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Millerton firefighters clean off their trucks at the firehouse garage on Century Boulevard after the annual Santa Run on Saturday, Dec. 6.
By Aly Morrissey
MILLERTON — As the holiday season ramps up and the calendar year winds down, the Millerton Fire Company is reflecting on a year with record-high call volume and clear objectives for 2026.
This year, the all-volunteer department surpassed 425 calls — the most the department has seen in at least eight years. Fire officials said the number far exceeds recent annual totals, and there has been a year-over-year increase.
Not only does the department respond to fire emergencies and rescue calls, but it also plays a critical role in emergency medical services, especially in a region grappling with slow ambulance response times, limited support from the county and shifting ownership of private services relied on by the town and village.
With a new leadership lineup, taking effect Jan. 1, both the fire company and district will enter the new year with deep experience across fire, EMS and military backgrounds — and with a renewed focus on training and community outreach.
Fire Chief Keith Roger, who has been a firefighter for 35 years, will continue as chief for the second consecutive year — his third term overall. Roger held the position back in 2005 and 2006.
“I’m looking forward to working with these guys and handing down what I’ve learned,” Roger said, noting that his leadership approach is more about teaching and preparing others to rise through the ranks.
On the less stressful calls, he said he intends to let newer officers take command while he stands close by to guide them. “My focus is now helping them move up the chain.”
Roger will also organize and facilitate training, which occurs on a near-weekly basis.
“Our goal is to ensure everyone’s training is up-to-date and that they receive the best possible training,” Roger said.
Company vice president Chris Reyes, who will also serve as 1st Lieutenant, said Roger’s return provides stability and momentum.
“I’m re-energized having him back as Chief for a second year,” said Reyes, who joined the team in 2020. “It really feels like we’re building off of a fresh foundation.”
The department emphasized the strength of its incoming command staff, which includes career firefighters, veterans with military leadership experience and longtime volunteers who have trained together for years.
Reyes described the fire company as a tight-knit and supportive team — even after a contested captain’s race during the December elections — and called the department a second family.
“When a call comes in, people from every walk of life suddenly come together and speak the same language to protect our community,” said Reyes. “It’s magical.”
In the coming year, leadership expects to maintain its focus on rigorous training, including skills drills, ladder work, air-pack practice, hose advancement, basic life support and CPR refreshers. Nearly all members are New York State-certified in CPR and AED. The company is also anticipating the purchase of a new rescue truck, though delivery is likely 18 months away.
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The Town of North East’s Boulevard District — a stretch of Route 44 between Millerton and the New York State border — is the town’s largest commercial zone. The proposed zoning rewrite would allow mixed-use buildings with residential apartments above ground-floor retail.
Photo by Aly Morrisey
MILLERTON — A group called “Save Millerton” has sparked debate over the Town of North East’s proposed zoning overhaul, circulating disputed claims about transparency, enforcement, and the town’s long-term direction.
The group recently published two half-page ads in The News that have drawn wide attention — and criticism from town officials and volunteers — as residents try to understand the 181-page rewrite currently under review. The ads raised concerns about the new zoning code and the process behind its creation.
The claims raised by Save Millerton have prompted many residents to scrutinize the draft code, released Nov. 18, while leaving others confused as they navigate competing interpretations of what the zoning overhaul would permit.
Town officials, meanwhile, say they are finalizing the product — a process that has already taken several years — to modernize an outdated zoning code adopted in 1977, with the goals of supporting local business and creating new housing options. However, Save Millerton organizer Tyler Graham argues the process has lacked transparency and the draft raises questions that have not been adequately explained.
To understand the debate, The News spoke with Graham, who lives on Cooper Road, and Town Supervisor Chris Kennan about the issues at stake, the origins of Save Millerton, and the group’s goals.
What is ‘Save Millerton’?
Graham described Save Millerton as an informal effort made up of a small number of residents concerned about the zoning rewrite and future enforcement. The News could not independently confirm the number of participants.
Graham said he has been speaking with other residents and collecting email addresses through his website, www.savemillerton.org, where he plans to post documents and commentary related to the zoning process.
He said the campaign’s purpose is to call attention to gaps in enforcement, demand greater transparency, and question the speed at which the rewrite is moving toward adoption. The effort stems partly from a long dispute on Cooper Road, where Graham and several neighbors allege that an illegally constructed dwelling has gone unenforced for years.
Graham said requests for information about the case were “stonewalled,” leaving residents frustrated. Kennan declined to discuss the issue, calling it decades-old and complicated, and said the Town has retained outside counsel.
Graham said that experience fuels his skepticism about the zoning overhaul.
What are Save Millerton’s claims?
One of Save Millerton’s claims is that the proposed update of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) could accelerate residential density in ways that change the town’s character. Graham said allowing accessory units could have major consequences.
Town officials disagree. Kennan disputes that view, noting that strict septic requirements significantly limit where ADUs can be built. He emphasizes that accessory apartments already exist in the current code and that most homeowners will not have the capacity to add a unit even under a more permissive framework.
