North East town board weighs road safety measures

MILLERTON — The Town of North East’s board members discussed solutions to reduce speeding on Beilke and State Line Road at the town board meeting Thursday, Aug. 8.

“As you know, the county has already put up an additional stop sign at the intersection of Rudd Pond Road, Beilke, and State Line,” said Chris Kennan, the town’s Supervisor. “But having put up those additional stop signs, it has not reduced the number of accidents that we’ve had there.”

The board members discussed different proposals brought to their attention, aiming for what would best serve the residents living on these roads. State Line Road has previously earned a speed limit reduction from 55 miles per hour to 40 miles per hour, taking years to be awarded by the state.

“I think it is important that we find additional ways of calling people’s attention to that intersection,” Kennan said.

The first immediate action the town can take is stenciling the word “stop” onto the pavement, keeping the driver engaged with the road. Their second proposal was to explore the potential of striping the roads.

“It is proven where people have done it, and it has been incredibly successful,” Kennan said. “A road that has no lines on it, the temptation is just to go right down the middle of the road as fast as you can. Stripe it and make lanes on the road. People tend to drive on their side.”

Residents on State Line Road who brought the speed limit request at last month’s meeting expressed disappointment that the town isn’t considering a further reduction of the speed limit and concern that striping would be ineffective.

“I am open to doing it,” Kennan said. “It doesn’t cost us anything to ask for a reduction. I just want residents to know I have experience with the county and the state … It took four years. That’s four years where a lot of stuff can happen, and I would rather take proactive steps to feel that we are actually doing something now.”

Pulver Road is the only fully striped road in the Town of North East. If the town proceeds, it would be able to paint roads without the state’s permission, allowing an immediate resolution.

“I would like to reach out to more neighbors and get a sense of the neighborhood,” said Kennan.

Maureen Lashlee, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, attended the meeting, expressing her gratitude to the town and hoping to find volunteers for upcoming events.

Habitat for Humanity is hosting its Groundbreaking Ceremony on Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. This is where they will welcome the new family moving into the home and into the neighborhood, and they will have a few surprises “you won’t know about until you get there.”

The foundation for the new home near Rudd Pond will be installed on Sept. 12, and the sill plate will follow shortly after. During this process, Habitat for Humanity will need extra hands to volunteer.

“When we put that sill plate on, that’s when we really start to need volunteers,” Lashlee said. “October is when things really start to pick up. There is an opportunity to volunteer almost every day.”

To volunteer, go to https://habitatdutchess.org/volunteer/ and look under “construction volunteer opportunities.” You must be 16 years old to participate.

The governor signed an executive order last July to create a new Pro-Housing Communities Program. According to New York’s official website, more than half of New York renters pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent, the second-highest rate in the nation.

The website also says, “In order to achieve true equity of opportunity and to erase the gaps in access to health, education, and wealth-building, we must guarantee that people have a choice as to where they live and raise their families.”

This program addresses the housing shortage in New York State and encourages communities to find and address growing housing needs.

Councilwoman Meg Winkler said, “It doesn’t have any monetary gains. It’s like joining climate smart in that you are sending a signal you’re taking steps to try to create a better environment, in this case, create housing.”

According to Winkler, at the time of the meeting, New York had 326 letters of intent from communities, and 75 had submitted all requirements for the application.

The town board must complete various steps for the Town of North East to join the Pro-Housing Communities Program. First, the Supervisor must send an email expressing the town’s interest in joining the program. Next, a resolution for the community must be created. Then, the town has a year to complete the necessary paperwork, like building permits.

“It is supposed to be a pretty easy situation,” Winkler said. “We have seven surrounding towns submitting letters, and we talked about being positive for us as a community to hopefully join.”