Could the Amenia Town Hall kitchen open in 2023?

AMENIA — During the Amenia reorganization meeting on Thursday, Jan. 5, Amenia Town  Supervisor Victoria Perotti mentioned some goals she’d like to see accomplished in the coming year.

One was to see the Town Hall’s kitchen renovated and open for service. Upon investigation, it seems that the kitchen has basically been gutted, and that this is a project that has been on the horizon for years.

Perotti reminded  those at the meeting that Amenia is a Red Cross-designated shelter, and said that in case of a disaster, it would be good to have the kitchen working to be able to feed those who are at the shelter.

The original plan was to use it for the farmers market, which meets in season on Fridays in the parking lot of Amenia Town Hall. The idea was for the vendors to prepare their products there to get ready for selling, but upon inspection, it didn’t have enough storage space. It is currently gutted, although a grease trap has been installed.

“They did have a plan in place, but we will now have to come up with a modified plan; they haven’t started yet,” Perotti said.

“They” are most likely members of the Kitchen Committee, or those who may be on a new kitchen committee. Starting in 2015, there was a mention of the Kitchen Committee at all the reorganization meetings, but it was not mentioned this year or last. COVID-19 may have been at fault for holding up work on the project But the kitchen remained a goal nevertheless.

“I’m looking to see if we can reach that goal,” Perotti said. “It’s been on the back burner for a while now,” she added, saying that there have been funds donated for that specific use. “We’ll look for grants. It could also be used for events along with a room next to it.” It would also be possible to offer meals to needy residents, possibly on a once-per-month basis.

Looking over records from the past years, the Kitchen Committee was active from 2015 through 2018. At a meeting on Aug. 30, 2017, the minutes showed that Perotti told them that ceiling and floor tiles had been removed, as was asbestos. At the March 16, 2018, meeting, the committee submitted a 19-page Kitchen Use Policy document.

Over those years, there had been contact with the Board of Health (BOH). Mention was made of working with the BOH on septic tank issues, and it was mentioned at one point that they were getting bids, discussing plumbing and electrical issues, and were actively seeking grants. The Jan. 3, 2019, reorganization meeting lists the Kitchen Committee as one of the Town’s standing committees.

Could Perotti’s goal be realized in 2023? It seems that much of the groundwork has already been done, and there is money set aside for the project. In earlier minutes it was noted that the Amenia Lions Club was enthusiastic about the project and was willing to help.

There was no mention of a Kitchen Committee at the 2023 reorganization meeting.