Amenia Planning Board hears comments on apartment plans

MILLBROOK — Public hearings were held on two plans that would create apartments at the regular meeting of the Planning Board on Monday, June 10.

One was for a proposed accessory apartment at a Maple Avenue home and the other was for a two-phase project to create additional apartments on the second floor of and behind the Reardon-Briggs hardware store on Franklin Avenue.

An overview of plans for the hardware store property, owned by Dawn Carolei, was presented by architect Steven Hackbarth of Clinton Corners. Although the public hearing was to focus on the first phase, apartments on the second floor of the hardware store, the second phase that would create four more apartments on Merritt Avenue soon became part of the discussion.

The second phase drawing the most attention would demolish an existing garage at 4 Merritt Ave. housing a modest rented apartment and replace it with a new structure containing four one-bedroom apartments. From the outside the new structure would appear to be a home with a single front entrance. The apartments would have interior entrances.

But the June 10 hearing was intended only to consider plans for the second floor of the hardware store, where two apartments are now situated adjacent to underutilized storage and inactive office space. Architect Hackbarth’s plans envision completely gutting the second floor and renovating to create one two-bedroom apartment and an additional one-bedroom apartment.

Planning board chairman Frank Redl asked about the status of the current tenants.

“They will not be able to live there,” Hackbarth replied, citing the extent of the planned renovation.

Residents’ comments continued to focus more on plans for the second phase than concerns about the hardware store apartments.

Neighbor to the Merritt Avenue structure, resident Arthur Kascsak was concerned about the new building and its potential impact on his home.

“The new structure will change the character of the village,” Kascsak said, indicating that the new building would block the view of all six windows on one side of his home. He was concerned about privacy, a decrease in value, outdoor lighting, trash handling and parking for between four and eight cars.

“Does the village really need these new apartments,” Kascsak asked.

“Of course we need more housing,” local architect Roger Bennett observed, asking about any thought given to working with the existing garage structure.

“The property could be fixed up rather than demolished,” the current tenant commented.

Another resident asked whether numerous one-bedroom apartments are really necessary in the village.

“Millbrook needs more apartments. The people who work in Millbrook should be able to live in Millbrook,” another resident said.

Redl indicated that the applicant will take into account the concerns voiced by residents at the hearing and that the first phase of the project, the hardware store apartments, will be reviewed by the Planning Board at its next meeting on Monday, July 8.

The Planning Board noted that the second phase will be the subject of a separate public hearing at a future meeting.

Accessory Apartment

An application to create an accessory apartment at a Maple Avenue home was the subject of a public hearing where neighbors spoke in favor of the plan. The application by Katherine Fitta would repurpose one bay of a generous two-car garage to create a 586 square foot apartment to accommodate a family member.

One resident expressed reservations about the plan, asking how the apartment might be used in future years.

Redl commented that the plan does not call for expanding the building. The application will be reviewed by the Planning Board at its July 8 meeting.

Latest News

Back to school
Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.


Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton’s Demitasse shutters Main Street storefront, goes digital

Demitasse owner Hayden McIntosh Geer said she is excited by the shift to online sales.

Photo by Hayden McIntosh Geer

MILLERTON — Some might have argued that launching an in-person retail business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t advisable. But against all odds, Demitasse in Millerton managed not only to build a thriving, mission-based brand in a small storefront on Main Street, it developed a loyal customer base and provided a welcoming space for visitors. Last week, Demitasse announced it is closing-up shop and moving fully online.

“We are excited,” said owner Hayden McIntosh Geer, who opened Demitasse with her husband, Richard, in 2020. “Though we will miss our customers and the camaraderie on Main Street, it feels right and there was no second guessing.”

Keep ReadingShow less
New Millerton police cruisers arrive to replace fire-ravaged vehicles

Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik shows off the new gear. Brand new police cruisers arrived last week.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The Millerton Police Department has received two new patrol cars to replace vehicles destroyed in the February 2025 fire at the Village Water and Highway Department.

The new Ford Interceptors are custom-built for law enforcement. “They’re more rugged than a Ford Explorer,” said Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik, noting the all-wheel drive, heavy-duty suspension and larger tires and engine. “They call it the ‘Police Package.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
Fashion Feeds on track to raise $100,000 for Food of Life Food Pantry

Erin Rollins of Millbrook in the Fashion Feed booth, open year round, at the Millbrook Antiques Mall. All proceeds from Fashion Feeds go to the Food of Life Pantry.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLBROOK – In a time when optimism and unity can feel elusive, sometimes a walk down Franklin Avenue is enough to feed the soul. With Millbrook Community Day just around the corner, one highlight will be Fashion Feeds, a community effort led by Millbrook native Erin Rollins, whose mission is to fight local hunger.

The concept is simple. People donate new or gently used designer fashion, which is sold at affordable prices, and all proceeds benefit The Food of Life/Comida de Vida Pantry at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia.

Keep ReadingShow less