Dear Residents,
We have A LOT going on in our village! Below is a summary of upcoming key dates that I want everyone to be aware of so that you can participate and let your voice be heard.
Our goal is to be 100% transparent and to give everyone ample time to consume information and participate in meetings. I know that we have sometimes fallen short of that goal. You can always reach out to me or one of the other Trustees if you have any questions or concerns.
Please see below dates for Short-Term Rentals, Albany Avenue Improvements, NY Forward, and regular monthly board meetings. In addition, we will be dedicating the Bandstand area to the Dunham Family for their immense contribution to our community. A subsequent email will be sent with details. The dedication will be on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 4:00 pm at the Bandstand.
Thank you, all for your patience, engagement, and commitment to our village as we move forward with these major infrastructure improvement projects.
Sincerely,
Mike
Short Term Rentals
We will continue the public hearing on Short-Term Rentals on Monday, July 31, 2023, at the Village Hall. The Village Board is expected to vote on this law at this meeting.
The latest draft of the Short-Term Rental Code can be found here:
VOK Short-Term Rental DRAFT July 14, 2023
The biggest change since our last public meeting was the addition of Planning Board review for all short-term rental applications. Applications will be submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer. Once the CEO deems the application complete, it will be submitted to the Planning Board and the neighbors surrounding the STR will be notified of the application. Residents and PB members will have an opportunity to comment, ask questions, and work together with the applicant to ensure there are no negative impacts to the surrounding community.
In this code, we are also limiting Non-Hosted STRs to a maximum of 12 within the village and these rentals can only rent out to visitors for 60 days total per year.
The CEO has the authority to pull the permit immediately if a STR owner violates any aspect of the STR regulations.
For a history of the seven previous public meetings regarding STRs, please visit:
https://mayorsblog.villageofkinderhook.org/short-term-rental-update-may-2023/
Albany Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Project and Watermain Upgrade Project
The next board meeting that will address Albany Avenue improvements will be on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at 7 pm in the Village Hall. The Village Board is expected to vote on which preliminary concept of the construction that we will send to the Department of Transportation for their approval.
The minutes from the 6/28/23 Albany Avenue Projects Public Workshop #1, where Hudson Valley Engineering Associates presented five options for Albany Avenue construction, as well as the presentation, and all previous minutes, can be found on the village website at:
https://www.villageofkinderhook.org/albanybike.html
Residents at the meeting overwhelmingly approved, option 1, which was for keeping the layout, sidewalks, and parking on Albany Avenue the same as it is today. Other options included installing a dedicated bike or walking path which would eliminate parking on one side of the street. If you have an opinion and would like to have your voice heard, please email me at [email protected].
It is important to note that with both projects, we will be replacing the 100+ year old water main under Albany Avenue (which impacts the entire village with our closed loop water system) and installing a new water main. We are upgrading water service connections to homes, installing a drainage system, installing new ADA complaint sidewalks, and re-paving the road. Our obligation with the federal government is to improve the ability for bicyclists and walkers from the Electric Trail to reach our business district. The grant that we received covers 80% of the estimated $2.3M cost of the project. We are also applying to NY Forward to pay for as much of the remaining 20% as possible.
NY Forward Grant
All information regarding the NY Forward grant to include key dates, meeting minutes and presentations, Local Planning Committee, and contact information for state support staff can be found at https://www.kinderhooknyf.com.
Below are upcoming key dates and meetings.
Applications Due for Projects
Thursday, July 27 at 6 pm
Local Planning Committee (LPC) Meeting #3
August 10, 2023
6:00-8:00pm, Van Buren Hall
Public Workshop #2
September 5, 2023
6:00-8:00pm, Van Buren Hall
LPC Meeting #4
September 20, 2023
6:00-8:00pm, Van Buren Hall
LPC Meeting #5
October 18, 2023
6:00-8:00pm, Van Buren Hall
Regular Monthly Board Meetings
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
7pm, Village Hall
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
7 pm, Village Hall
