By George McHugh
Coeymans Town Supervisor
As we welcome spring, the Town of Coeymans has truly hit the ground running with new and exciting projects already underway.
Construction of a $1.4 million improvement project at the Coeymans Landing Park is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks, with a projected substantial completion date to be in September, just in time for RiverFest 2022!
Once complete, the improvements will mitigate storm water into the Hudson River, help alleviate some flooding, as well as provide visitors and residents with better traffic flow and parking at the park, along with an improved view of the Hudson River.
The Town Board is also currently working on the plans to construct permanent bathroom facilities in both Riverfront Park and Joralemon Park, with construction to commence in the summer of 2022, and be complete before year’s end. Funding for these park projects comes from state and federal grants and monies received last year, thanks to the efforts of the Town Board and its town engineers.
Brand new playground equipment ordered last year has been delivered and installed in Joralemon Park, so families with young children can enjoy the new state-of-the-art playground equipment all summer long while picnicking under the pavilion.
The goal of ensuring that every home in Coeymans has access to broadband internet remains one of our top priorities. Currently, State Telephone is in the process of installing high-speed internet service to the properties located along Starr Road and Bushendorf, while Mid-Hudson Cablevision is working towards installing fiber on Lindskoog Road and the surrounding area. The goal of providing reliable, high-speed internet to all properties within the town shall remain a top priority of this administration until 100% broadband coverage in Coeymans is achieved.
In addition to high-speed internet, water and sewer infrastructure sits atop our list of priorities. The Town Board, in conjunction with the Village of Ravena and our local industries, are working towards expansion of the Coeymans Water and Sewer District, to provide municipal water and sewer to our industrial areas along Route 144 so that Coeymans remains “Open for Business,” bringing green initiatives like the Offshore Wind Project to our industrial zone, which will create hundreds of good-paying union jobs in Coeymans and add to our tax base, helping to keep our tax rate low.
Additionally, we continue to maintain a daily dialogue with local business owners and industry management, to alleviate much of the truck traffic from our Main Streets, and to ultimately build an alternate truck route through the lands of Lafarge Cement. Maintaining lines of communication with our industrial partners and local business owners helps ensure the proper balance needed for Coeymans to continue to be a great place to work, while at the same time being a great place to live and raise a family.
The Town of Coeymans tax rate, at only $2.68 per thousand dollars of assessed value, continues to be the lowest property taxes currently paid by Coeymans residents and businesses, and one of the lowest tax rates in the history of Coeymans, while services such as a dedicated police department, ambulance, paramedics, code enforcement, justice court and a sheriff substation continue to protect and serve our community.
Additionally, through smart budgeting and conservative fiscal spending, Coeymans residents enjoy a healthy fund balance in all of our funds, which will serve us well as we look to grow our town, undertake a new town hall construction project in the coming months, improve our infrastructure, and bring more and better services to our residents and taxpayers.
As we enter the summer months, please enjoy the Evenings on the Green band concerts and Farmers Market, hosted this year in Joralemon Park. Our Food for Thought program for our younger children, as well as the Summer Recreation Program for our teens, both of which are brought to you in joint cooperation by the Town of Coeymans and the Village of Ravena, kick off on July 11, 2022.
We look forward to a fun and exciting summer for our youth as they enjoy and experience our town parks, Village of Ravena Mosher Park, and Albany County Lawson Lake Park.
Thank you for the honor and privilege of being able to continue to serve as your town supervisor. God bless all of you, and God bless the Town of Coeymans.
