Open Space Committee

 

Mission
The Town Board created the Town of Aurora Open Space Committee in January 2007. The mission of the committee is to inventory, evaluate, and prioritize the Town of Aurora’s open space resources and work with the community to develop and promote a plan for the protection of these resources.

 

Meetings
All meetings of the Open Space Committee are open to the public and are generally held the last Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Aurora Municipal Center, 575 Oakwood Avenue. The meeting in May 2024 will be held on the last Wednesday, and no meeting will be held in December 2024. For the updated meeting schedule, please visit the Town Calendar. 

 

Projects
Majors Park trail located on the southern section of the park on Hubbard Road. Improvements include a new kiosk, a marked hiking trail, and improved parking lot.

 

Open Space Plan
The Open Space Committee is working to update the existing Open Space Plan. The original Open Space Survey was completed between March and September of 2007. Some 326 surveys were completed and indicated that 86% of respondents favored protecting open space. Residents gave high priority to forests, woodlands and wildlife habitat, followed by stream corridors, wetlands, scenic views, and farmland. Using a 10-category ranking system, the committee identified parcels of open space land in the town with high natural resource value with priority for protection. Meetings with land owners have been held to answer questions about conservation easements and potential tax benefits for conservation easement donations. 

 

 

Open Spaces Located in the Town of Aurora
The Town of Aurora has a lot of options if you want to get outside and enjoy some open spaces. We have listed them below along with the organization that operates the park.

Aurora Community Pool Park - Town of Aurora

Emery Park - Erie County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry

Hamlin Park - Village of East Aurora

JP Nicely Memorial West Falls Park - Town of Aurora

Knox Farm State Park - State of New York Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
 

Majors Park - Town of Aurora.
Note that Majors Park has two sections. One entrance is found on Olean Road that leads to a parking lot and a second entrance on Hubbard Road. The two sections are separated by Cazenovia Creek. There is no bridge so one cannot go between sections of the park. You can find a link to a map of the trails on the southern portion here.

Mill Road Scenic Overlook - Western New York Land Conservancy. A map is located here.
 

Owens Falls Sanctuary - Western New York Land Conservancy

Cazenovia Creek Nature Sanctuary - Village of East Aurora

Sinking Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary - VIllage of East Aurora
 

Warren Drive Park - Town of Aurora

 

 

Links to Additional Resources

Trust for Public Lands

Western New York Land Conservancy

Land Trust Alliance

American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust Guide to Local Planning for Agriculture in New York