Jeanne Vanecko, project manager, and Stephen Waite, chairman of the Eddie Collins Memorial Park Revitalization Committee, guided a public meeting on Thursday, Aug. 17, about phase two of the park’s redesign, which includes a pool and pool house.
NORTH EAST — 2023 was a good year for advances in sustainability, improvements in the Village of Millerton and Town of North East.
Wastewater treatment
Work on the much-discussed, much-needed sewer system for Millerton and North East has finally begun; it is projected to be operational in about two years.
The village, following a feasibility study, opted to build a “hybrid” system, based on its success in Hillsdale and other municipalities. The design utilizes existing septic tanks and calls for constructing a network of “veins” that connect them to the new wastewater plant, to be located on village-owned property on South Center Street. Because the relatively small pipes can be drilled in horizontally, streets will not have to be dug up.
The village, along with engineers from of Tighe and Bond of Rhinebeck, then defined the district it will cover in its first two phases. Wastewater Committee Chairperson Jeanne Vanecko and the engineers then began their surveys of the 110 relevant properties to gather information needed to design the system.
The village will own and maintain the entire system including, as needed, replacement of septic tanks. Residents and businesses will pay a monthly fee based on use.
The new system will permit the opening of new businesses that had heretofore been unable to locate in Millerton.
The total cost is estimated at $13 million; a federal grant of $1 million is certain, and other grants are being sought.
Sustainability
The North East/Millerton Climate Smart Communities task force has been busy shepherding projects to save energy, money and to demonstrate our area’s green bona fides in pursuit of Climate Smart Bronze certification in 2024. Completion of work on the New York State Department of Conservation’s Office of Climate Change 2018 matching grant was carried out jointly by the town and the village; one keystone project was a Road-Stream Crossings Report, which inventoried and prioritized all 500 culverts and bridges, leading to upgrades in flood-prone areas.
Also significant was a Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan, intended to track all energy consumption, calculate emissions and prioritize mitigation options.
2023 Infrastructure and safety improvements on Main Street included signalized crosswalks with flashing lights; and the town’s long-closed, unusable landfill was evaluated for solar installation.
New Town Hall, garage
The Town of North East bought the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses at 5603 Route 22 on July 18 for $430,000: The 4,512 square foot building will become the new Town Hall. (“The cost of less than $100 per square foot seems like a bargain compared to building new,” noted real-estate reporter Christine Bates in these pages.) Renovations are expected to begin this year, after which the current Town Hall will be sold and returned to the village tax roll.
The new town/village garage on Route 22, built on land purchased in 2020, will be fully operational once the driveway is completed — asphalt paving can only be done in warmer months.
Eddie Collins
Memorial Park
The first phase of the redevelopment of Eddie Collins Memorial Park — originally suggested years ago by village resident Stephen Waite — has finally opened to the public, thanks to a committee of dedicated trustees and volunteers. A pavilion, soccer field, playground, new parking lot and dozens of shade trees have welcomed visitors for several events since the park’s grand reopening this past summer.
Phase 2 will see the addition of a swimming pool and bathhouse.
Built in 1820, 1168 Bangall Amenia Road sold for $875,000 on July 31 with the transfer recorded in August. It has a Millbrook post office and is located in the Webutuck school district.
STANFORD — The Town of Stanford with nine transfers in two months reached a median price in August of $573,000 for single family homes, still below Stanford’s all-time median high in August 2024 of $640,000.
At the beginning of October there is a large inventory of single-family homes listed for sale with only six of the 18 homes listed for below the median price of $573,000 and seven above $1 million.
July transfers
79 Ernest Road — 4 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 6.87 acres in 2 parcels sold to Matthew C. Marinetti for $1,225,000.
29 Drake Road — 3 bedroom/3.5 bath home on 2 acres sold to Harper Montgomery for $850,000.
6042 Route 82 — 4 bedroom/2 bath home on 1.09 acres sold to Spencer Thompson for $795,000.
125 Tick Tock Way — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath ranch on 1.9 acres sold to Fleur Touchard for $475,000.
August transfers
102 Prospect Hill Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 6.35 acres sold to Karl Creighton Pfister for $565,000.
252 Ernest Road — 2 bedroom/1 bath cottage on .85 acres sold to Meg Bumie for $465,000.
1196 Bangall Amenia Road — 4 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 2.16 acres sold to Roderick Alleyne for $875,000.
Hunns Lake Road (#759929) — 59.1 acres of residential land sold to Argos Farm LLC for $3,325,000.
* Town of Stanford recorded real estate transfers from July 1 to August 31 provided by Dutchess County Real Property Office monthly transfer reports. Details on each property from Dutchess Parcel Access - properties with an # indicate location on Dutchess Parcel Access. Market data from One Key MLS and Infosparks .Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
Hunt club members and friends gathered near Pugsley Hill at the historic Wethersfield Estate and Gardens in Amenia for the opening meet of the 2025-2026 Millbrook Hunt Club season on Saturday, Oct. 4. Foxhunters took off from Wethersfield’s hilltop gardens just after 8 a.m. for a hunting jaunt around Amenia’s countryside.
Joining in the fun at the dedication of the new pollinator pathway garden at The Millbrook Library on Saturday, Oct. 4, local expert gardener Maryanne Snow Pitts provides information about a planting to Lorraine Mirabella of Poughkeepsie.
MILLBROOK — Participating in a patchwork of libraries that have planted pollinator pathway gardens to attract insects and birds to their native plantings was one of the accomplishments being celebrated at the dedication of a new pollinator garden at the Millbrook Library on Saturday, Oct. 4.
“A lot of work went into it,” said Emma Sweeney, past President of the Millbrook Garden Club, who started the local library’s initiative two years ago.
The Pollinator Pathway program is a national effort to plant native plants that native insects depend upon for sustenance and preferred plants for their own seasonal reproduction.
Jana Hogan of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Executive Director of the Pollinator Pathway program, was on hand to present a plaque to the library for its successful participation.
“A garden is not just a garden,” said garden designer Andy Durbridge of Wassaic, designer of the library’s garden. “It may serve as a model for other gardens along the line.”
Speaking to the 50 visitors at the dedication, Durbridge said that the library’s garden has a mission, that it is a working garden, planned to serve insects and birds over their seasons. The earliest plants support pollinators, while the full range of plants continues to serve the needs of those they attract, offering habitat, shelter and food.
A pollinator garden is akin to a prairie, rather than a formalized European garden, Durbridge noted.
The garden project was supported by the library’s Friends group using funds raised during the Holiday Silent Auction and ongoing book sale. A grant from the Millbrook Garden Club also provided support.
Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
AMENIA — After gathering comments from the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, as it considers adding alternate members to those boards, the Town Board discussed possible changes to local laws governing those boards at its meeting on Friday, Oct. 3. The meeting date, usually on a Thursday, had been changed to accommodate a holiday.
In recent weeks Town Board attorney Ian Lindars has been compiling comments from the affected boards along with comments from the Town Board. The new laws may bring the appointment of two alternate members to each board. Alternate members are likely to be required to attend all meetings and be prepared to be seated if needed and be familiar with the applications being discussed. They would also need to take training required of all board members.
Lindars will prepare a draft of the new local laws to be reviewed by the Town Board and the affected boards.
As the Town Board begins work on the town’s annual budget negotiation process and anticipating an increase in some budget lines to accommodate major projects, the board unanimously approved three resolutions. The first will override the tax levy limit imposed on municipalities by the state of New York, a limit generally tied to the rate of inflation.
A public hearing on the proposal to override the levy limit was set for Thursday, November 6, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.
