveia’s Will - chiefly, that the property shall be preserved and maintained, and its principal use be a park which shall be open to the public.
 
Currently, the park is open to the public and is used by the Recreation Department for various programming. In 2024, the Village Board amended the Village Code to permit leashed dogs in Gouveia Park, expanding potential uses of the property. 
 
The Village is actively exploring uses for the house on the property, which has been named the Ann Gallelli Recreation, Event, Arts & Learning (REAL) Center. The most recent concept plan, which shows the house converted into a recreation center, was developed in Summer 2025. The Village is seeking funds to move the concept plan further along.
 
The Village held a meeting regarding Gouveia Park on March 2, 2026. You can watch the presentation and view the PowerPoint for more information.
 
Initial site work (involving the clearing of brush and other groundcover) started in April 2026 in order to create the loop road and additional parking in the park. Due to the discovery of an active bald eagle's nest, work was immediately halted until further guidance could be sought from the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation.
 
On May 20, 2026, the Village Board adopted a resolution to begin the process of an environmental review and LWRP consistency review for the installation of stormwater drainage at Gouveia Park.
 
A full repository of documents related to Gouveia Park can be found by clicking here.
Kaplan's Pond Aeration System
 

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson acquired the Kaplan's Pond property in 1991. The 1.76 acre pond (as mapped by the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation) is located at the intersection of Giglio Court and Lounsbury Road.

Over the years, the Village has studied ways to improve the area around the pond. In 2005, a joint project with the Village and Westchester County was undertaken to replace the old outlet structure at the Kaplan's Pond Dam and construct a new emergency spillway. Beginning in 2016, a contractor was selected to manage invasive species at the pond, including phragmites.

To help with the growth of algae and other aquatic plants on the pond, an aeration system was proposed for Kaplan's Pond. Funding for this project was allocated in the 2024-2025 Village Budget. Following resident outreach, the Village Board paused the project to consider possible alternatives. The Village Board held a town hall meeting on Monday, September 15, to discuss the proposed Kaplan’s Pond aeration project.

Based on the feedback received from residents at the town hall meeting, this project has been cancelled. The Village Board will be undertaking a discussion as part of the 2025-2026 Village Budget to determine the feasibility of funding an environmental study of the pond and its environs.

July 23, 2025Video from Board of Trustees Work Session
September 15, 2025

Kaplan's Pond PowerPoint Presentation

September 15, 2025Video from Town Hall Meeting
Park Security Upgrades 
 
The Village has a total of 13 parks and recreation facilities, including heavily used parks such as Croton Landing and Senasqua Park. During this fiscal year, some parks will be outfitted with security cameras that can be monitored by the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department during emergencies and the footage reviewed by the detective division when necessary.