Site of abandoned gas station going green
The property at 1381state Route 9G is being cleaned up and improved for use by the community.
HYDE PARK >> State and local officials have reached an agreement to convert the site of an abandoned gas station on state Route 9G into a “community green space,” according to New York Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
The agreement announced by DiNapoli on Wednesday includes the state Environmental Protection and Spill Compensation Fund, Dutchess County and the town of Hyde Park.
DiNapoli said the spill fund, administered by his office, has paid $500,000 for cleanup and petroleum remediation at the former gas station, 1381 Route 9G, and neighboring properties to resolve problems that date to 1978.
Hyde Park has agreed to demolish the building and landscape the site, DiNapoli said.
“This is an important col- laboration with Dutchess County and the town of Hyde Park to convert a neglected and abandoned property,” the comptroller said in a press released emailed to the media. “This effort will ensure that the once-polluted land will be a safe place for residents to enjoy.”
Dutchess County foreclosed on the property due to unpaid taxes and transferred ownership to the town in January, DiNapoli’s office said.
The town has agreed to remove the remaining structure left by previous owners and convert the land to an open green space for community use, DiNapoli said.
According to the agreement, once the building on the site is removed, the state Department of Environmental Conservation will assess whether any additional cleanup is needed. If son, the work will be paid for with money from the spill fund.
“We are thrilled this parcel, abandoned for years, will now provide a new gateway and future enjoyment for residents of Hyde Park for years to come,” Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said in the comptroller’s the release. “I thank Comptroller DiNapoli for his efforts to assist Dutchess County and the Town of Hyde Park convert this parcel to open space. This is a great example of how residents can benefit when governments work together....”
Hyde Park Supervisor Aileen Rohr, also in the press release, said: “This is a wonderful example of government working together to solve problems.
We hope that this solution will be a prototype for the adaptive reuse of other blighted properties in the county.
“This highly-visible, unkempt site with its dilapidated garage became a top-priority concern for residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, whose quality of life and property values were significantly affected,” Rohr added.