A second concern Save Millerton highlights is the possibility of “big-box stores” or large-scale commercial development entering North East. Graham said most residents he’s spoken with prefer driving to Poughkeepsie or Great Barrington for large retail and want Millerton to retain its small-town character.
Kennan counters that such fears are unrealistic, given the parcel sizes in the commercial districts and the area’s low population density. He noted that the commercial parcels in North East are far too small for stores on the scale of a Walmart or Costco.
However, he noted that “many residents would welcome new shopping options.”
The Town’s view
Town officials maintain that the overhaul stems from recommendations in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan and years of work by the Zoning Review Committee, which has held nearly 100 meetings. Kennan said the code is intended to support business growth and expand housing opportunities — not transform Millerton into something unrecognizable.
“I hope those who took the time to follow the process will appreciate the effort and attention to detail that went into the revisions,” Kennan said. While acknowledging that residents have “every right to express their views,” Kennan said the Save Millerton ads contained “misinformation and errors,” citing, for example, a reference to a “new Village Hall” rather than a new Town Hall.
Bill Kish, a volunteer and member of the Planning Board and Zoning Review Committee, also expressed frustration with the advertisements. “As somebody who spent five years working as a volunteer to try to develop the best possible commercial zoning, I’m taking into account as many points of view as possible,” he said. “However, I find it disturbing that this series of advertisements appeared at the very last minute, seemingly designed to throw a hand grenade at the whole process.”
Next steps and enforcement going forward
Kennan acknowledged longstanding concerns over the town’s reputation of lackluster zoning enforcement. “Zoning enforcement is a repeatedly mentioned concern, and has been for decades,” he said. “The Town intends to address this and continue to make improvements.”
The first public hearing on the zoning overhaul is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026, at North East Town Hall at 19 North Maple Ave. Kennan has emphasized that additional public hearings will be scheduled as necessary. Residents are encouraged to read the zoning draft online at townofnortheastny.gov/zoning-review-committee/ or in person at Town Hall. Digital and hard copies are available.
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North East Town Hall in Millerton, where officials continue to discuss updates to the town’s zoning code.
By Nathan Miller
MILLERTON — Planning Board members raised a mix of broad and detailed concerns about the Town of North East’s proposed zoning plan during a special meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 3 — their final discussion before the public hearing set for Jan. 8.
The 181-page draft plan represents a rewrite of the town’s decades-old zoning code, updating definitions, commercial use rules, and standards for parking, lighting and design. Town officials say the overhaul is meant to eliminate inconsistencies and give applicants and reviewers a clearer, more functional set of rules.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Planning Board members offered comments that ranged from line-by-line concerns to questions about how cohesively the document functions as a whole.
Planning Board member Dan Sternberg offered the widest critique. “I think as a whole, this draft is not well drafted. I think as a legal document — as a piece of legislation — it’s got a lot of problems. It reads like something drafted by committee.”
Sternberg suggested the document should be considered more holistically, and the language of the proposed draft should be more consistent and clear.
He said lifting examples of codes from other towns likely contributed to the disjointedness of the draft. “The language used in it may not be consistent with some of the language of the rest of our code,” Sternberg said. “I’ve read lots and lots of agreements, lots and lots of legislation over the years, and seeing the drafting process, I can tell that this was kind of stitched together.”
Board members appeared reluctant to scrap the draft outright, arguing that doing so would dismiss several years of work by volunteers and consultants. Instead, they expect to recommend that the Town Board focus on clarifying sections where the language is not clear.
Planning Board member Bill Kish, who served on the Zoning Review Commission that drafted the commercial zoning overhaul, offered a defense of the draft.
Kish emphasized that nothing in the draft was borrowed casually. He said that anything that was borrowed was the subject of at least one full meeting and it was discussed again. “This is about as good as you can get using the process that we had,” Kish said. “That’s all I can say.”
Nevertheless, Planning Board Chair Dale Culver said he agreed with Sternberg's criticism. "I'm never in favor of lifting other towns' codes that are a long ways from our town," Culver said. "Because we tend to get their slant of their view for their code for their town. And our town may be different. It quite often is."
It remained unclear at the close of the meeting whether Sternberg’s broader criticism would be included in the Planning Board’s formal memo to the Town Board. The implications are significant: if the critique is included, it signals that the full board believes the draft needs broader revision. If it is not included, the Town Board receives a narrower set of recommendations, and Sternberg’s concerns will arrive only through his individual memo.
Board members did have consensus on other comments that will be included in the board's memo. Board member Leslie Farhangi requested that the phrase "cage-type poultry" be removed from the draft entirely.
Farhangi also recommended — and the board agreed — that approvals should include an expiration date. Board members noted that a plan could be approved and then remain unbuilt for years, while the town changes.
The Planning Board's memo has not yet been drafted as of press time. Planning Board members were also encouraged to submit individual letters to the Town Board expressing any concerns that the board didn't have consensus on.
"We can't have it be all unanimous consent," Culver said. "Because if that's the case, are we all thinking or are we just listening and agreeing?"
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