Vol. 37, No. 4 3 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2019
3
ONE DOLLAR
Bushmen
hold back
VC surge
Page 40
Page 11
w w w .W V T I M ESON L I N E . c om
Residents
Montgomery parks reopened
voice
concerns
about City
Winery
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Lilly, Phoebe and Fae enjoy a walk at Benedict Farm Park last weekend after the Town of Montgomery reopened its parks.
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
The Montgomery town board
reopened all of the town’s parks and
reinstated year-round hours of sunup
to sundown at a heated work session on
Jan. 17.
The town board passed a resolution
to close all town parks from Dec. 1 to
March 15 and set new year-round park
hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at a board
meeting on Jan. 3. Benedict Farm Park
and Riverfront Park were gated, while
signage was posted at Berea Park, the
Rail Trail and Twin Islands Fishing
Park.
The parks were closed to ensure
public safety and to protect the town
from potential liability issues. Town
Supervisor Rodney Winchell and
police chief Arnold Amthor said there
is little planning or organization for
maintenance and security in the town
parks, especially in dangerous winter
conditions.
The town board passed Local Law
No. Seven of 2018 in December, which
requires the board to determine the
hours of operation annually by
resolution. Resolutions do not require
advance notice or public hearings.
Residents and community gardeners
attended the work session in full force
to protest the changes and were pleased
the board listened to their demands.
While a public comment session is not
usually held at town work sessions, the
board made an exception.
Several members of the Conservation
Advisory Council (CAC) and community
garden—which is located in Benedict
Farm Park—said they were not notified
of the closings and change to park
hours.
“It was nice to see them change their
Continued on page 21
Village of Montgomery residents had
mixed reactions to a public hearing for
a local law that would move City Winery
one step closer to final approval, praising
the project for its creative use of a historic
site and expressing concerns about
traffic, noise and effects on community
character.
City Winery will turn the old
Montgomery Worsted Mills property
into a fully operational vineyard and
event space that includes a restaurant, a
distillery, tasting rooms, 14 guest rooms,
an outdoor ceremony and performance
areas, and parking for approximately 300
cars and loading areas.
If
enacted
without
revision,
Introductory Local Law No. Two of 2018
would permit Planned Development
Districts (PDD) in the Multi-Family
Zoning (RM-1) District of the village and
amend the zoning map to authorize a
PDD for the 20-acre City Winery property.
Under the current code, PDDs are only
allowed in the business and industrial
Continued on page 4
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL