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Vol 4, September 2009
Town of Hillsdale Newsletter
Hillsdale, New York
In This Issue
Town 3rd Quarter Report
What's Next for Town Hall?
Roe Jan Park Summer Program a Hit
Green Solutions Group Needs Members
Hamlet Committee Begins Planning
Housing Committee Begins Formal Analysis
Hillsdale Aquifer Study Completed
Historic Designation for Hamlet is Near
Members Needed for Scenic Overlay and Agriculture
Community Day!
Old Agway Building Comes to Life
Town Board
Art Baer, Town Supervisor
Ann Baldwin
Carmen Barbato
Peter Cipkowski
Augie Sena
HillsdaleTown Hall 

518-325-5073

Monday 8:30-4pm
Tuesday 8:30-5pm
Wed 8:30-3pm
Thurs 8:30-4pm
Friday 8:30-4pm
Sat 10am-1pm
(M-F closed 12-1)
Town Clerk
Julie Kane
325-5073
[email protected]
Hunting and fishing licenses; dog licenses; registrar of births, deaths and marriages

Tuesday 9:00am-5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-1:00pm

Evening hours,  2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, 6:30-8:30 pm
Court Clerk
Jan Keefner
325-5073
[email protected]

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 8:30-Noon & 1:00-4:00
  Wed 8:30-Noon & 1:00-3:00
Town Justices
Juliette Crill
Russ Immarigeon
Court convenes
Wednesday 6 pm
Town Hall
325-5073
Building Inspector
Glenn Smith
Tuesday, Thursday 12:00-3:00 PM
Town Hall
Inspection tours Mon. Wed. Fri. 12:00-3:00PM and by appointment.
518-325-1702
[email protected]
Zoning Enforcement Officer
Edward Ferratto
  [email protected]
  Monday 8:30-4:00
Tuesday 8:30-1:00
Thursday 8:30-4:00
Town Hall
518-325-5073
Transfer Station

Wednesday 7:30am-12noon
Saturday 7:30am-4:00pm
65 Holm Road
(518) 325-3844
Highway Department
Highway Superintendent
Richard Briggs
Town Garage, Old Town Road
[email protected]
518-325-4744
Tax Collector
Joe Hanselman, Jr.
[email protected]
518-325-5537
Assessor
Pamela Cook
 [email protected]
Friday 8:30-Noon 
Town Hall
518-325-3636
Planning Board
Hank Henward, Chairman
Theresa Kisselbrack, Secretary  
Patti Rohrlich
Charles Gardner, III
Richard Freiman
Ellen Levy
Mark Barbato
Deborah Bowen
meets second Monday of the month at 7:30pm
Town Hall
518-325-7991
  [email protected]
Zoning Board of Appeals
Craig Norton, Chairman
Dean Atwood, Secretary
Juanita O'Rourke
Casey Kuhn
Rocco DeFronzo
Jeffery Sills
meets first Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm
Town Hall
Phone & fax:  Dean Atwood at 518-391-3141
Comprehensive Plan Review Committees
Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, Chair
Tom Carty
[email protected]
325-5260

Green Solutions Group
Janis Smythe
[email protected]
325-4223

Hamlet
David Ruede
[email protected]
718-290-4218

 Housing
Ellen Levy
[email protected]
325-5899

Natural Resources
Gretchen Stevens
[email protected]
325-5925

Preservation
Alexia Lalli
[email protected]
325-5738

Scenic
Deborah Bowen
[email protected]
325-7248
Board of Assessment
Review
Craig Norton, Chairman
Mary Ann Foote
Frederick Laing
Animal Control
Animal Control Officer
Dan Reed
518-329-1409
cell #518-755-8868
Summer Youth Program
Sharon Foster
392-7750
Town Historian
Herb Parmet
[email protected]
Volunteer in Hillsdale
Help keep the flower barrels beautiful!
Lynda Brenner
[email protected]
325-7364

Roe Jan Community Library

Roe Jan Park
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Greetings!
The summer season is over but there is still lots going on in Hillsdale.  The Farmer's Market continues until October 17; the Barn Dance is September 26, Harvest Festival is October 3 and the old Agway building is coming to life as a home for the arts, with an opening on October 3.  We're moving forward on a new Town Hall, and the various town committees are taking concrete steps towards making Hillsdale an even better place to live!

