Preserve the Windham Path
This is a collaborative effort to organize movements intended to ensure that Windham has what it deserves, two separate and important assets: the Windham Path, exactly as it is – pristine and natural AND a field for the Mountain Top Little League that is separate from the Windham Path. "Preserve the Windham Path" has partnered with the Windham Area Recreation Foundation (WARF, the non-profit that built the path) to make sure that the Mountain Top Little League has an appropriate facility AND the Windham Path stays natural and preserved like it has been for years.
The Issue
The Town of Windham has decided to explore building a new ball field complex on the Windham Path property. The Mountain Top Little League, which is managed by the Knights of the Road, has enjoyed its home field on South Street in Windham for many decades. The South Street location is actually owned by the Town of Windham and has served the league very well. Recent construction by a neighboring property owner, however, has complicated the league’s parking situation. The town currently has a year-to-year agreement with adjacent property owners to allow the league to utilize its space for parking at the field.
In just over a decade since its opening, the Windham Path has exploded as Windham's largest attraction (after skiing). The Path has added to the quality of life for its residents, driven homeowners to buy in Windham and been a much-needed engine for drawing investors and visitors to the Windham area at every time of the year. It was designed very purposefully by master trail designers to flow with the natural contours of the land and to allow for natural and beautiful views in every direction. Many believe that is what makes it so popular. Many town paths circle around and through their recreation field complexes and are built almost as an add-on or an afterthought, but the Windham Path stands apart from them. It showcases what folks come to Windham for - its natural beauty. Let's not take away, subtract from, or compromise the beauty of the Windham Path to solve the parking issue for the Mountain Top Little League. Windham deserves and can have the best of both - a separate little league field and a preserved Windham Path.
What's at stake?
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Windham's most popular attraction outside of skiing
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Public access to open space (for everyone, including seniors, people with disabilities and young children)
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Free, year-round recreation opportunities for all
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Housing market value - Windham is a destination town and folks live and come here for outdoor activities
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The Windham Mountain Club is currently reducing visitors during all seasons. As Windham is a tourist destination, this is a bad time to compromise the beauty of our largest public attraction outside of skiing.
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Once the Windham Path is developed, it will never go back to its serene and pristine condition.
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Not the Little League – it is not at stake! Our community wants them and will find a suitable place for them to play.
How can You Help?
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Come to the town board meetings every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month! 7pm at the Windham Town Hall, located at 371 NY-296 in Hensonville, NY
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Sign up and get updates!! To do so, please email us at preservethewindhampath@gmail.com or sign up below.
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Donate! We are prepared to do what needs to be done to allow Windham to have both a Little League field AND to preserve the Windham Path.
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Write or call our representatives and tell them, DO NOT SUPPORT the building of a ball field on the Windham Path. Your letter does not have to be long – short and to the point is perfect.
Sign up for news and updates
The Solution(s)
The Windham town board has made it clear that they will not actively explore solutions (other than building on the Windham Path property) for the Mountain Top Little League. They have indicated, however, that they are willing to entertain options that are presented to them. With that, we intend to find the best solution(s) that will keep our kids playing ball AND preserve the Windham Path. In the days to come, we will be updating this section with viable alternatives for the little league field. Any suggestions? Contact us at: preservethewindhampath@gmail.com
Interesting Facts...and things to think about
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From 1999 to 2023 the Windham Ashland Jewett School District has significantly declined from 550 K-12 students to 277 students (including home-schooled students)!
The Mountain Top Little League has MANY options that will allow them to continue to play ball without sacrificing what the Windham Path represents. Because Supervisor Hoyt has repeatedly and strongly refused to put together a committee of interested folks from the town board, the Mountain Top Little League, and the Preserve the Windham Path group, we are forced to independently explore other options. Below are just three of the options and the perceived obstacles that Hoyt has offered.
C.D. Lane Park
This is our town park located in Maplecrest. This park has public bathrooms, parking, sewer, water, electric and a pavilion. This property is also being used as a flood control dam for flood protection. The property is not owned by the Town of Windham, it is owned by the Bataviakill Watershed District and a board of local men oversee it. An interesting fact: Town Supervisor Hoyt is their only paid employee and has been for decades.
We have been trying for years to obtain their governing papers for this property. So far, we have been unsuccessful. The town has officially told us that all their records were lost in the flood from Hurricane Irene. See the button to view that letter below. Additionally, NYS has been unable to locate any governing papers for this property. With that said, Supervisor Hoyt has officially said many times that the town park cannot host the Mountain Top Little League field because we cannot have a permanent fence on the grounds as it will affect the ability of the dam to function properly in the event of a flood. We have found no authority to back Hoyt's claim about a permanent fence. In contrast to Hoyt's claim, we have correspondence from a NYS watershed engineer telling us that a permanent fence is absolutely allowable on that property. See that email bottom below. In short, our town park would make a great place to host the Mountain Top Little League but Hoyt says "no."
