VALATIE–Village Mayor Diane Argyle announced at the February 11 board meeting that the state will be repaving Main Street in the village this year. She said they plan to repave the state route from the intersection of Main Street and Route 9 and continue up to the Mechanic Street (Route 203) intersection with Church Street.
The mayor said she had talked to the state Department of Transportation about keeping the crosswalks on Main Street. The plan is to move one of the crosswalks closer to the Valatie Community Theatre and away from the intersection of Main Street and Merwin Lane. She also said the state will take out the crosswalk at Spring Street.
They will also improve the crosswalk across Mechanic Street near The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell, which is on the corner of Mechanic and Church streets. Mayor Argyle said all the crosswalks would be handicap accessible.
The board does not know when the state plans to start the work. The mayor did say she would send a letter to business owners in the village about the project.
The meeting also included a discussion of budgeting funds to replace some sidewalks in village. The mayor and Trustee Frank Bevens plan to walk through the village and determine which sidewalks are in need of repair.
The mayor asked her board about removing the trees on Main Street, some of which have roots that have started pushing up sidewalks.
“They are not serving any purpose,” said Trustee Dave Williams. Other board members agreed that if the trees were causing damage they needed to come out. The mayor talked about replacing the trees with solar powered lighting in some places on Main Street. Trustee Angelo Nero talked about smaller trees that could be planted to replace the trees removed.
The mayor also announced that several new businesses are moving into the village including PlugIn Station Online (PISO), an electric vehicle equipment supply company. The company plans to move into the Valatie Falls Hydroelectric plant. A press release from the PISO says, “This historic site was home to the Valatie Falls Cotton Mill from 1845 to 1945, and also served as one of the filming locations for Harry Houdini’s final film ‘Haldane of the Secret Service.’”
Mayor Argyle said the company plans to build a new building at the site as well as use the old buildings and possibly add a museum.
She said that the plans for bicycle shop, which will also offer bicycle rentals, was approved by the village Planning Board earlier this month. The new shop will move into the building behind Bagel Tyme on Route 9. The building, which was the Val Kin Carwash, is along the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, a 35-mile walking and biking trail running through Rensselaer and Columbia counties. The trail is currently under construction, with more work set to start again this spring.
There is also a smoke shop opening the shopping plaza on Route 9 and a proposal for a new hair salon on Main Street is in front of the Planning Board.
In other business, the board is looking to add funds to the budget to replace the pavilion at Callan Park. Trustee Bevens said he would do some research on the costs and the project.
The next board meeting is Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