Art Baer, Town Supervisor
Town Board:   Ann Baldwin, Carmen Barbato, Peter Cipkowski, Augie Sena

Note:  Some e-mail programs cut off the bottom part of the newsletter and calendar.  Make sure you see a signature from the Town of Hillsdale at the bottom.  If you don't, look for a notice such as "message clipped" and a link to "view the entire message.
Town Board
Summary of Town Board Business

The third quarter of 2009 was a great one for the town.  There were many events, all of which were successful: The Farmer's Market, the Summer Youth Program, the Historic House Tour, Community Day, the Library Referendum, and the construction of the Veteran's War Memorial.

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT:  The highway crew was very busy this summer, cleaning up the damage from the December ice storm and the August flooding.  Fortunately there is only one mile of road remaining to be repaired.

COMMUNICATION:  Since the closing of the Independent newspaper, communicating information to town residents has been problematic.  The Register Star and the Columbia Newspaper are not as widely read as the Independent was.  In an effort to get the word out, the town purchased two new sandwich boards, placed a bulletin board under the Town Hall sign, and Iona Lutey publishes a monthly newsletter and a calendar, which are distributed by email.

SEWER SYSTEM:  The sewer committee is in the process of closing the short-term loans, and moving forward to the permanent 0% loans.  In addition, the old septic tanks are being pumped out and filled with sand.

LIBRARY BUILDING:  On August 28th Hillsdale voters authorized the town board to purchase the present library to use as a new town hall.  At the September meeting the Board approved a proposal to inspect the building and make recommendations.   Architect, Joe Iuviene, and Engineer, Doug Clark, will do the work.

FIRE DISTRICT:  At the September meeting the Board discussed the fact that the Philmont Fire District wants to raise the price of servicing the Harlemville area from $17,000 to $72,000.00 a year.  The Board wonders if the Craryville and Hillsdale fire departments could adequately cover that portion of the town.  It may pursue other solutions as well.  All the affected property owners will be individually contacted.  There will be a Public Hearing at 6:30 PM on October 21 at the Town Hall.  The Board will then make its decision at that night's Town Board meeting.  The affected area is the northwest corner of Hillsdale, outlined below, in the area marked "47." More information to come.

HIllsdale.Philmont.Fire.2
What's Next for Hillsdale's New Town Hall?

On Friday, August 28, an overwhelming majority of Hillsdale voters endorsed the Town Board's decision to purchase the historic library building and transform it into a new town hall.  The final vote included 378 voters: 266 in favor, 112 against. Next comes the formal analysis to determine what steps need to be made to improve the building.

After interviewing several candidates, a building committee comprised of Hank Henward, Pat Baer, and Peter Cipkowski have selected Joe Iuviene of the Architectural Bureau (AB) to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the library building. AB will examine the structure's foundation, building surfaces, windows and doors, steps, walks, railings, electrical, plumbing and heating systems. Also included in this study is an evaluation of the site utilities, parking and access by Clark Engineering.

Though previous studies have not identified serious issues, the AB study is expected to greatly inform the Town Board as it moves forward to purchase the building. This study, along with a departmental needs assessment, will lay the foundation for the preliminary design stage later this year. The AB study should be completed by the end of the month.
Roe Jan Park:
2009 Summer Youth Program Was a Hit


The word is out. Hillsdale's six-week summer youth program was a big hit with kids - and their parents.  It also received rave reviews from the county leaders who oversee all the parks and camps in Columbia County.  Having wrapped-up on Friday, August 14, our new Summer Program Director, Sharon Foster, reports "it was a joyful and fun-filled experience for all of us." She continued, "all the kids loved taking advantage of this incredible setting - beautiful trails to explore, a refreshing stream to study, a new playground to enjoy, and huge piles of sand to play in!"
RoeJanPark.kids.barn
Thanks to a very generous grant received from the Hudson River Bank and Trust Foundation (HRBTF), the program was relocated to a renovated barn in the Roeliff Jansen Park. With HRBTF funding, a new metal roof was installed along with a lightning protection system.  We were also able to spruce-up the interior area and create a large protected space with plenty of room for kids to move around in.  The larger facility in the Roe Jan Park allowed this summer's program to operate regardless of weather conditions.

