Whalen discusses Bennett Park at Village Board meeting

MILLBROOK — At the Wednesday, Feb. 8, meeting of the Village of Millbrook Board of Trustees, the main topic was the work on the former Bennett College property to make way for the new Bennett Park.

George Whalen III was invited to talk about the work being accomplished on the renovation of the Bennett property to the new Bennett Park. Phase I was the demolition of the old buildings that could not be saved, including the abatement of asbestos issues. One-hundred seventy thousand square feet of building was removed. At this point, underground wiring is replacing the old aboveground wiring; the grounds are being graded and seeded, and walkways are being graded and installed.

Going forward, lights, trash bins and paths will be installed. The old Greek Theater will be restored for use in small productions. The preservation of an old chimney from Halcyon Hall will be done, and a great lawn will be created, with a path going around it. The expected date for the opening of the first phase is late summer/early fall of 2023.

The second phase will be the renovation of Exmore as a Bennett College museum. There will be public restrooms, parking areas, a new bandshell, and possibly overnight accommodations, with potentially a stone tower built from the stones from Halcyon Hall. Paths to the Village will be extended.

There will be three phases in all, with the site opening to the public as the progression takes place.  Sergeant Jared Witt asked about vehicle access to the inner park; there will be a need for a way for emergency vehicles to have access. Trustee Vicki Contino asked about a dog park. No thought has been given to that yet, as there are insurance considerations that would need to be resolved. The mayor and the Board thanked Whalen for his commitment to the project and the people of Millbrook.

County Legislator Deirdre Houston spoke of the tax benefit being proposed for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers. There are restrictions that would need to be adhered to, but it is a good tool for recruitment and for retention in those departments. This was also brought up by the mayor and the fire department heads. A resolution was made to open a public hearing for discussion on this issue on March 8.

Sgt. Jared Witt of the Millbrook Police Department discussed a two-week traffic study on Franklin Avenue. There was a 12% rate of speed violators. As the machine used did not identify specific vehicles, some going over 75 mph could have been emergency vehicles going to a call. In other police matters, Witt is still looking for a replacement for an officer who resigned.

A discussion was had by the Trustees as well as other Village staff about parking, speed and other signs, and some of the requests made by the Millbrook Business Association (MBA) concerning parking for businesses. A resolution was made to have a public hearing on these matters on March 8.

VRI’s Scott Osborn discussed the new pump being put in at Bennett Commons, which will be gated and locked. He is looking for bids. There was also a discussion on a water non-compliance fee. The request for a proposal for Smith & Loveless Pump Station Purchase and a bid notice: request for proposal for an emergency generator purchase were both approved.

Trustee Peter Doro has been researching short-term rental properties for the Village, mentioning that he has particularly liked those rules and regulations set forth by the Village of Rhinebeck, with some exceptions. Numbers of guests, days of operations and many other items need to be refined and will be further studied. It was suggested that conversations might be held with some people who are already operating these facilities; also mentioned was the possibility of using a lottery system for establishing some of the guests-to-days ratio.

The next Village Board meeting is on Wednesday, March 8, at 6 p.m., at the Millbrook Fire House. Meetings are livestreamed when possible; YouTube video can be found within a few days of the actual meeting on the Village website villageofmillbrookny.com.