A number of local village issues came up for discussion at the September 23 Board of Trustees meeting. Starting with the good stuff, Elena Santogade reported from the Parks and Recreation Commission that work has begun on the ballcourts at Berme Road Park. “Sport surfaces” are going to be laid on the basketball and tennis courts. One of the tennis courts may be set up for pickleball.

Then, speaking on behalf of Coalition for a Forward-Facing Ellenville, she announced that two new two-bike bike racks have been placed on Canal Street, one just across the street from Gaby’s Cafe. Santogade reported that there was a great turn out for the Mill Street Park clean-up and that there will be a second effort in that park this coming Saturday between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Planning Board Changes

Carl Rosenstock has resigned from the board, but has accepted reappointment as an alternate on the board with term ending 7/15/2027. Darlene Maizer has also retired from the planning board. The Village Board appointed Joe Stoeckeler to fill Maizer’s seat. The board also appointed Paul Lozito to fill the vacant seat of Carl Rosenstock with a term ending 7/15/2028. Lozito is a planner who works for New York City.

Brighter Street Lights, Reverse One Way Street?

Barbara Hoff asked the board if the street lights on Canal and Center Streets can be fixed and/or replaced with stronger lights. Elliott Auerbach, Village Manager pro-tem, said that decisions about those lights would have to come from the New York State Department of Transportation since both Canal and Center are part of Route 52, and therefore state highways.

Hoff also inquired about putting reflective materials on the crosswalks to make them more noticeable for older people.

Finally, she brought up a potentially dangerous situation posed by Hermance Street, which is a one-way street that exits onto Canal. Hoff said it is hard to see cars or people coming from either direction on Canal, especially when an SUV is parked close by, or, even worse, parked illegally in the yellow striped clearance areas. Hoff suggest Hermance remain a one-way street but be turned around to enter from Canal and exit on Maple Avenue.

Chief Mattracion said there needed to be a conversation with the NYS DOT about this.

Village Boundaries

Susan Picarillo representing the Ellenridge Homeowners’ Association appeared before the board to seek repairs to the roads in Ellenridge. She explained that there are 69 homes in the Ellenridge condo development. There are numerous potholes, Picarillo said, as well as sections of broken guard rails and trees overhanging the road in one section. Certain homes have a problem with water building up in their basements.

This set off questions for the board and the village administration. While it is agreed that the first phase of construction and roads in the Ellenridge development are the responsibility of the village, it is not known yet whether the rest of the development, the upper levels, are so designated.

Mike Jeter of the Streets Department said that they would check to see where the village is responsible for maintenance.

Similarly, attorney Julie Lonstein appeared with a request to have Campwoods Lane dedicated into the village. She said she was asking the board to take the road by “prescription.” The village has plowed the road for decades. The mayor, not being certain of where the line would be on ownership, said he wants to know more of the “whole scope.” Lonstein clarified that she was not talking about the extension called “Camp Road” which crosses into the Town of Wawarsing. Village Secretary Tracy Jeter said she had asked Iron Mountain, the records depository in Rosendale, for the box of village records from 1960, which should clarify the limit of where the village has agreed to maintain.