Stay on South Street
The Mountain Top Little League’s current field is on South Street and has been there for more than 50 years. The property is owned by the Town of Windham. It was gifted to Windham by the Garrison family in 1963 for the specific use of hosting the little league. The deed has a covenant addressing this use. Please see the button below.
The town has repeatedly said that the parking situation is the primary reason that the Mountain Top Little League needs a new field; the number of parking spots has changed and there is not enough space for parking. As always, the Mountain Top Little League families and spectators park on the road or in neighboring businesses. Obviously, this should finally be addressed. One very easy and quick option is for the town or the Mountain Top Little League to acquire the property of the vacant house adjacent to the ball field; that property owner is willing to sell to them. Despite Hoyt being given this information, however, the property owner has not heard from the town. Shy of purchasing adjacent land the town can also reconfigure the space behind the ball field. This area has unused space that also borders on unused space that belongs to the golf course property. These are options that the town has not explored and seems unwilling to explore.
Hoyt has also mentioned at town meetings that the field is not up to Little League standards, but we cannot find evidence of that claim. In fact, after talking with the Little League East Region HQs we learned that the field rules are very loose. The local leagues have strong discretion and the South Street field is absolutely adequate as it has been for decades. See the email from the League’s HQ below.
We applaud the Little League volunteers who want to keep our children playing baseball. And, they are being told by the town board that the town will build them a new ball field with new bathrooms and top-notch facilities at no cost to them – they should reasonably be excited. Hopefully, we can take a path that brings them upgrades while the path remains intact and preserved.
Town of Prattsville's field
The Town of Prattsville spent $1.1 million on a new field a decade ago (pre-inflation). Supervisor Hoyt was asked publicly at a May 8th board meeting if the Mountain Top Little League could make this field their home. Hoyt was quick to dismiss this idea by explaining to a full town hall that he had spoken to the Prattsville Town Supervisor, Greg Cross, and Cross had told him that the Prattsville field would not be an option. A reporter from the Catskill Daily Mail happened to be at that meeting and she reached out to Cross for his comments. Cross actually said that Hoyt had not told the truth and that Prattsville, in fact, is able and very willing to host the league on their field. He also pointed out to us in an email that this would be a no cost option to the taxpayers. Please click here to read the article that clearly exposes Supervisor Hoyt as being untruthful:
The Dog Park
The dog park that is under construction on the Windham Path property was presented to the planning board in February of this year by the Windham Town Board (who, appoints the planning board members). The application that was submitted to the Windham Planning Board shows the dog park as a much smaller footprint and outside of the perimeter of the path. Simply put, it was proposed to be much smaller and more discrete in comparison to what was built. Some of the neighboring residents did not receive written notice of the public hearing, as the planning board law requires. Supervisor Hoyt told the public at another full town board meeting on June 13th that the proof of notices and the proper location of the park is in a drawer at the town hall. Nevertheless, we have not received anything back from the town to date responding to our FOIL request for this evidence and the legal deadline for providing this information has passed. We will add more information on this soon.
Dear Friends and Windham Path Supporters,
We are thrilled to share some wonderful news! If you haven’t heard yet, the Windham Path is officially “safe.” At the September 26th Town Hall meeting, the Town Board and The Windham Foundation announced that 7 acres of land have been secured for the new Little League Sports Complex. These 7 acres are part of a 34-acre parcel recently purchased by The Windham Foundation in Hensonville, NY. This outcome is a true win-win for the entire community.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed—whether through writing letters, signing petitions, conducting research, or offering personal testimonials. Your support was truly inspiring. We would also like to thank all those who supported the cause with donations and their time. Since legal aid will no longer be required, we are in the process of notifying our donors about the future status of their contributions.
Preserve the Windham Path will continue to operate under the Windham Area Recreation Foundation (WARF), and we are excited to carry the momentum from this victory into the next phase of the WARF Trail System development. With the community’s continued support—and hopefully that of The Windham Foundation—we are ready to begin Phase II of trail development.
Additionally, we are excited to announce the formation of Windham Pathways: Connecting Generations. With the future of the Path secured, this new organization aims to bring together residents and local organizations to build a brighter future for all. Our first focus will be collaborating on the new Mountain Top Little League Sports Complex, but we are also looking forward to working on a variety of other recreational projects that will benefit the entire community.
Thank you all for your dedication and commitment to preserving and improving the future of Windham!