AMENIA — Engaging with the task of updating the town’s comprehensive plan of development, an open session on Monday, June 9, invited residents to come to the Town Hall and share comments on present strengths of Amenia town life and to suggest ways in which town life might be enhanced in the future.
About 100 residents representing a robust variety of demographics attended the community event and stayed to visit with one another and study the displays of town maps while watching the growing display of ideas.
“Here we are again, looking at moving forward,” said town board member Rosanna Hamm, who offered a brief opening statement. “We’ve come a long way and we want to look forward to the future,” she added, reflecting on the town’s history.
The plan of development that serves as a reference base for all zoning decisions was last updated in 2009, underscoring the need to make appropriate revisions to meet the present day and a decade or two to come.
“Twenty-five years ago was the original town plan,” recalled former town supervisor Bill Flood, offering a brief comment. “Now together, we will make it better.”
“These are the next steps in the planning process,” said Nina Peek, who serves on both the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee and the Planning Board.
The town’s Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, with the guidance of Nexus facilitating consultants associated with Pace University’s Land Use Law Center, convened the event titled “Engaging Amenia,” seeking to hear from as many residents as possible to advance the work of the planning update.
Residents gathered for an “Engaging Amenia” event at the Town Hall on Monday, June 9, to share views on the town’s present and future, a step toward updating the town’s Comprehensive Plan of Development, last updated in 2009.Photo by Leila Hawken
Comment stations on Monday invited residents to begin by writing a single word on a whiteboard that would encapsulate personal views of the town. A sampling of the single words included “friendly, community, history, land, home, potential, neighborly, view, future, rural, safe and friendly, support, sidewalk hellos, family, respite and values.” To provide balance, two identical entries, “unengaged,” played off the event title.
Attendees were then invited to visit any or all of five stations, each with a review committee representative providing information and inviting written comments on post-it notes to be affixed to a whiteboard. A pink post-it signaled a town strength; a green post-it represented a town need.
The five stations invited comment on Sustainability and Recreation, Natural Resources, Housing, Business, and Infrastructure and Municipal Services. Residents lingered to see the growing collection of post-it messages, numbered in the hundreds.
“It’s a really good turnout in spite of the rain,” said Nexus consultant Jaclyn Tyler. “It shows the interest of the public that they want to be involved in the process.”
“It’s a great turnout,” assessed Tiffany Zezula, Deputy Director of the Land Use Law Center at Pace University. “I’m very happy with it.”
Residents’ comments will continue to be gathered throughout the summer months. A website has been created by the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee to allow residents to see others’ comments as they are submitted and to add their own about the subject categories. To access the website, go to www.engagingamenia.com.
Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.
Bee Bee the Clown offered everyone attending the Millerton Street Fair balloon figures, jokes and musical sleight-of-hand. “I can make 50 types of balloon animals without thinking and probably around 100 if I concentrate,” the most complex being a rabbit in a top hat made from balloons, Bee Bee said. The clown, who also bills herself as Jackie the Magician, merged her two disciplines of clowning and magic to entertain visitors for the length of the fair.Bee Bee’s commitment to her craft appears beyond her performance, as reflected in her brightly-colored outfit and carefully-applied makeup. “The control exercised over the line work detail” of her eye makeup and the proper choice of footwear — no smaller than the size-16 shoes Bee Bee wore — are two of the aspects of clown dress which Bee Bee noted as being most important to her costume.Photo by Charlie Greenberg
The NorthEast-Millerton Library joined in the fun, hosting a book sale inside and a cookie bake-off on the front lawn.
Live music on the lawn of the Millerton Methodist Church supplied good vibes to those within earshot. The John Stey Band started the morning with classic country, western and bluegrass tunes. The afternoon wrapped up with a few hours of Afro-Cuban jazz from the Berkshire Resilience Brass Band.
Townscape and the North East Community Center joined in participating as non-profit organizations in the Millerton News Street Fair, coinciding with the regular weekly Millerton Farmers’ Market that attracts more than a dozen vendors to sell fresh produce, baked goods and more.
Eloise Gerstle, 2 and a half, posed with her balloon animal and her mother, Aimee Couture, both of Sharon, enjoying the fun of the Millerton News Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.Photo by Leila Hawken
Lisa Cope, Village of Millerton Town Clerk, was there to hand out “Save the Date” cards for next year’s 175th Anniversary of Millerton.
“I know it’s early,” she said. “but it’s coming.”
Amanda Coppola, the Webutuck Elementary School principal, was on hand to discuss after school programs, and mentioned a new pre-K program for three-year-olds that is the first in Dutchess County.
And Century Boulevard was packed with cars. License plates from across the Northeast could be spotted lining the wide street, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and even Pennsylvania.
Reporting and photography from Leila Hawken, Charlie Greenberg, Nathan Miller and John Coston contributed to this article.
Photo by Nathan Miller
Brody Reyes of Millerton, left, and Aaliyah Velie of Millerton, right, run and play with a beach ball in the parking lot of the Millerton Firehouse on Century Boulevard.
The Millerton Fire Company was a popular destination with its hot food — dogs and burgers and homemade french fries. The volunteer firemen ran the concession. Patti Lynch-VandeBogart was also on hand with popcorn and flavored ices.Kelly Roger, treasurer and a fire police captain of the department had pulled together the fire department’s food court.
A touch-a-truck event for children was popular, leading occasionally to a loud blast of a fire truck horn from an excited youngster.
