Bias perpetrators condemned
Village of New Paltz trustees are echoing college officials in condemning an incident of racial bias that happened to a college student downtown on September 21. The student was verbally accosted by individuals — not yet identified — who used racial slurs as their weapon of choice.
In their statement, campus officials said that they “condemn these hateful acts and will not tolerate them.” They characterized the incident as a psychological assault on the student.
“We know that such experiences … are cumulatively harmful and cause mental and physical harm that endures,” and that anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to reach out to town or university police to make a statement.
The village board made it clear at its September 23 meeting that it too had no tolerance for such behavior.
Village bee-tification
The front of New Paltz’s village hall has long been a challenge to beautify. One person’s aesthetic sometimes becomes the target of another person’s weed-whacker.
An emerging plan would see perennials planted that would provide a place for pollinators near where village employees chat during breaks on nicer days. Trustees looked at proposals that would include highbush blueberries or honeyberries, and agreed that an interest session for those who use village hall frequently might be helpful. It’s hoped to plant something beneficial and beautiful (and less likely to be a target for a gas-powered mower) in the spring.
Enforcing the rental law
In keeping with the current mindset that police are not always the best tool for enforcing a particular law, New Paltz’s village board has agreed that the short-term rental law being developed will be enforced by village building inspectors. Whether this law will carry an immediate fine or require a court appearance has not been decided. Full-time short-term rentals will not be allowed in residential areas. Owners of residential houses must prove that they live there in order to be allowed to post on Airbnb or similar sites.
As with longer-term rentals, the properties must be inspected annually for safety. “We just don’t want them to be opening a hotel in a residential zone,” said mayor Tim Rogers, articulating a key concern addressed in the proposed law.
Property sales
New Paltz mayor Tim Rogers will be signing contracts of sale for two properties. The Oliver house, the property at 5 Broadhead, will be purchased from Stewart’s for a dollar. A developer will be sought to rehabilitate the historic home.
The village parking lot at 10 North Chestnut Street will be sold to the corporation that owns the Main Street Bistro for $113,000, with the parking spots leased back to the village. Numerous easements are being finalized to make that property transfer possible. Rogers said later that a similar lease arrangement is used for the parking places near Mobil, across the street.
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