Amenia poised for more projects after 2024 initiatives

AMENIA — Stepping back to examine an entire year within the town of Amenia, progress has been seen in efforts that would benefit current residents and future generations.

With restoration work now completed on two historic charcoal kilns standing west of the hamlet of Wassaic, the Town Board in January began considering the next steps in accepting the owner’s gift of the site to the town.

Discussions about the site near the intersection of Route 22 and Deep Hollow Road had begun 18 months earlier when reconstruction work on the 150-year-old stone structures began, symbols of the start of the 19th-century industrial revolution when the kilns made charcoal to fuel the Gridley blast furnaces in Wassaic.

By December, the town was nearing the end of required steps to complete the gift of the kilns to the town by owner Eric Bommer.

After much publicity and then disappointment, Tarts and Bread bakery failed to open in late April. The space is expected to open as a bakery in mid-February, 2025.

In the spring, the former Seravan restaurant was purchased by new owners, Chef Jacob Somers and Khendum Namgyal. The new restaurant, Panacea, opened in late summer.

Le Jardin opened in October, bringing a flower shop to the commercial center, and is thriving.

Restoration work on the Town Hall gym floor was completed during the year. The solid maple floor that was uncovered during the process was able to be restored and is in use today for a variety of activities.

After three years of work, a paving and drainage project improving 1.9 miles along Tower Hill Road in Wassaic was completed during the summer.

The Silo Ridge Masters event in October marked the first year of a local equestrian center joining the competitive Hudson Valley Show Jumping circuit for their fall calendar. Silo Ridge served as a sponsor for the show jumping competition, held at the Keane Stud Farm Equestrian Center. The proceeds would benefit the Silo Ridge Foundation and the Amenia Wassaic Community Organization.

In December, the Town Board voted to proceed with a $6.3 million bond issue to construct a new town garage and salt storage shed to be located on the east side of Route 22 between Sinpatch Road and Tower Hill Road. The old town garage had been constructed in 1955.