Efforts in Rosendale to raise funds for the replacement of the town pool, which has been out of commission for the last couple of summers, are nearing their $1.2 million goal, thanks in large part to a $250,000 grant announced on April 2 by the office of state senator John J. Bonacic(R/I/C — Mt. Hope). An additional $6,030 were added to the pot when realtors Brian Cafferty and Harris Safier of Westwood Metes & Bounds decided to donate their commissions from the March 10 sale of the old Town Hall building on Main Street to the pool fund.
“The monies will be used to replace the current pool, which has been deemed unsafe to operate due to deterioration of its exterior shell, plumbing and piping and high levels of water leakage. The pool’s bathhouse will also see improvements in its showers and toilet facilities, which will be open and available to those visiting the nearby rail trails,” said the press release from Bonacic’s office announcing the $250,000 in funding secured for the Town of Rosendale from the New York State Economic Development Program. “Improving a town pool not only creates a safe and desirable attraction for families, but provides activities for seniors and young adults.”
The amount of money in the pool fund has risen to within shouting distance of the estimated cost of the project, said town supervisor Jeanne Walsh at the Wednesday, April 9 meeting of the Rosendale Town Board, with $1,070,000 currently in the coffers. A special presentation ceremony featuring a giant “check” from Westwood Metes & Bounds was held at the meeting, with both Cafferty and Safier in attendance. The $201,000 sale price of the former Town Hall structure, minus expenses, was applied toward the pool fund in addition to the commissions earned on the sale by selling agent Cafferty and broker Safier.
“I had experience with Brian Cafferty and Westwood and believed they were the right people to get the property sold. Both Brian and Westwood have a strong market presence in Rosendale and were very familiar with the building and our business community. They were clearly the right fit,” said Supervisor Walsh in a press release announcing the donation.
“It was an easy decision for me. I was born and raised in Rosendale, and I served as a town councilman for four years and I was well aware that the town was struggling to get the pool rebuilt. Rosendale is like family to me — it was a no-brainer,” Cafferty was quoted in the same press release. It made no mention of his key role, as community outreach coordinator for Hudson River Valley Resorts, LLC, in the recent successfully concluded effort to obtain permits from the town for development of the Williams Lake Project.
“The homeowners of Rosendale have been good to Westwood Metes & Bounds for three-plus decades now. We owe a large part of our success to them for choosing to work with us,” Safier added in the release.
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