Millerton, North East get greener

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.