Officially called the Hillsdale Outdoor Park Explorers (HOPE), the beautiful setting in the Roeliff Jansen Park has inspired a new direction in summer programming.  Oriented to outdoor education, all activities took advantage of the trails, stream, fields and wide-open space.  Exploring the trails and woodlands, learning to identify trees, insects and birds - all became part of the daily experience at the summer program.

Sharon Foster, a fifth grade teacher at Taconic Hills and an experienced outdoor educator, brought with her 2 extraordinary staff members from Taconic Hills, Linda Knickerbocker and Tina Dellea.  Sharon also recruited 2 Hillsdale students, Patrick Farrell, a recent graduate from Taconic Hills and Sarah Baron, a college student. Together this enthusiastic, talented team oversaw the engaging activities enjoyed by 50 campers this summer.

The new Community Garden at the park was also integrated into the program. Each week, community gardener Willa Horton met with groups of campers to talk about growing their own food. Campers planted and cultivated several different vegetables and plan to exhibit some of their produce at the Copake-Hillsdale Harvest Festival at the Roeliff Jansen Park on October 3.

RJP.kids.sandOutdoor educator Fran Martino conducted a weekly "stream detective" activity. Using nets, magnifying glasses, and collection containers, campers explored the Roeliff Jansen Kill Stream in its shallow areas for all kinds of interesting discoveries.  

With the help of a number of local organizations and volunteers, the activities were extremely varied. With a generous grant from the Kids in Motion Program, funded by the HealthCare Consortium in Hudson, the HOPE program visited organic Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook to learn about healthy eating habits.   The program also received pedometers to make the hiking program more exciting and lots of play equipment to make the summer an active and fun one.  We even received funding to purchase tools for the children's gardening program.

Cornell Cooperative Extension came to the program each week to demonstrate working with farm animals,  and the Columbia Land Conservancy's Educational Director brought monarch butterflies in each of the different stages of their life cycle to show the campers.
AND last but not least, many volunteers came in to conduct fun and interesting activities. A potter, a science professor, artists, gardeners, singers among others shared their time and expertise with the Hillsdale Outdoor Park Explorers.  It was a real demonstration of a community coming together to create something very special for its growing population. In fact, the entire program felt like an investment in this next generation of community members!

We're already planning more of the same - and much more - for next summer's program.
Comprehensive Plan Review Committees

Green Solutions Group needs members

The Green Solutions Group has many programs planned for the coming year.  In order to make them all happen, we need more members on the committee.  If you care about our environment and would like to participate in keeping it healthy, please join us.  Call Janis Smythe at 325-4223.

Tip of the month from your Green Solutions Group:
Unplug appliances when not in use.  Even when a plugged-in electronic appliance is turned off, it uses energy.  Unplug and save more than 1000 pounds of carbon dioxide and $256 a year!
Hamlet Committee Begins Planning Effort

Great news!!  We have been given the green light to move forward with Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a planning firm that will help us create a guide for the future development in the Hamlet that is consistent with the needs and desires of local businesses and residents.  The contract should be finalized within the next two weeks.

What a wonderful community we live in when, on one hand, people care that much about protecting what makes Hillsdale special and, on the other hand, are realistic enough to know that growth and change will happen regardless. The best way to assure that changes are positive is to have a Design and Development plan in place.

Community involvement will be a key component of this process and one in which PPS excels.  Surveys, public workshops and presentations will be held periodically to engage the community and assure that your ideas are addressed.  

