The Walden Village Board and the Town of Montgomery Board came together last Tuesday night in Walden prior to the Village Board’s regularly scheduled meeting to discuss the possible annexation of the Amthor property on Route 52 into the village. The joint meeting saw both boards gather on a crowded dais to discuss the matter, and at the end of the session both boards voted to close the public hearing on the issue. Each board now has 90 days to sign off on the annexation for the measure to go through.

Montgomery Supervisor Rodney Winchell noted during the meeting that the annexation could be beneficial for both parties. “What is good for the village is also good for the town, and what’s good for the town is also good for all of our villages,” he said. The East End Bus Lines company is now operating out of the historic site, and the property owners want to secure a hookup to the village’s water and sewer line, at a potentially increased rate.

The property could also be the future site of a proposed auto sales lot, a garage and office space. Walden Mayor Susan Rumbold said that the joint meeting was the only time since she’s been in office that the two councils have shared a stage together. “This is the first time it’s happened, because both municipalities had an issue pertaining to what we were discussing on the agenda,” she explained. “So we just felt it was more expeditious to meet together.”

The potential annexation could place the Amthor property on the Walden tax, water and sewer rolls. During the public hearing, resident Mary Ellen Matise contended that annexation may not be needed to accomplish the village’s goals. “In the overall public interest, annexation seems like an extreme measure to take just to get water and sewer,” she told the board. Matise suggested making a water district instead of pursuing the annexation route.

At the Aug. 20 meeting, the Montgomery board expressed its willingness to approve a deal going forward. “I’m for it and I think my board members are at the same level,” Winchell said. At the conclusion of the joint meeting, both boards determined that a future joint session was not necessary at this point, as both boards could take action on the issue at their own upcoming sessions.

Some hurdles remain for the final approval of the deal, including the resolution of a lighting issue at the property, as a neighbor of the complex has complained about bright lights from the Route 52 site shining into their home. “Just to get the logistics in order of what’ll happen if the property is annexed into the village,” Rumbold said of the final steps of the annexation process.

“There’s a property owner that has the light issue that we’d like to see the town address before that happens. Obviously water and sewer, just to make sure all of their paperwork is in order, including the environmental study and whatever else they may have. So that’s really what’s left to do, just to make sure that this is something that would benefit the citizens of Walden.”

The 15-year process that the village has engaged in with the New York State Department of Transportation to commence sidewalk repairs on Ulster Avenue is finally set to bear fruit, as the construction work is slated to begin on Sept. 3.

During the board’s Aug. 20 meeting, Village Manager John Revella said he was meeting with the state the next day to hopefully get a start date on the roadwork. “Since the last meeting I had a couple of meetings with the DOT on Ulster Avenue, and another tomorrow (Aug. 21), due to permitting,” he said last Tuesday. “We had some issues with the permit office in Newburgh, but Poughkeepsie did come through for us and got it done. Now we’re just trying to get the contractor back here, because they ended up going to other jobs while they were waiting for us.” After that meeting with the DOT, Revella said the work is scheduled to start on Sept. 3.

The work is scheduled to be completed in approximately four months when it gets underway. “It’s very important to get it done,” Rumbold said. “It’s just been a maze of paperwork and anticipation of the project getting done. The funding’s been there, it’s just getting all of your ducks in a row and now finally we’re at the finish line and we can get the project done.”

During last week’s meeting, the board voted to declare a negative declaration regarding the village’s updated comprehensive plan, which has been refreshed for the first time since 2012. During the plan’s public hearing, resident Gerald Jacobowitz complained that not enough attention was paid in the revamped plan to revitalize the business district on Main Street, while Matise, who was on the committee that crafted the plan, defended the process behind the document.

The approval of the comprehensive plan could be placed on the board’s agenda for its next meeting on Sept 3. “The board was looking at it, but I don’t see any problem because we had the public hearing, so I don’t see any problem with putting it on the agenda and adopting it at the next meeting,” Rumbold said.