VALATIE–The Kinderhook Town Board decided that for now Lake and Church streets in Niverville will stay two-way.
At their Monday night meeting, the board passed a motion to keep the public hearing on making the streets one-way open and revisit the matter if issues arise after CaroVail, the fertilizer company on Route 28, expands its facility and has trucks entering and exiting near the streets.
Two Church Street residents, a Lake Street resident and the owner of the RnD Deli and Market on Lake Street attended the February 8 meeting to voice their disapproval of the plan to make the streets one-way.
The Lake Street resident said there had never been a traffic problem on her street and Rhonda Solon, the owner of the deli, said that the change would hurt her business. “You’re trying to help CaroVail,” she told the board.
Mark Tibbitts, a Church Street resident, said that if the board made the change, “you are going cause more problems.” He also said he didn’t think there would be more traffic on the street after CaroVail changes its trucking routes. “I think you should wait and see what happens,” he told the board.
Planning Board Chair Peter Haemmerlein said at the meeting that the suggestion to make the streets one-way came from a Church Street resident and that the Planning Board could support the Town Board’s motion to hold off changing traffic patterns in the Niverville hamlet.
“If it turns out to be an issue we can always revisit it,” said Councilwoman Patsy Leader. She also said that CaroVail does not plan to start construction on their building until June.
Also at the meeting:
•The Town Board extended the time for residents to send in letters of interest to be on the town’s Climate Control Task Force. Supervisor Pat Grattan says he’s gotten about seven or eight letters of interest and at the meeting he appointed Mark Leinung. He did not appoint any of the other applicants to the committee
•The board will hold a public hearing at its next meeting on changes to the town’s digital sign policy. The Town Code already restricts digital signs, but Town Attorney Andy Howard said that the law needs updated language
•County Planning/Economic Development Commissioner Ken Flood described grants available to municipalities. Mr. Grattan said he was looking for no tax levy increase in the 2017 budget and was hoping there would be grants to help cover costs in the budget. He said the board is “looking at everything”
•The town has a vacancy on the Board of Assessment Review. Mr. Grattan said that the board meets two times a year.
The next board Town Board meeting is Monday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email