Buffalo Parks Should Be Used By City Residents Only?

The city of Buffalo boasts some of the greatest parks in the nation, but should they be accessible to all, or only to the residents and taxpayers of the City of Buffalo?

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One of the great things about living in Western New York is the great amenities and natural resources that we have access to right in our backyard. From the many waterfront beaches that are along Lake Erie to the natural wonder of Niagara Falls, this is a great place to play and relax.

One of the resources that make this such a great place to be is our parks.

All over Western New York, you can find all sorts of wonderful parks in the various villages, towns, and cities that are run by local governments, the county, or the state. You have places in Chestnut Ridge, Evans Town Park, Delaware Park in Buffalo, Niagara Falls State Park, and more.

But as great as these different parks are, not all of them are available to everyone. A number of the parks and beaches in Western New York are only available to certain residents.

Places like Hamburg Town Beach, Evans Town Park, parks in West Seneca, and others are reserved for residents of those towns only.

Other areas make their parks and facilities to non-residents if they pay a use or access fee.

Which makes a lot of sense when you think about it. If the taxpayers of that area are who pay for these places to be built and maintained, then they should have a right to reserve them for their residents.

So if that logic seems fair, then this question would be reasonable to ask: should parks in Buffalo be reserved for city residents only?

So, Should City Parks Be Available To Buffalo Residents Only?

It's Buffalo residents and taxpayers who support the development and maintenance of the various parks, both Olmstead-maintained and City-maintained parks, so maybe it is best that City residents have exclusive use of its parks.

Or perhaps, the City should charge a use fee for non-residents and use the police department to enforce its rules just like in other areas around Western New York?

Parks Should Be Available To All

Personally, I think that parks are public resources that should be available to all, especially in the 716 where we all proudly claim Buffalo.