Forestry committee hears update on Town Line Lake Park projects

Not so long ago, Town Line Lake Park was in danger of losing its status as county park. It was saved when a group banned together to ask the county to keep the park and to offer their aid in updating and revamping the area. Since then, the Friends of Town Line Lake Park organization has been  providing updates to the Oneida County forestry committee at their monthly meetings. This month Tracy Beckman, secretary of Friends of Town Line Lake Park, presented the latest update about happenings at the park. 

Beckman told the committee the park has seen tremendous use this summer. Visitors take part in many different types of recreation including walking the park paths with kids and dogs, swimming, bird watching, kayaking, fishing and photography. 

The lake has been a hotbed of wildlife activity recently as well. Local photographer Denise Chojnacki was on the lake on June 30, 2023 and found two baby loons had been born. These young loons are thriving on the lake, Beckman reported. 

The group procured a fishing pier and kayak launch earlier this year and are now making plans with the planning and development department to install an ADA-compliant path to that pier. 

Beckman said the hope is to have the path complete in the next few weeks. The Friends group will then order an interpretive sign, get it installed, and then hold a ribbon cutting for the path. 

Beckman also spoke about three benches the Friends of Town Line Lake Park organization is hoping to place at the park. The first was made possible by a donation from Leadership Oneida County (LOC). The second bench is also the result of a donation. It will be an add-on to be secured to the new pier. She said the group could not afford the bench when the pier was installed, but since then a donor had come forward.

The third bench will be a memorial bench. The group is not sure of the exact location where the bench will be placed, but Beckman indicated they have contacted Diggers Hotline and all of the underground utilities have been marked. The bench is dedicated to the son of one of the Friends group members, Linda Casey. Casey will fund the entire project, including the concrete base for the bench.

An individual has donated a 10-foot red maple tree that will be planted near the bench to eventually provide shade for anyone making use of the bench. Beckman said it is her understanding that the tree would need the approval of the committee.

She also told the committee about upcoming projects. The group will continue to work on connected trails and a possible park trail, she said. The group also wants to place another dock or platform, this one on the park side. 

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].