Ideas, from locals, on how to spend grant funds if received
At the end of this month, the Village of Highland Falls will be submitting a grant application for a $10 million New York State ‘Downtown Revitalization Initiative’ grant.
While it’s — obviously! — too early to start planning how to spend the money, there are ideas rattling around in the heads of many community ‘stakeholders’ — folks who live, work and volunteer in the Town of Highlands.
The News asked a few this week what they think the village should do if it gets the award. Here are their wide variety of answers:
Former Highland Falls Mayor and Town of Highlands Supervisor Inga Quaintance has had a long-time desire to make Main St. more viable.
“I would like to see more attractive storefronts that would invite visitors,” she said, adding a common desire: “And, get the electric wires below ground and poles removed.”
Highland Falls’ Marty Aylward, wife of Village Trustee Brian Aylward and a frequent attendee of Village Board meetings is thinking of something that should happen soon, due a current big vacancy on Main St.
“I would love to see the Village/Town offices consolidated into the Key Bank and a revitalization of the PenFed building,” she said. “The other problem with Main St. is the too many empty stores and not much reason to shop there. However, I don’t know how a grant could help that.”
This question is something Highland Falls’ Cindy Modlin thinks about often, as she does volunteer work with the Chamber and Art Walk.
“With our natural resources … like the trickling brook and beautiful stone that crosses under our Main St., I think we could put every other village around us to shame,” she said. “I’d really love to see that beautiful stonework saved. Clean the brook, fix the stone and let the water flow.”
Modlin said while that’s her “dream”, an obvious reality for her, too, is getting rid of the utility poles on Main St. “I think because we are so tiny, they stand out more,” she said.
Highland Falls’ Frank Schmidt agrees with that.
“Moving the electrical service, phone and cable to the back of all buildings, thus eliminating the old poles and the jumble of wires from Main St.,” he said. “This would allow the side walks to be modernized.”
Another vote for removing the wires comes from Lynn Edsall, chair of the town’s Democratic Party and Vision volunteer: “The most important first step the village can undertake is to relocate utility poles behind the buildings south of Cozzens Ave., install wires underground wherever possible and petition the utility companies to remove all the wires that are not being utilized.”
John Willis, retired from the Army and a Cragston resident, works as a real estate broker. His ideas would help attract new residents to the community.
“The first thing I would like to see grant money support would be a wireless broadband communication system (e.g., LTE network, mobile phone tower). It is shameful that citizens and visitors have to deal with “dead zones” in a college town that has so much to offer,” he said. “Other priorities should be road repair, Main St. renovation, a transportation network, and marina complex development.”
Rev. Judy Ferguson lives right in the middle of Main St., in the parsonage of the Church of the Holy Innocents. “The dream has always been to have a beautiful Main Street with a variety of businesses that will bring visitors to shop in Highland Falls,” she says.
Ferguson adds she’d like to see money used to help “the businesses and store fronts on Main St. from the south end to the north end be renovated, updated and have new signs; renovate all the houses and apartment buildings on Main St. so they are updated and in good shape; and bring in a variety of new businesses that will attract visitors to shop here.”
Ferguson noted that homeowners on Main St. may need help too.
“The houses on Main Street are struggling to keep up with major repairs. If they could be given the money to renovate it would help the village and the families who live in them.”
Village Trustee Brian Aylward would like to see the ‘ramp’ between West Point Highway and Main St. eliminated and Ladycliff Park extended and include an outdoor stage area for concerts, etc. He’s also a believer in making Main St. one way and changing the parking along it to diagonal.
West Point Motel owner and Board of Education member Gus Koutsourades has some similar ideas: “Make Main St. one way, and angle parking areas throughout this area. Designate areas of green for additional trees, tables for outdoor eating and benches, especially in front of the library.”
He also suggests designating truck unloading areas with set times, and extending both Cozzens Ave. and Drew. Ave. across to West Point Highway.
Both men suggested getting rid of parking meters and using parking ticket machines every 100 feet or so.
Olga Anderson, a Highland Falls resident who enthusiastically promotes all things environmentally worthy agrees we need more green space.
“Close Main St. to car traffic and turn it into a pedestrian friendly park-like place with seating, music, outdoor eating. West Point Highway is a good enough thoroughfare for our needs,” she said. She also suggests “…. a sincere effort by each business to work towards the success of the entire community, not just the square footage that business occupies.”
Karen Parashkevov and Susan Salazar, both involved in the Farmers Market (and they’d like a shed for the Farmers Market!) and other community service, suggest not only replacing sidewalks in disrepair, but adding a local trolley.
“A trolley could bring both residents and visitors from other towns on this and the other side of the river, etc.,” the said, noting that while they believe someone is working on this, funds may be needed. They also suggested solar energy on governmental buildings, and more support for local environmental groups.
Like others, Fort Montgomery’s Tierney Kain, a lifelong resident and owner of a small local farm, says ideally the money would be used to take the village back to its ‘Hometown USA’ days.
“If awarded, my dream for this grant would be a more welcoming Main St., with a ‘Hometown USA’ feeling. There’d be quaint lighting, tourist-friendly shops, newly painted storefronts and signage as to where places are located, and all without a parking meter in sight …”
Kat Dagaev volunteers with The Center and Chamber of Commerce and spends a great deal of time on Main St. She, too, thinks making physical improvements would help, but adds that directing resources to services may help too.
“The things I think would help Main St. the most are maintained buildings and store fronts, antique style lighting and new side walks,” Dagaev said. “A police foot patrol or bike patrol may also help in keeping the drug deals out of sight of visitors.”
Highland Falls Desiree Talley is involved with community activities for youth, and running for the Town Board. She’d like to see “something different”.
“How about new sidewalks and overhead LED lights with attractive posts? By new sidewalks I don’t mean just fixing the cracks, I mean change the color and the look. Our town looks old, but we can use that to our advantage. Cobblestone or even brick sidewalks would be amazing,” she said. “There are a lot a cyclists in town and also coming through from West Point … why not add a bike lane? If we have $10M to spend, I don’t want to see the same improvements that we would make if we had $10K … let’s think outside of the box and make this an inviting town people actually want to spend their time and money in.”
Chamber of Commerce President Jim Modlin seems to agree, saying “curb appeal” should be addressed first.
“I’d say tackle items that would help better entice more foot traffic down Main St. and more business development,” he said. “Some items may be to improve the road surfaces, improve sidewalks, improve street lighting, enhance maintenance of buildings, fresh paint where appropriate, remove unused overhead wires, improve parking and traffic flow, improve pedestrian traffic flow, clean up and enhance the stream that flows through the village.”
Joe Klimoski owns Thayer Gate Deli at the north end of Main St. He’s excited at the opportunity $10 million could bring: “If our village was lucky enough to get $10 million to improve Main St. I’d have to suggest putting the electric under new side walks and open public WiFi for all residents and visitors so that everyone has coverage. We could make a village-wide app which would include all businesses and events so visitors and residents would always be aware of what’s going on and where.”
And finally, Town of Highlands Historian Stella Bailey’s response to the question:
“First say thank you to whomever. Then plant some trees along Main St. with room for flowers around; then new benches and trash receptacles; and then … and then … and then…”