by Elijah Reichlin-Melnick
August was a rather quiet month with only one village board meeting and a short agenda at that meeting. The Journal News covered the unfortunate situation in the parking lot behind Village Hall where the lot’s owner began towing cars without warning. They also did a follow up on the idea of a parking garage on the property where I was quoted making the point that the village could not possibly pay for a parking garage out of our local tax base. Only if we received substantial support from outside sources such as state or federal grants could we consider a parking deck at that location. In the meantime, Mayor Don Hammond has been leading efforts to try to convince the owners of the Key Bank building on S. Broadway to open their parking lot to public use outside of business hours. September is shaping up to be a busier month, with a big Nyack event coming up on September 15.
The Great Nyack Get Together was one of the best events of 2017 and now it’s back for a second season at Memorial Park on Saturday, September 15 from noon to 6p. With food, games, and fun activities plus booths from tons of local nonprofits and other organizations, you won’t want to miss this one!
Speaking of Memorial Park, the village is continuing to work on the planned (and funded, through a state grant) pedestrian bridge to connect the park to the marina parking lot across the narrow inlet at the north of the park. We are negotiating with the property owner who owns the underwater land that separates the park from the marina and expect to obtain the property one way or another so that construction can proceed. At our August meeting, the village board reviewed several applications from groups looking to use the park for various events. As a reminder, all groups wanting to use Memorial Park for any purpose must now apply for a permit from the village to do so. Permits are free, but will generally only be granted by the Village Board if the request can be accommodated without creating an issue for other members of the public trying to use the park and its facilities. The purpose of this law is to ensure that Memorial Park remains fully available for use by Nyack residents and the general public. Permit applications can be obtained from the Village Clerk.
At the workshop section of the Village Board meeting on 9/13 (starting at 6p), we’ll be discussing my proposal to get rid of overnight parking regulations on many residential streets. If you haven’t yet shared your thoughts on this idea, please take a couple minutes to give me feedback via this short, unofficial survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZXVW35F
A couple other things:
- The village is currently looking to hire a new Assistant Building Inspector. “This position is required to review plans and specifications submitted with building permit applications, perform inspections and investigate complaints as well as other similar duties. A qualified applicant must possess at least 3 years of on-site building construction experience OR 2 years of full time technical or trade school training in building construction OR a Bachelors or higher degree in architecture, engineering or other course of study applicable to building construction OR any combination of the above.” Resumes should be submitted to: Jennifer Hetling, Clerk/Treasurer at jenniferhetling@nyack-ny.gov
- Don’t forget that the Nyack Recreation Department offers a great set of programs for kids, teens, and adults. Check out the fall, 2018 offerings here.
Want to get more details on these or any other Nyack topics? I’m holding my monthly “Meet Your Trustee” event on Saturday, September 15 from 9a to 10a at Johnnycakes on Main Street. Stop by for a casual conversation about any Nyack issues on your mind.
Elijah Reichlin-Melnick is a Trustee for the Village of Nyack.
