Message from the Mayor: Hillside Woods rescue, Quarry Park, Moratorium, a retirement, Fire Dept fundraiser
Posted on: February 23, 2019 - 5:51pm
Fellow Residents
A number of items worth an updates
Hillside Woods Rescue
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At the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday evening this week the Parks and Recreation and Conservation Commissions, along with our consultant, LBS Ecological, presented the final report and management plan for Hillside Woods and Park, which the Board approved. This 100-acre wood, the green heart of the Village, has been a treasured asset since it was saved from developers in the late ‘80s. Trustee Lemons, who has both liaised with these groups and helped lead this effort, reports that the study was funded by a $29,000 grant from the DEC Urban Forestry Program. The full report along with other documents about the Woods can be found here.
Since spring of 2017 there have been four public meetings and tours of the Woods with regional forest experts, who evaluated the condition of the woods and discussed ways to prevent further degradation, and bring it back to health. The report recommends three basic methods to be applied to the four distinct stands in the woods: invasive plant removal, deer exclusion fencing around about 60% of the Woods, and planting of new trees and shrubs. Without these actions the Woods will continue to deteriorate, and will, over the next 10-20 years, cease to function as viable forest area. The Board will be discussing the recommendations of the report in the coming months and deciding what actions to take to preserve this valuable Village asset.
Start of Quarry Park Rebuilding
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The old Quarry off on Aqueduct Lane, once a glorious small park, is slated for renovation and renewal this year. The Village Manager reports that the contractor who will be carrying out the work should be engaged on site as soon as Monday, March 4th. In the meantime, there will be meetings with New York State and others to sign off on various aspects of the effort. Work will proceed rapidly and the park will be ready for planting by the fall. This gem, renewed, will be the latest, and last addition of parkland to the east of the railroad tracks – and it will be a beautiful addition to the Village’s parks system.
Con Ed Moratorium Response
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Last month, Con Ed announced a moratorium on new natural gas connections, to take affect by March 15. Con Ed explained that this is due to constraints on supply due to limitations in the interstate pipeline network, brought on in part by the success of the conversion to natural gas that has occurred throughout the county. Trustee Armacost participated in the original Con Ed briefing on January 31st, and we immediately reached out to merchants likely to be seeking new connections so they were aware of the March 15th deadline. This has no effect on existing residential customers – unless you are adding new connections (like would be involved in a conversion from oil to gas heat) or adding gas connections, for a new laundry or kitchen above and beyond what you already draw. This move came as a surprise for most everyone, and various regulators and government entities are looking into the genesis of it, as well as possible solutions. It is much too soon to predict how this all breaks, but it has implications for development throughout the county, including here.
Village Manager Retirement
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After over 14 years of service to the community, our Village Manager, Fran Frobel, has announced he will be retiring this summer. Fran came to us from Rhode Island and has served this Village well since, carrying out the many duties of this role with diligence and care. He will be with us for a bit longer, so there is no need to say goodbye yet. Finding a replacement takes time, so we will be contracting with a consultant who has carried out many local searches and will guide the Board of Trustees through the search process.
Fireman’s Breakfast Fundraiser
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Finally, tomorrow morning from 8AM to 10AM, the Hastings Volunteer Fire Department Venture Crew, composed of the junior members who are the “farm team” for the fire department, holds their annual flapjack fundraiser. It’s at Applebees, at 2 Executive Boulevard and its an entirely reasonable $5 for kids or $10 for adults at the door. For that you get a fixed breakfast with pancakes, breakfast meat, coffee and orange juice – and the knowledge that you are supporting this great group of kids. I will see you there.
Sincerely,
Peter Swiderski
Mayor