CASTLETON—Concerned community members will conduct a candlelight vigil to show support for the Castleton Public Library and Darlene Miller, the former library director.
This event will take place on the lawn of the Village Hall at 85 South Main Street, Tuesday, October 20 at 6:45 p.m.
This vigil will precede the monthly meeting of library trustees. All citizens concerned about the current state of the Castleton Public Library are encouraged to attend.
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New Leb Board says build or return the money
By DOUG La ROCQUE
NEW LEBANON–That was the not-so-subtle message the New Lebanon Town Board sent to the firm that once sought to build a non-for-profit wellness pharmacy at the former Tilden Mall. As part of the plan New Lebanon contributed $40,000 to help get the project off the ground. Part of the agreement was that if the pharmacy did not go through, the developers would return the money. The terms of that agreement expire on March 12.
All indications are that the pharmacy will not get off the ground and the board would like its money back. At the January 14 regular board meeting, Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling said she has repeatedly emailed the developer as to their status and the return of the funds, with no response. Talk then turned to engaging the town attorney to seek a return through legal action. Supervisor Houghtling was not opposed and said she would inquire of their attorney about the particulars and court costs, but warned the developers have by contract until March 12, and initializing legal proceedings prior to that date could be considered a breech of contract. The board decided to wait until their March meeting before taking any further steps.
A group of local investors recently announced they had purchased the Tilden Plaza, once known as the New Lebanon Mall and plan to develop market space on the first floor and housing on the above floors.
New Lebanon Assessor Kimberly Smith was in attendance at the January 14 meeting to offer an insight about the bottom line on one’s tax bill, which are due January 31.
Ms. Smith noted that the 2024 town wide re-assessment has brought property values back to 100 percent of market value. She also noted that market trends, determined by New York State, change each year and those impact market value, meaning that 100 percent evaluation may drop next year.
By law, a town must conduct a complete reassessment every four years. Ms. Smith is considering a plan that would make minor adjustments every year, so the impact of a reassessment isn’t so great. The board liked the idea and agreed it should start with the 2026 rolls.
Supervisor Houghtling noted that New Lebanon’s actual tax levy went down this year, however a person’s total tax bill might still be higher because of such included items as county and special taxing district impacts. She said New Lebanon’s portion of one’s yearly tax encumberment is only about 10 percent.
Other news and notes:
*The board decided to go out for bids now on the closure of the landfill, believing that waiting may actually increase the cost. The state Legislature has promised to contribute $2.5 million toward the total cost of the closure
*The town’s private well water testing program is apparently going well. Councilman Craig Skerkis noting 146 tests have been conducted to date. The testing is in hiatus for couple of months because of the onset of winter but will resume in the spring. The testing is free. Contact the town if you would like to schedule a test
*The meeting opened with a presentation from the Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing and Conservation. It is an organization that works to bring the two concerns together with an eye toward housing development. The Alliance plans to pick one town in the county to work with and New Lebanon would have to agree to be one of the communities in contention by January 31. The board said they will decide if they wish to participate and respond by January 30
*The January meeting marked the first session for new Councilwoman Joanne Amlaw, who defeated incumbent Susan Tipograph in the November election.
New Lebanon voters approve walkable downtown
By DOUG La ROCQUE
Capital Region Independent Media
NEW LEBANON–The Walkable Downtown project will move forward, following a townwide referendum that saw the plan to change roadway widths and install sidewalks and crosswalks approved by a 348-259 margin.
Discussions about the proposal have gone on for many months, including the scheduling of a vote that took place on January 21. That was proceeded by a pair of public hearings, where representatives of the engineering firm Creighton Manning presented the details and broke down the cost.
The total price tag is $2.5 million, of which New York has agreed to pay 80 percent. That leaves the town with a $500,000 bill, which New Lebanon has already budgeted for. Bottom line, the project is not expected to impact the tax levy.
The project calls for narrowing the roadway along the NYS Route 22 and U.S. Route 20 corridor. Shoulders would be reduced to four feet and the driving lanes narrowed to 11 feet in width. The turning lanes would stay at 12 feet. According to the Creighton Manning report, this is a proven method to calm and slow traffic.
Two sidewalks will be installed. One will go from the high school to the library. The other will go from the brewery back to Midtown Mall.
The sidewalks will have a hard, smooth, durable surface called stone dust, which is a mixture of limestone gravel and fine limestone particles. Why stone dust over concrete? The engineering report says concrete is extremely expensive. It would have added great expense to this project’s cost. Stone dust is highly durable and much cheaper even after considering the higher costs of annual maintenance.
The third part of the plan is the installation of two crosswalks. One will be at the library. The other will connect Midtown Mall and Valley Plaza. Both will have an island, making crossing safer.
Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling spoke with The Columbia Paper after the vote, saying “Thank you to everyone who came out and made their voices heard. I am excited for the next steps of the project and for the opportunity to come together as a community to work together through the detailed design phase and create the best possible final design and project. It takes a village!”
