Croton's spring building season at Dobbs Park began the same day the Recreation Advisory Committee met: the park's old playground equipment, basketball court and nets came down March 9, with site work expected to follow within days. This article is based solely on the official written minutes; croton.news had no reporter present. John Bouchard reported the demolition at the committee's March 9 meeting. The minutes state: “Site work is expected to begin in the next few days.” Depending on the weather, the DPW plans to remove the tarps from the fields as soon as possible so organizations can put them back into use, according to the minutes. New spectator seating is coming to the park as well. The Holy Name of Mary Knights of Columbus is donating bleachers at Dobbs Park for use by the Little League and the community, and the bleachers will include signage acknowledging the donation. The written record says: “The Recreation Advisory Committee has accepted the donation.” The committee also heard about the design process at Gouveia Park. Nora Nicholson described a March 2 Zoom meeting on the project that drew approximately 35 participants, emphasized the importance of sharing information about the project with the community, and noted that the architect did a very good job with the presentation, according to the minutes. Residents will get a fuller picture of recreation spending next month. Mark Duncan told the committee that the recreation budget has been submitted to Village Manager Bryan Healy and that some final adjustments are still taking place. The budget presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, at 7:00 p.m. The village's dog park hours will stay as they currently are. Healy told the committee that the topic was discussed at both a Board meeting and a work session, and the decision was made to keep the hours the same — though the hours could be revisited in the future if needed. John Sasso will be asking those in favor of extended hours to email Healy, according to the minutes. In other business:
  • Emily Boglioli and Pete Sedlmair were reappointed to the Recreation Advisory Committee.
  • Duncan mentioned a donation application from Kathleen Casey, who is requesting a bench at the Duck Pond in memory of her husband, Rick. The committee agreed it was a good idea, and Bouchard will reach out to Casey.
  • Debi Braddick asked committee members to visit specific parks before the next meeting.
  • Healy noted that a grant may be available to replace the Harrison Street Playground.
The minutes list Monday, April 13, at 7:00 p.m. as the next regular meeting — two days before the budget presentation. The minutes record the expectation that site work would begin within days of March 9; they do not confirm a later construction milestone. *Correction, October 19, 2026: A forecast of how far Dobbs Park site work would have advanced by April 13 has been removed. The minutes record an expectation of work starting, rather than confirming a later construction milestone.*