We expect the Design and Development Plan to be completed within a year and will provide a guide to address:

    �    Economic development opportunities and an overall vision for the future of the Hamlet's commercial and civic center;
    �    Strategies for attracting and retaining businesses to the Hamlet;
    �    Proposed circulation patterns, streets, sidewalks and pedestrian routes, municipal parking and possible extensions of street network;
    �    Design improvements to existing public spaces and, possibly, designs for new parks or squares;
    �    Opportunities for future small scale residential and mixed-use development;
    �    Links to future rail-trail;
    �    Recommend landscaping for streets and public spaces to support place-making and beautification goals;
    �    Types and locations of key amenities such as seating, lighting, public art, and focal points;
    �    A program for way-finding signage and revisions to existing signage ordinance to support the Hamlet vision;
    �    Specifications of products and materials.

Thanks go to all who have given their time and money to make this beginning possible.  The Hamlet Committee has raised 2/3 of the money needed for this project from the generous donations from so many of you.  The final 1/3 will come from grant applications we have made, future fundraising events and the support from the Town and its generous residents. Watch for these events and mailings and please support us in our efforts to plan for a small, attractive, comfortable, livable, thriving Hamlet.
Housing Committee: 
Consultant to assess Hillsdale housing needs


On behalf of the Housing Committee, the Town has signed a contract with the Housing Action Council, a non-profit consulting group which specializes in housing issues, to perform a study to assess the housing needs not currently being met for the residents of Hillsdale. The consultant will:

�    Review U.S. Census data, population trends and meet with local public and private agencies, houses of worship and civic associations to research the existing housing stock and the housing "gap". That is, the lack of housing available for rent or purchase to families and individuals which they can afford.
�    Based on its findings, it will propose housing strategies for the Town that respond to that need.
�    Assist the Town to define the term "affordable housing."
�    Help draft a Town housing policy and  implementation plan, after discussions with the community.

The services will not exceed $5000. The full amount of the fee has been raised by the Committee through a grant from the Dyson Foundation and individual contributions from the community, including members of the committee.

The consultant, Rose Noonan, is expected to start this month.
Natural Resources Committee:
Aquifer Study of the Town of Hillsdale Completed

The New York Rural Water Association has completed the Hillsdale aquifer study, and produced a 52-page report entitled Groundwater Resources Study and Protection Plan for the Town of Hillsdale, Columbia County, New York. The report describes the groundwater resources throughout the town and some of the potential sources of contamination, and offers some recommendations for protecting those resources.

The aquifer study was initiated in 2008 by the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Hillsdale Comprehensive Plan Committee, and was funded by grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Town of Hillsdale.

The aquifer report describes the local bedrock and surficial geology, their relationship to well depths and well yields throughout the town, and their influence on "hydrogeologic sensitivity," a measure of the ease and speed with which contaminants could migrate into water-bearing units that feed our wells, streams, and wetlands.  The report also identifies potential sources of groundwater contamination such as cemeteries, landfills, gas stations and auto repair shops, and recommends maximum densities for septic systems and wells in different parts of the town.

Groundwater is an essential water source for Hillsdale's streams, wetlands, and ponds, and is the primary drinking water source for the human community throughout the town. Knowledge of the locations, capacities, and vulnerabilities of our groundwater aquifers will enable the town to protect its groundwater from contamination or depletion, to plan for future development compatible with groundwater supplies, and to identify productive and safe public well sites should these be needed in the future.

In the near term, the groundwater report will help the Town of Hillsdale delineate the Aquifer Overlay District that is called for in the existing Comprehensive Plan, and to develop regulatory and non-regulatory means of insuring that our groundwater resources remain clean and abundant long into the future.
Preservation Committee:  Tour a success; historic designation nears

The Preservation Committee's First Annual Hillsdale Historic House Tour on August 22 was an overwhelming success.  After a delicious picnic lunch, participants visited three homes, the church and the former Aubergine building.  Rain did not matter as the well organized Committee (Matthew White, Timi Bates, Janice Smythe, Mary Lou Kersten and Meg WormlePreservationHouseToury) managed the event so that it went without a hitch. The funds raised were used to help pay for the work of consultants Larson Fisher Associates, who completed a designation report for historic district designation. The Preservation Committee met and voted to make a contribution to the Methodist Church to thank them for their participation. There are already plans being made for next year's House Tour! (photo above by Sabina Curti.)

