LAKE FOREST : First of 3 New Parks to Officially Open

Marking the end of nearly a decade of effort, residents who agreed to tax themselves $1.4 million to develop three neighborhood parks will see the first one open today.

Grand opening festivities for Montbury Park, near Newvale Drive and Lake Forest Drive, will start at 2 p.m. and will be attended by city and county officials. Refreshments will be served after the opening ceremonies.

“We’re very excited about taking the three parks over from the county,” said Mayor Ann Van Haun. “They’ve been long-awaited by the residents.”

Two other parks will open in coming weeks, including Rimgate Park on July 27 and Pittsford Park on Aug. 16.

For years, the three parks remained undeveloped, even as homes sprang up around them. The problem: County officials said they didn’t have enough money to properly develop the parks.

“Those parks were left as dirt lots for many, many years because the county didn’t have construction funds,” Van Haun said. “Everybody worked very hard to put this together.”

Although some homeowners weren’t happy with the idea of a special tax, the majority agreed to impose upon themselves a benefit assessment of about $1.4 million to acquire the land and develop them.

About 2,400 homeowners will be affected. Owners of single-family homes will pay about $651 annually for three years. Owners of multifamily dwellings will be assessed about $489 per unit over the same period.

Overall, the cost of the three-park project is $1.7 million, with funding from the county and developers making up the difference.

Montbury Park sits on 3.5 acres laced with walkways and distinctive land features, such as a dry creek lined with boulders.

Rimgate Park, at five acres, has several facilities for sports. Amenities include a tennis court, a grass volleyball court, two children’s play areas and a picnic shelter.

Pittsford Park, the largest facility at 10 acres, has two tennis courts, a sizable children’s play area, a grass volleyball court and large stretches of open space.

Three New Parks Montbury Park: Opens today Rimgate Park: Opens July 27 Pittsford Park: Opens Aug. 16