Move to expand historic preservation gains steam in New Paltz

Village of New Paltz residents have strong opinions about the look of local buildings. Some believe that “ugly” buildings detract from the charm of the community (and the number of tourists who visit and spend money), while others feel equally strongly that any oversight or regulation of aesthetics would be the imposition of a minority viewpoint on the freedom of the many. Village officials have explored different ways to satisfy all of these concerns, and during their March 23 meeting they discussed what’s risen to the top: leaning on the expertise present among historic preservation commissioners to provide “free consulting” early on in the design process, before it becomes more costly for developers to change a proposal.

New Paltz has many different kinds of buildings along its main roads, and attempts to tweak the aesthetics of new and renovated structures has had mixed results in the wider community. Locations such as Ulster Savings Bank and Hampton Inn are often used as examples of good results from bringing in experts such as architects, but similar professional scrutiny resulted in McDonald’s being renovated into a nondescript gray box. Inside the Village line, the vacant building at 51 Main Street was approved by Planning Board members without an extensive review of its proposed appearance, and it’s been treated with derision on social media ever since construction began years ago. There are even recent calls to have it demolished.

What’s being considered right now is a way to bring more focus on the final look of buildings, without changing the underlying zoning code, through a two-step process. First up is to create a second Village Historic District along Main Street. Since it would include everything already included in the federal and state districts which were adopted in 2009, plus some adjacent residential streets, there is some justification for this step. The critical difference would be that projects in this district would need a Certificate of Appropriateness before Planning Board approval could be granted. That’s how it’s worked in the Huguenot Street district since early in this century.

The other step is to add “design review board” to the name and responsibilities of the commissioners. That’s what Mayor Tim Rogers calls “free consulting,” because what commissioners do — according to Tom Olsen, who serves as chair of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) — is offer advice on how to make whatever is being proposed fit in better with the historic character of this district. The intent is not to impose an aesthetic, Olsen said, but to provide guidance on how to ensure that whatever aesthetic is desired is in harmony with the neighborhood.

Some residents have expressed misgivings or skepticism in online forums, which is why public input on this subject is specifically being invited for the April 13 meeting. Olsen is optimistic that a vote might be taken in as little as a month’s time. That may seem quick for the inattentive, but this is an idea that has been discussed in public for five years, and the HPC chair is eager to move it ahead.

“I like where we have landed,” said Rogers.