CLIFTON PARK ANNOUNCES START OF YARD WASTE PICKUP
Twin Bridges to Begin Curbside Pick-Up April 1st
Twin Bridges will be conducting curbside yard waste pick-up for Clifton Park residents in 2024. The service will be offered beginning April 1st through the end of November, weather permitting.
“The Town has offered this valuable service to Clifton Park residents for many years, said Town Supervisor Phil Barrett. This year the Town is partnering with Twin Bridges Waste and Recycling to ensure yard waste is removed, processed, and recycled timely and professionally”.
Leaves, grass clippings, tree and shrub trimmings and other brush will be collected in brown paper yard waste bags only. The yard waste along with the bags are recycled through a processing system. No yard waste will be collected from garbage cans or any other containers. Small, bundled brush that is less than four feet long and three feet in diameter will also be collected. Bundles need to be tied to allow for easy pick-up and disposal.
Items that will not be collected include animal waste, garden debris, tree or shrub roots of any type, tree stumps or logs, waste products including household garbage, pressure treated wood, railroad ties, building debris, plastic, metal, or other foreign materials.
Twin Bridges will be working their way through the Town weekly. Residents are encouraged to have their yard waste ready for pickup by Sunday evening. At various times of the year when yard waste debris pick up is heavier than normal, sections of Town may take longer to collect. Please do not cover the bags with tarps. Bags must be visible on the curb.
The Town Transfer Station also accepts yard waste all year long during regular business hours from Clifton Park residents only. No permit is needed but an ID is required. More information can be found at https://cliftonpark.org/departments/transfer-station.html
Twin Bridges to Begin Curbside Pick-Up April 1st
Twin Bridges will be conducting curbside yard waste pick-up for Clifton Park residents in 2025. The service will be offered beginning April 1st through the end of November, weather permitting.
“The Town has offered this valuable service to Clifton Park residents for many years, said Town Supervisor Phil Barrett. This year the Town is partnering with Twin Bridges Waste and Recycling to ensure yard waste is removed, processed, and recycled timely and professionally”.
Leaves, grass clippings, tree and shrub trimmings and other brush will be collected in brown paper yard waste bags only. The yard waste along with the bags are recycled through a processing system. No yard waste will be collected from garbage cans or any other containers. Small, bundled brush that is less than four feet long and three feet in diameter will also be collected. Bundles need to be tied to allow for easy pick-up and disposal.
Items that will not be collected include animal waste, garden debris, tree or shrub roots of any type, tree stumps or logs, waste products including household garbage, pressure treated wood, railroad ties, building debris, plastic, metal, or other foreign materials.
Twin Bridges will be working their way through the Town weekly. Residents are encouraged to have their yard waste ready for pickup by Sunday evening. At various times of the year when yard waste debris pick up is heavier than normal, sections of Town may take longer to collect. Please do not cover the bags with tarps. Bags must be visible on the curb.
The Town Transfer Station also accepts yard waste all year long during regular business hours from Clifton Park residents only. No permit is needed but an ID is required. More information can be found at https://cliftonpark.org/departments/transfer-station.html
CLIFTON PARK APPROVES 2025 BUDGET
Budget Maintains No Town Property Tax Status
Supervisor Barrett and the Town Board have approved the 2025 Budget. The Town remains committed to maintaining the status of having no General Fund Town Property Tax, while making significant investments in recreation, social services, public safety, infrastructure, programs and activities for all ages and many other important elements of serving the Town.
The General Fund spending is currently projected to be $22,599,518. The 2025 budget does not utilize unassigned fund balance or prior year saved monies to offset any portion of the spending plan.
It is important to note the Town and CSEA remain in union contract negotiations at this time. The budget does not include cost of living increases for union employees. Any budget adjustments that may be necessary will be reflected when negotiations conclude and could affect the total budget for the General Fund and the calculations represented in this release for the Highway Department Budget.
The membership levels for the Clifton Park Senior Community Center have almost fully recovered from the COVID Pandemic. The Town assumed operation responsibility of the CPSCC at the end of 2016, and membership grew from 620 to 1500. We currently have 1485 members, which is a tremendous increase since the pandemic. We will continue to improve and add to our offerings of activities, classes, informational sessions, trips and much more.
