Town of Ossining, NY Chapter 138 Parks

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Ossining 6-12-1979 by L.L. No. 1-1979. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I General Park Regulations

§ 138-1 Purpose.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

The Town Board of the Town of Ossining finds it desirable and necessary to enact rules and regulations governing the use and enjoyment of its public parks.

§ 138-2 Scope.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985; 7-22-1997 by L.L. No. 4-1997; 8-14-2001 by L.L. No. 4-2001]

This chapter shall apply to Ryder Memorial Park, Gerlach Park, Louis H. Engel, Jr., Memorial Park, Cedar Lane Park, Buck Johnson Park and Sally Swope Sitting Park.

§ 138-3 Permits.

A. Permits will be issued to organizations and groups of 20 or more. The individual applicant must be a resident of the Town of Ossining and must be at least 21 years of age. The Recreation Director reserves the right to request a list of the members of the organization or group.

B. Reservations and applications must be submitted no later than 15 days prior to the requested date.

C. Dates of reservations will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The Recreation Director reserves the right to deny any application for a date when a park site will be used for a program sponsored by the Recreation Department, and all reservations involving sites with playing fields are subject to a priority with respect to the use of such fields in favor of regularly scheduled games authorized by the Recreation Department of the Town of Ossining.

[Amended 8-14-2001 by L.L. No. 4-2001]

D. A permit shall be valid only for the day it is issued and for the hours the park is open for use.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

E. A permit as issued herein will include:

(1) The name of the organization or applicants.

(2) The approximate number of persons attending.

(3) The date of the reservation.

(4) The name and address of the person in charge.

§ 138-4 Fees and insurance.

A. Fees for specific parks; insurance.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985; 3-24-1987 by L.L. No. 1-1987; 1-22-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991; 7-22-1997 by L.L. No. 4-1997; 8-14-2001 by L.L. No. 4-2001]

(1) Fees for use of Ryder Memorial Park, Gerlach Park, Louis H. Engel, Jr., Memorial Park, and Cedar Lane Park shall be as set forth in a schedule promulgated by the Town Board of the Town of Ossining, as the same shall be amended from time to time, pursuant to resolutions duly considered at public meetings of the said Board.

(2) Where use of a park site by more than 100 people is involved, the applicant must supply, at least five days prior to the scheduled event, a certificate of liability insurance reflecting coverage in the amount of at least $1,000,000 and naming the Town of Ossining as an additional insured, and such coverage shall be considered primary. In addition, said applicant shall be required to indemnify the town, in writing, to hold it harmless and to defend it against any and all claims arising, directly or indirectly, from the applicant's use of the site.

B. The Recreation Department reserves the right to assess a cleanup deposit equal to the regular fee.

C. There shall be no fee for any organized children/youth groups using any park on weekdays between hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985; 1-22-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991]

D. There shall be no refund of a fee except upon 30 days' written notice of cancellation.

E. The Town of Ossining Recreation Department will keep a reservation book, recording the receipt of said fees and the issuance of permits.

§ 138-5 Rules and regulations.

A. No part of the town parks of the Town of Ossining shall be used for the purpose of any form of golf.

B. No part of the town parks of the Town of Ossining shall be used for the purpose of competing with or in motor-driven vehicles.

C. Motor vehicles shall be operated only on roadways. All vehicles shall be parked only in designated parking areas. No vehicles shall be parked on the shoulder of any road unless such area is a designated parking area. This subsection shall not apply to motor vehicles being used by, for or under the direction of the town or any department thereof.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

D. Littering is prohibited. All paper and other refuse must be collected and placed in the proper receptacles.

E. All traffic laws, signs and directions must be obeyed.

F. Fires shall be permitted in designated places only and must be completely extinguished before leaving the park.

G. Use of the tennis courts at Ryder Memorial Park is not included under park rental and is strictly forbidden.

H. No music shall be played or loudspeakers used after 9:00 p.m. on any day, except as specifically authorized in a permit issued by the Town of Ossining. Moreover, the playing of such music and the use of such loudspeakers shall comply in all respects with Chapter 130, Noise, of this Code.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985; amended 9-16-2006 by L.L. No. 6-2006]

I. No sports of any kind shall be played in roadways or in areas designated for parking.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

J. No motor-driven model airplanes shall be flown in any area of a park.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

K. The discharge of bows and arrows in parks is prohibited.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

L. No horseback riding shall be permitted in any area of the park.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

M. No alcoholic beverages shall be sold or consumed in any park unless sold or consumed in connection with an event for which a permit has been issued by the New York State Liquor Authority.

[Added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

N. (Reserved)[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection N, regarding dogs, added 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985 was repealed 9-16-2006 by L.L. No. 6-2006.

O. (Reserved)[2]

[2] Editor's Note: Former Subsection O, regarding amplified sound, added 3-26-1996 by L.L. No. 1-1996, was repealed 9-16-2006 by L.L. No. 6-2006.

P. Smoking is prohibited within all Town of Ossining parks and facilities at the following locations: inside facilities and within 50 feet of any facility entrance point, all playground areas, all picnic areas/shelters, all athletic fields, basketball courts, bleacher seating areas and tennis courts, all fenced areas of the dog park at Cedar Lane Park and 50 feet from the entrance and areas immediately adjacent to the fenced area.

[Added 6-26-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2012]

§ 138-6 Responsibility.

