Millerton trustees ease parking rules for business district, advance pool and park plans

Millerton trustees ease parking rules for business district, advance pool and park plans

An artist’s rendering shows what the pool and pool house at Eddie Collins Park could look like. During a meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, Village of Millerton Trustees decided against heating the pool to reduce costs.

Illustration provided

MILLERTON — The Village of Millerton Board of Trustees approved a local law on Monday, Dec. 15, that will ease parking restrictions in the village’s General Business District. The law was immediately passed following a public hearing.

The local law amends Chapter 170 of the Village Code, titled Zoning, by eliminating off-street parking requirements for changes of use within existing structures in the General Business District. Under the amendment, “no additional off-street parking spaces shall be required to convert space within an existing structure in the General Business District from one use or occupancy to another, even if such proposed new use would increase demand for parking.”

The change will only apply to existing buildings and will allow businesses and residents within the district to move forward with new uses without triggering additional parking requirements.

“This is intended to be a quick fix,” said village legal counsel Victoria Polidoro. She noted that while the board has discussed several approaches to addressing parking and zoning challenges, this change was viewed as relatively easy to implement with fast results. Village officials said the update would be communicated through their official communication channels.

Mayor Jenn Najdek and architects from engineering firm LaBella Associates provided a few key updates on village projects at the meeting, including a presentation on the planned pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Route 22.

The meeting drew roughly a dozen residents, including members of the Park Committee who have contributed to and followed the pool project for years. Kevin Hasselwander, senior landscape architect with LaBella, joined the board meeting to walk trustees and members of the public through the proposed design.

“From an estimate to the village, to the Park Committee, to a napkin sketch and now a master plan — it’s hard to believe that this project has come to fruition,” Hasselwander said, thanking village officials and volunteers for their collaboration and refinement. Following the presentation, the board made final decisions to refine the scope and design of the project.

First, the board agreed unanimously not to move forward with heating the pool, citing both the significant upfront cost and ongoing maintenance expenses. Najdek expects the pool will operate primarily between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and the group agreed to instead use a solar pool cover, which will provide passive heating benefits and help with winterization.

The board also voted to fully equip the pool house kitchen to meet Department of Health standards, which would allow it to function as a commercial kitchen.

With LaBella on site at Village Hall, the board reviewed final design details for Veterans Park, including landscaping plans, paved pathway colors and a herringbone paving pattern. Trustees approved the revisions and directed that the updated plans be sent to the county for review. Village officials said the goal is to complete construction by Memorial Day.

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