The Town, like every other organization and household, has been challenged by inflation throughout our operations. Despite inflationary pressures and no corresponding relief allowed per our Tax Cap calculations, the Town will not exceed Tax Cap limitations. As a municipality with very low taxes, the tax levy increase Clifton Park is allowed annually through the Tax Cap program is very limited. An allowable increase on a small number is ultimately a small number. In the 2023 Town Tax Value Rankings released by the Office of the New York State Comptroller Clifton Park ranks 911 out of 933. This means that the Town of Clifton Park has one of the best value rankings in all of New York State, ensuring Clifton Park is a low-cost place for people to live and conduct business.
The Highway Fund budget for 2025 is $7,410,739 which is a 3.55% increase over the 2024 adopted budget. For a home with a full market value of $300,000, the total 2025 Highway Tax will be $36.39. The Town continues to invest in infrastructure, vehicles, and equipment annually to ensure personnel is equipped to handle daily tasks and respond to timely situations.
The Town will continue to partner with local organizations for EMS Services. For a home with a total market value of $300,000, the total EMS tax will be $36.56.
The 2025 budget continues the Town’s strong commitment to maintaining and improving its infrastructure. Significant funding for stormwater, road repair and sanitary sewer maintenance remains in the 2025 budget.
Funds are also included in the 2025 budget to continue the free Yard Waste Pick-up Program. Clifton Park residents can also continue to drop off their yard waste at the Transfer Station free of charge through this program.
The Full Market Value of the Town has now surpassed $7 billion. The Town Center Planning process has led to a growing tax base, a diverse economy, a plethora of services close to home and success in the Exit 9 Commerce Area, that helps fund Town services and our school system.
We expect 2025 to continue to challenge our ability to manage the cost of operating the many facets of Town operations and services.
The Town of Clifton Park recently purchased a 5.58-acre piece of property that borders Town-owned land in Grooms Corners. Open Space Funds collected under the Western Clifton Park GEIS Density Incentive Bonus were utilized to fund the purchase.
The property, located at 280 Sugar Hill Road, Rexford, sits between Grooms Tavern and the Grange, both historic buildings that are maintained by the Town. With this new addition the Town now owns 7.4 contiguous acres, providing for a Grooms Corners Town owned complex that establishes a tangible link to the past and a way to bring meaningful Town history into context for current and future generations.
Members of the Clifton Park Historical Preservation Commission joined Historian John Scherer, Open Space Coordinator Jen Viggiani and Deputy Supervisor Anthony Morelli for a walk-through of the newly acquired parcel at 280 Sugar Hill Road last week.
Deputy Supervisor Anthony Morelli noted, “This acquisition of this property presents an opportunity for the Town to consider next steps with regards to creating a Historical District and how best to move forward with all three parcels. These properties have a great deal of historical significance to Clifton Park, and I look forward to working through the possibilities with our team.”
Restaurant Week 2024 will take place from Monday, April 22 through Sunday, April 28
The Town of Clifton Park and Chamber of Southern Saratoga County are excited to announce our second annual Clifton Park Restaurant Week! We would like to showcase the wonderful dining scene in this town, and most importantly, provide new business for local restaurants, all while offering our residents a week of exceptional value.
By focusing our marketing on the stories of our local restaurants, the diners arrive excited, educated, and open to experience each unique dining experience. Your participation will afford you the opportunity to advertise your restaurant’s presence in town and your investment and interest in the Clifton Park community.
To see the listing of restaurants and their menus go to DiscoverCliftonPark.com.
The Town of Clifton Park is pleased to announce that the 2025 pool season will be extended through Sunday, August 24th. All three Town Pools were originally scheduled to close on August 17th. The revised closing dates are as follows:
1. Country Knolls Pool to close on August 20th
2. Barney Road Pool to close on August 24th
3. Locust Lane Pool to close on August 17th
Our Town Pools must follow strict NYSDOH guidelines which require a specific number of lifeguards on duty at all times, along with some of the guards needing to be 18 years of age or older. Our lifeguards are predominantly high school and college students, who have commitments and responsibilities as we enter the mid-August time frame. High School and College fall sports, preparation and travel to college, career and internship opportunities along with other commitments dictate we lose many guards as August passes. The extension of the season at Country Knolls and Barney is strictly a function of the available guards who regularly work at these pools during the season. We are thankful we have enough guards to extend the season at two pools. We further appreciate the guards who are willing to supplement the staff at a pool that is not where they were assigned to work throughout the pool season.
