Village discusses block grant application ideas

MILLERTON — The village held a public hearing at its Monday evening meeting to discuss suggestions for its 2007 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application. If it succeeds in winning a block grant, it could obtain as much as $150,000 from the county.

Local innkeeper Marty Reynolds suggested the board use the vacant lot at the end of South Center Street as Rail Trail parking, thus freeing up more parking on Main Street.

Mayor John Scutieri explained that the property in question, which was formerly owned by Peter Woods, now belongs to the county. The village is in negotiations to purchase that property and convert it to a parking area. First, however, it must be designated as a brownsfield project (which means it is environmentally unsound), so that the village can then use $150,000 previously awarded through a CDBG application to clean up the site.

“We’re looking to have a meeting in the next three to four weeks, so that we can know more about it,� Scutieri said.

Business owner Susan Schneider suggested the village consider applying for grant dollars to work on village sidewalks.

“We have an absolutely beautiful and growing village and something needs to be addressed before we have a lot of problems,� she said. “There’s not a decent sidewalk in the village. It’s a mess. It’s all bad.�

Business owner Jan Gilmor agreed.

“We need uniformity. I think that’s important for the sidewalks,� she said. “Uniformity in height, design, etc. I think a lot of people trip because there is no uniformity. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.�

And it’s not just along Main Street that needs work done, according to village Trustee Anne Veteran.

“It’s worse in the residential areas than it is in the business district,� she said.

But the problem could go deeper than a mere sidewalk, Working Foreman Larry Merwin said.

“As a taxpayer and as a water operator here in the village, I would suggest that you start replacing some of the infrastructure under the sidewalks before you start replacing the sidewalks,� he said, adding that things like water lines need to be updated.

Resident Debbie Middlebrook agreed.

“I think everybody recognizes the need for new sidewalks, but if you don’t deal with the infrastructure, with the water, nothing else works,� she said.

Village Trustee Yosh Schulman suggested the village consider an alternative possibility.

“I would love to see the pump house put on solar panels to defer the cost of pumping,� he said.

The mayor said while all of the suggestions were sound, the problem lies in that the county has a priority list. At the moment, affordable housing is at the top of that list.

“Their priority list is very strong on affordable housing. They don’t give you a whole list of things to cover,� he said. “I would like to think that water may be one of them, but it seems that it’s all based on affordable housing.�

Scutieri did acknowledge, however, that he had only reviewed the county’s priority list moments before Monday’s meeting as it had just arrived. He said he hopes it will have more options for the village than affordable housing.

“I think it’s going to be a water infrastructure application this year,� Scutieri said, adding that the village still has its appointment with the town to discuss possible joint applications.

That meeting is set for Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The public is encouraged to attend. The CDBG application, meanwhile, is due back to the county in October.

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