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Village Trustees Move Meeting Venue to the Dock for Lighting Demonstration
Building application changes to be subject of Public Hearing March 25
by Kevin Foley
The Cold Spring Village Board of Trustees found themselves in the dark over at least one issue at their weekly workshop meeting on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. But they soon found their way to the light.
The occasion was a re-presentation of a proposal to change the lighting on and around the dock area at the foot of Main Street to improve the aesthetic impact while saving energy and becoming dark sky compliant. The trustees wanted to see how the suggested new lights actually work outside and also receive some public reaction as well.
About a dozen people braved a chilling light rain to listen and watch as Tim Culbert, a NYC architect and Cold Spring home owner, reiterated points he had made at a previous workshop on February 5. "This is about enhancing one of the most beautiful sites on the Hudson river," Culbert said as he advised his audience to give their eyes a moment to adjust from the glare once electrical contractor Andrew Pidala turned off all the tall street lamps and turned on two approximately three-foot-high lamps arrayed before the Parrott Gun in the center of the dock.
Culbert stressed that the softer, lower beams of light not only allowed night time visitors to appreciate the view, including Storm King Mountain, but they also improved security by opening up corner areas that might otherwise be obscured by the brighter and higher street lamps. Culbert said his plan would be to install the new panorama bollard lamps using the existing anchoring and electrical conduits to avoid any new construction costs.
The lamps, manufactured by ERCO Lighting, Inc. a German company with offices in New Jersey, are estimated to cost $1,500 each and $900 each to install with at least a dozen lamps needed to completely illuminate the area.
Culbert also drew attention to two other flat lamps he had placed under trees bordering the bandstand as well as one that illuminated the American flag over the bandstand with a directed beam from the ground. "I think you can see a much better color rendering with this light on the flag," said Culbert. He added that the bulbs in all the lamps were of low wattage, would last an average of 20,000 hours and did not contain any mercury like fluorescent lights do.
Andrew Chmar, executive director of the Hudson Highlands Land Trust (HHLT), which is promoting improved lighting in the region, said he was working with officials at West Point to lower the impact of the lights from their various facilities including the ski run. He pointed out that the rugby center, which is nearest to the view from Cold Spring was already dark by agreement with the military base. "If we are able to change our lighting here it will serve as a great example for our neighbors across the river," he said.
Although restrained by the frigid dampness the trustees in general appeared to maintain their previous enthusiasm for the project. Mayor Anthony Phillips asked for the two dock lights to be moved nearer the water to appreciate their impact there and he seemed pleased with the result.
Trustee Seth Gallagher and Chmar had a brief discussion regarding ways the HHLT and the Village could work together to find funding sources for the project. It was generally agreed there is no room in the upcoming Village budget for such an undertaking and that private benefactors and grant-making institutions would have to be pursued.
After spending nearly an hour out in the cold the trustees returned to the Village Hall to continue discussion of other issues.
Airinhos Serradas of Belvedere Street addressed the Board on behalf of a group other residents in attendance who are asking the village to pave their private road, a request they first made in 2003 when the road was graded with millings left over from the repaving of Route 9D. While sympathetic to the plight of the local taxpayers, the trustees offered little in the way of assurances other than to say they would have counsel examine the issue and get back to them.
The problem as described by Gallagher, "is that municipalities under state law cannot do work on private roads." Serradas countered by saying the village had said in the past that the work would be done. Mayor Phillips acknowledged that a few years ago there was such a discussion when it was believed funding was available but he said not all the street residents were in agreement at the time. He said such a job now would be $25,00-30,000. Trustee Edward Mancari added since it would involve the designation of a new street the work would not be reimbursable by state transportation funds.
"We pay taxes for improved roads perhaps we should go back through the history of this and you should grant us a rebate," said a frustrated Serradas.
The trustees then set March 25 at 7pm as the date for a public hearing on the adoption of two new local laws; one that would conform village code with state code on rules for subdivision applications and another requiring escrow accounts for the filing and approval reviews of applicants before the village Zoning Board of Appeals to pay for any consultants needed by the Board.
Mayor Phillips then led the trustees through a brief review of previously discussed proposals for raising Building Department fees and fines for a variety of services and violations. The mayor and the others have repeatedly said the increases, which will also be the subject of a public hearing, are intended to reflect the actual cost of services rather than as revenue enhancement.
The trustees decided they need further discussion with Building Inspector George Tompkins who apparently doesn't agree with the trustee consensus that the application fee for a building renovation should be based on the square footage size of a project rather than the current estimated cost of a project.
In other business, the trustees accepted the resignation of Elizabeth Hynes from the Historic District Review Board with gratitude for her service. They also appointed Gary Marino as a part-time police officer and Donna Steltz as chairperson of the village election inspectors.
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