As we prepare for 2026, Supervisor Barrett will be sharing information relating to lifeguard certification opportunities. Free lifeguard training conducted in partnership with Saratoga County, has expanded opportunities for new lifeguards throughout the entire County. This program was initiated a few years ago due to the falling number of available lifeguards during and following the Covid Pandemic. For people interested in earning their lifeguard certification, please look for information that will be forthcoming or contact area organizations who also offer training classes. The minimum age to become a lifeguard is 15 years of age.
The Town of Clifton Park will hold a ceremony to dedicate the Veterans Walkway at the Monument, located on the Clifton Common, on Friday, November 10, 2023, at 1:00pm.
The project included new flagpoles, plantings, a sitting wall and pavers that will surround the monument. The Town has provided the opportunity for people to celebrate the service of a Veteran through their name and service branch engraved on a 6x9 paver.
Construction on the project will be completed this week. It is important to note, the pavers are installed and engraving occurs on site when the pavers are in place. We do not expect to have all the engraving completed at the time of the ceremony. We have been working with the engraving company on a schedule, which is affected by conditions such as temperature and precipitation.
The goal of the Town Board was to have the project constructed by Veteran’s Day. The project experienced a delay earlier this year when there were no responses to the Town’s initial bid process. Thankfully, bids were received through the second bidding process.
The Town Board invites everyone to join us as we honor the service and sacrifice of our Veterans.
There are still a few spots left to join the GREEN Committee's Composting program. Sign up today!
The week of November 24th-30th will be the last week of the Lawn and Leaf Bag Pickup by Twin Bridges. Bags must be out at the curb by Sunday evening, November 24th. Bags not out before Sunday evening cannot be guaranteed pickup.
The Fire Road Redevelopment project at the intersection of Route 146 and Fire Road has begun with demolition of the old building. Construction on a new building including a new gas station island is in the works. The building will be a mixed use, multi-tenant commercial building. Site improvements will include better traffic flow, parking, sidewalks, landscaping, utilities and outdoor seating accommodations. The project has been designed to be in harmony with the surrounding area to provide a one-stop fuel and retail shopping experience along Route 146. Stay tuned for more information as this redevelopment project progresses.
The Town of Clifton Park has undertaken an effort to conduct a public planning process and develop a town agricultural farmland protection and enhancement plan. The purpose of this project is to create a comprehensive Townwide Farmland Protection Plan that outlines a vision for the long-term economic viability of agriculture and protection of valuable farmland resources in Clifton Park.
Follow the progress of the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan at www.cliftonparkfarms.com.
Work has started on the footbridge replacement on the trail from Oakhurst Court in Park Lane to Chillmark Turn in Brookhaven. The work will take approximately 2 weeks and the trail is closed until complete. We thank you for your patience as we work to replace the footbridge.
Work is being completed on the footbridge replacement on the trail from Oakhurst Court in Park Lane to Chillmark Turn in Brookhaven. The trail will re-open for regular use on Thursday, January 16th.
August 19, 2025 Update: We have previously posted updates regarding the Forest Drive culvert replacement project. The Highway Department’s project to manage a culvert failure and replace the culvert which was completed in July, created long standing issues in the area and it quickly became clear the final results of the culvert replacement were not sufficient to meet the standards and permits of the plan. As we have stated in previous posts, Supervisor Barrett was called by a nearby homeowner who expressed his frustration with the project after the new culvert was installed and backfilled. Supervisor Barrett immediately stopped all restoration efforts, including paving the road, until a further assessment was completed. The call to Supervisor Barrett avoided the road being paved, which would have created a much larger project to fix the problem. Supervisor Barrett has conducted multiple meetings with the involved parties to assess the issue and devise a plan to correct the problem. At last evening’s Town Board Meeting the Town Board unanimously approved a resolution for inspection services with an engineering firm for a new project that will involve removing the culvert pipe and reinstallation at a lower depth. The work will begin August 25th and continue for approximately three weeks. Supervisor Barrett described the time constraints involved to complete the project at the meeting. The inconvenience to the neighborhood as the road remains closed and DEC regulations prohibiting work in the drainage corridor after September 30th, make the next project a timely endeavor. The Town Board also unanimously approved engaging an engineering firm to complete an assessment of the slopes and soils adjacent to the drainage corridor following two concerning claims submitted by the property owners. The claims relate to the large amount of standing water that was created following the failure of the culvert pipe in 2021 that remained until the project was completed in July 2025. We will provide further updates as the project progresses.