The person and/or organization to whom a permit is issued will be responsible for seeing that all rules, regulations and ordinances are obeyed and order preserved and that flowers, shrubs, plantings, buildings and other park property are not damaged.

§ 138-7 Dates and hours of use.

A. The parks of the Town of Ossining shall be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., except that the Town Recreation Department may permit a park to remain open no later than 11:30 p.m. in connection with a specific event or activity. No person may enter or remain in a park after closing hours. Organizations or groups shall be issued park permits for events taking place between May 1 and October 31 only.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

B. Gerlach Park permits do not include use of the ballfield until after 1:00 p.m.

C. The parks may be open from time to time upon the recommendation and approval of the Director of Parks and Recreation.

§ 138-8 Penalties for offenses.

[Amended 3-26-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]

Any person, firm, corporation or unincorporated association found guilty of violating any section of these rules and regulations shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not to exceed $250 or to imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.

Article II Engel Park Boat Ramp

[Added 5-11-2021 by L.L. No. 4-2021[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This local law also provided for the restructuring of this chapter into organizational articles.

§ 138-9 Description of ramp and parking lot; Town not responsible for ramp use.

A. Louis H. Engel, Jr. Park contains a boat ramp, which provides access and entry for watercrafts to the Hudson River. The boat ramp is located along the eastern boundary of the Hudson River immediately southeast of a structure owned by the Town and currently occupied by and known as the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club.

B. Immediately east of the boat ramp is a parking area measuring approximately 35 feet wide and 49 feet long and buffered by sidewalks on either side for use by vehicles with a trailer transporting watercrafts to the boat ramp. This parking area shall be known as the Engel Park Boat Ramp Parking Lot, and a map and photograph of said parking lot shall be kept on file in the Town Clerk's office and made available to the public upon request.

C. While the Town's practice is to put a dock over the boat ramp during the warmer months of the year, the boat ramp is accessible to the public all year, weather permitting, and the Town is under no obligation to have the dock installed at any particular time.

D. Anyone who uses the boat ramp, with or without the dock, does so at their own risk. The Town does not monitor or oversee use or condition of the boat ramp or dock and/or water or weather conditions, including but not limited to tides, at any given time and is not responsible for bodily injuries or damage to personal property from use of the boat ramp and/or dock. Users of the boat ramp and/or dock are solely responsible for knowing how to safely launch their boats and the appropriate conditions under which to do so.

§ 138-10 Permit required; fees; application; proof of permit.

A. All members of the public, including Ossining residents and nonresidents, seeking to utilize the boat ramp to launch a recreational watercraft that is transported by a trailer must obtain a permit from the Town Clerk. Members of the public can either obtain an annual permit for each calendar year or a daily permit for use during the 24 hours following the time when the permit is issued. The Town Clerk, in its discretion and with approval by resolution of the Town Board, may coordinate with independent contractors and/or the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club to administer the issuance and regulation of said permits.

B. The fees for the annual permit and daily permit shall be as set forth in the Town of Ossining fee schedule, as such may be amended from time to time by resolution of the Town Board. The fee for Ossining residents, including those of the incorporated Villages of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor, shall be lower than the fee for non-Ossining residents.

C. For both annual and daily permits, a permit application shall be submitted to the Town Clerk, which shall include information the Town Board may from time to time determine by resolution to be necessary for the proper regulation of the boat ramp and Engel Park Boat Ramp Parking Lot, but which shall nonetheless include the registration information and license plate number of the trailer transporting the recreational watercraft to the boat ramp. If the applicant provides the information required in the application form, including but not limited to proof that the trailer is validly licensed, and pays the appropriate fee, the Town Clerk shall issue the annual permit or daily permit.

D. The Town Clerk will provide every annual permit holder with a decal or sticker that the permit holder shall conspicuously place on the trailer as proof they have a permit. The color of the decal or sticker will change every calendar year. Persons who obtain a daily permit must print the permit and place the permit in the dashboard of their vehicle or, if printing out the permit is not practical, provide electronic proof of the permit upon request from a Town employee or authorized agent.

E. Only persons who have a valid and current annual permit may park in the Engel Park Boat Ramp Parking Lot. Persons with a daily permit shall not park in the Engel Park Boat Ramp Parking Lot.

F. Only persons who have a valid and current annual or daily permit may use the boat ramp, with or without the dock, to place recreational watercrafts transported by a trailer in the Hudson River.

§ 138-11 Penalties for offenses.

A. It shall be a violation of this article for any person or entity to:

(1) Utilize the boat ramp, with or without the dock, to place a recreational watercraft transported by a trailer in the Hudson River without a current and valid annual or daily boat ramp permit;

(2) Utilize the boat ramp, with or without the dock, to place a recreational watercraft transported by a trailer in the Hudson River with a current and valid annual boat launch permit but without having the current decal or sticker conspicuously placed on the trailer transporting the recreational watercraft;

(3) Utilize the boat ramp, with or without the dock, to place a recreational watercraft transported by a trailer in the Hudson River with a current and valid daily boat ramp permit but without having documentary or electronic proof of said permit;

(4) Utilize the Engel Park Boat Ramp Parking Lot without a current and valid annual boat ramp permit; and/or

(5) Utilize the Engel Park Boat Ramp Parking Lot with a current and valid annual boat ramp permit but without having the current decal or sticker conspicuously placed on the trailer transporting the watercraft.

B. Any person or entity found guilty of violating any section of this article shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not to exceed $250 or to imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.