Kingston Common Council members voted 8-1 on Aug. 4 in support of a 25-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for the Kingstonian, a mixed-use apartment, commercial and parking project proposed for the site of the former parking garage between North Front Street and Schwenk Drive. The agreement will now move to the county’s Industrial Development Agency for consideration on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Kimlin Energy Services wants to expand its parking lot from three to twelve spaces, create a new egress onto Steve’s Lane, and replace an 18,000-gallon storage tank with a 32,000-gallon model. The applicant has argued that this increased storage capacity could reduce the number of truck deliveries to the site, a sore point with neighbors on account of noise.
Developers are now open to routing the Empire State Trail through the property and moving parking behind the buildings. They’d like that trial to run right through the center of a required vegetative buffer with the Interstate. They are also seeking a waiver of the requirement to build a second story, and they would like another waiver to be able to offer food in a drive-through window.
In response to a freedom of information request, a more detailed document regarding the New Paltz police budget has been published online. The $2.5 million 2020 spending plan is largely taken up by salaries of $2,137,379.
Some of the laws largely repeat what’s already in state or other rules, but the crux of the exercise is to reconsider when it’s necessary to send an armed person to resolve an issue.
The appointment of Lauren Sheeley as Ulster County public defender was rejected by a 14-9 vote in the legislature last week. Voting against County Executive Pat Ryan’s choice crossed party lines, with the primary issue the candidate’s lack of criminal law and courtroom experience.
Kim Kiniry, a contractor shut down last November following complaints from neighbors of noise and dust; is once more in front of the town planning board in Saugerties seeking approval of an amended site plan.
As the number of shooting incidents in Kingston in recent months reaches into the double digits, the president of the city’s police union released a statement claiming that officers have “lost all faith” in both the mayor and police chief, saying that they choose to “deceive the community” by minimizing the danger while refusing to fill budgeted positions in the police department.
Woodstock’s town board continues to try to devise ways to open Big and Little Deep and provide a relief from the heat. “I just want to make sure we’re looking ahead and planning,” said councilman Richard Heppner at the July 21 meeting of the town board, Heppner has pushed for a reopening.
Members of the public have been debating the New Paltz police budget for several months, and supervisor Neil Bettez confirmed last week that town officials were working on supplying some specifics.