August 5, 2025 Update: The road remains closed, and a major project will be necessary to fix the issues the Town is experiencing. Supervisor Barrett provided an update at last evening’s Town Board Meeting. He thanked a nearby homeowner who contacted him after the new pipe was installed and backfilled. The homeowner was very concerned with the results and questioned the height of the new pipe that was installed among other matters. After visiting the site and quickly becoming familiar with the details of the project plans, Supervisor Barrett contacted the contractor and requested all restoration efforts, including paving the road, be stopped immediately until a further assessment could be completed. He then informed the Town Board and Highway Superintendent about the existing problem.
Supervisor Barrett has conducted several meetings with the involved parties to ascertain the most efficient and cost-effective options to arrive at a positive result. Although we have not devised a final plan, it appears it will be necessary to remove the new pipe and reinstall it at a lower elevation. Supervisor Barrett stated time is of the essence for many reasons and the work needs to be completed as soon as possible. The Town has also received two claims from nearby homeowners, and our insurance company is reviewing the situation. We will provide further updates as the final plan is decided.
July 10, 2025 Update:For residents in Country Knolls, we have an update on the Forest Drive Culvert Replacement Project. The project was managed by the Highway Department. The culvert pipe was replaced recently, and the road remains closed. Last week, Supervisor Barrett was contacted by nearby residents about a potential issue they identified with the results of the project. After visiting the site, Supervisor Barrett immediately contacted the contractor and asked for the next planned steps in the restoration process. The contractor had plans to restore the pavement so the road can be reopened. Supervisor Barrett directed the contractor not to complete any further restoration efforts, due to the need for a full review of the project. Supervisor Barrett and Councilman Morelli have met with residents, town staff, engineers and the contractor at the site multiple times since last week. The review process will continue this week and will be completed as soon as possible. Further updates will be posted. Thank you for your patience.
Clifton Park Highway Superintendent Dahn Bull has announced that Forest Drive, between North Hill Drive and Maple Ridge, will be closed to traffic starting on Thursday, June 5, 2025. A large construction project will be taking place where the Town will be installing a large culvert.
During the closure, the Clifton Park Highway Department will have detours available for commuter traffic. The closure will last several weeks while crews install the culvert. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes via Wood Dale Drive, Blue Spruce Lane and Shadow Wood Way.
The Town Highway Department asks that motorists practice increased caution while driving in the area. The road will be impassable during this period of construction.
Clifton Park Highway Superintendent Dahn Bull in coordination with the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad has announced that work will begin on the Railroad Crossing on Ashdown Road on July 14th, 2025. The Road will be closed at this location from July 14th through July 19th, Monday through Friday of this coming week. Signs and detours are currently being established.
We ask the community and commuters of this busy corridor to be patient while improvements are being made. These repairs will be a vast improvement to the current crossing which will help to improve traffic flow and potential vehicle damage. Message boards and signage will be going up shortly notifying the public of the coming temporary closures of Ashdown Road.
All work will be weather dependent, but it is expected to take five days. Please follow detours and be aware of necessary adjustments to your schedule to compensate for any changes in your commute. For additional information and changes throughout the extent of the project residents can call the Highway Department at (518) 371-7310.
A map has been added to outline the designated detours for the closure. These closures and detours match those that were established during the 2021 replacement of the Ashdown Road Bridge.
The Capital Region Transportation Council just launched the next survey for In Motion: The Plan to 2050. Share your thoughts on the draft vision and let our MPO know what tradeoffs you’d consider to bring this vision to life. Your input will help guide the Capital Region’s long-term transportation plan.
📝 Take the survey here: https://form.jotform.com/243444221273146
📅 Survey open through most of January.
The Town of Clifton Park is again sponsoring Household Hazardous Waste Day. Register online today through September 3rd.
September 6, 2025 8:00am-2:00pm
30 Ray Road, Clifton Park
(across from the Transfer Station)
The 26th Town of Clifton Park Hazardous Waste Day is brought to you by the Clifton Park Town Board, the New York State DEC, and the Town's Environmental Conservation Commission.
