Plant proposal has put town ‘on the map,’ supervisor says
Town Supervisor Paul Landi says 2019 was the year when a little town with a small population took on big issues with wide interests.
The proposal for a steel and concrete fabrication plant by developer 850 Route 28 LLC drew overflow crowds to the Town Hall last year and forced officials to hold meetings in a larger space in the adjacent town of Ulster.
“We didn’t expect any of that,” Landi said. “There’s a first time for everything.”
The Jan. 22 meeting of the town of Kingston Planning Board regarding the Route 28 plan also will be held in the town of Ulster, at M. Clifford Miller Middle School.
Landi said the overflow crowds for meetings about the Route 28 proposal serve a reminder that while the town’s population is only 889, interest in the plan extends beyond the town’s borders.
Opponents of the proposal are concerned about, among other things, its potential impact on the Bluestone Wild Forest Preserve and Open Space Institute property.
“As the time moves on and things change, we (the town) become more popular and more attractive for businesses,” Landi said. “As it was said to me ... the town of Kingston is now on the map.”
Landi said other issues facing the town in 2020 are environmental concerns about the Cypress Creek solar installation, keeping roads in good condition and keeping rain from getting into municipal buildings.
“We’re soon going to be putting a roof on the town highway garage,” he said. “That’s probably one of the bigger projects coming up. But other than that ... we’ll just take things one at a time as they come up.”