Designation as an Historic District in the Hamlet of Hillsdale will begin on September 15th when the New York State Board for Historic Preservation meets at Olana. The Board is an independent panel of experts appointed by the New York State governor. The board also consists of representatives from the following state agencies: Council of Parks; Council on the Arts; Department of Education; Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation. The function of the board is to advise and provide recommendations on state and federal preservation programs, including the State and National Registers of Historic Places, to the State Historic Preservation Officer, which in New York State is the State Parks Commissioner.

Bill Krattinger, our State Historic Preservation Officer for this region, said that none of the residents of the proposed district and none of the officials contacted had objected to the designation and that the acceptance by the review board was pretty much assured.

Much work remains to be done by the Historic Preservation Committee.  Two new members have been added - Ron Bernstein and Frances Eberhart who join Amelia Sydlosky, Ann Baldwin, Jeff Brookman, Peter Cipkowski, Matthew White, Joan Walstein, Robina Ward, Julia Brandi, Timi Bates, Tom Carty and Alexia Lalli, Committee Chair. 
Members Needed for Scenic Overlay
and Agricultural Committees


The Scenic Overlay Committee is committed to maintaining the
scenic beauty of our community.  Our goal is to identify roadways and view sheds that provide this scenic beauty and to propose workable solutions for future development that will protect these sensitive areas from losing their current character.

Any town residents who would be interested in helping out should contact Deborah Bowen at 325-7248 or [email protected]

The Agricultural Committee lost its chairman more than a year ago.
Since that time no committee activities have taken place.  Our Comprehensive Plan encourages the promotion and maintenance of the rich agricultural life of the town.  We love our farms and want to keep them.  It's important that we have a new beginning for this committee and anyone within the town who has an interest in helping get restarted or is willing to share ideas on how we should proceed should contact Tom Carty at 325-5260 or [email protected].
Other town news

Community Day!
CommunityDay2009.1
The Hillsdale Fire Company's Chicken BBQ at Community Day August 15.  Pictured here L-R "Uncle" Lindy Miller, George Beneke, Fred Miller, Traci Lane, Robert Burns.
HillsdaleCommunityDay2



Savannah Baird and her father Kevin (of the Hillsdale Fire Company) just after she visited the Children's Tent and had her face painted by Tracey Hanselman.


CommunityDay2009.birdseye
A view from atop Copake's Ladder Truck.  A wonderful day!
Old Agway Building Comes to Life
OldAgway.GoliathGallery
The Old Agway Building on Anthony Street has come to life again as a home for the arts!  The Goliath Institute of Art has moved in and will hold its inaugural art opening on Saturday, October 3, 6:00-8:00 pm.

'Goliath Hillsdale' will be a gallery, teaching facility, and subsidized studio space for emerging and mid-career artists and designers.  Two permanent rotating galleries will feature work by local artists, and there will be ongoing art classes for local residents and an artists in residence program, both beginning in January. 

The first art exhibit will be the current collaborative work "Forever at War" by painter and Hillsdale resident Benjamin David Tritt, architects Aaron and Haily Tweedie, and designer Albert Sultan, as well as work by Great Barrington photographer Will Wendt and other artists.  The entire event is curated by John Haas.

For more info call John Haas at (347) 683-1727 or go to http://www.goliathgallery.org

OldAgwayBldg
The "Old Agway" building was built in 1850 for the Hillsdale Mercantile Association as a grain mill and depot.  It became a grocery store,
owned by Freeland Pulver in 1869.  Much later it became the Hillsdale Farm Supply (Agway) building and remained that business for many years. Marilyn Herrington is the current owner.

The Town of Hillsdale