by Thaddeus Flint
The Union Free School building just refuses to die quietly, as some would certainly desire. Sentenced to death by the New Lebanon School Board, the building raised its aged head once again, perhaps for the last time, and became the focus of last Monday’s New Lebanon Town Board Meeting.
On August 17 bids for the demolition of the building will be opened at the New Lebanon School Board meeting. A small group from the Lebanon Historical Society, headed by Deborah Gordon, appealed to the Town Board to intercede. The only way the building can possibly be saved now is if the Town states to the School Board that they have a firm intention of considering the sad yellow edifice as a site for its future town hall.
The project would certainly be expensive. Neglected for some forty years, its structure vastly deteriorated, its foundation crumbling, estimates for repair of the building and then converting it into a town hall run to as much as $2 million. This is not, though, insurmountable for New Lebanon even though residents in referendums have made it clear that just a little over $400 thousand is too much to pay for a town hall. Were the Town to state that their intention is to use the building as its Town Hall, a grant from the Environmental Protection Fund could be applied for that could cover as much as 75% of a project’s cost. The grant would be written by Gordon, who is experienced in such matters, at no expense to the Town.
According to Nancy Clement, also of the Historical Society, while the State of New York might be relatively broke, its Environmental Protection Fund currently has $12.5 million dollars of taxpayer money it. “Part of that was paid in by us,” said Clement. The Town of Hillsdale is presently applying to use some of that fund to finance its own new town hall which would be constructed from an old library. If New Lebanon does not even try to submit a grant proposal, “All of our tax money is going to go elsewhere,” she said. Clement feels that there is a great possibility the Union Free School could be chosen as a grant recipient because the building was designed by the prestigious Albany Firm of Fuller & Robinson. “It’s extremely historically significant,” said Clement. Albert Fuller, the architect, designed many other important buildings in the area including the crematorium at Troy’s Oakwood Cemetery, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Union Free School.
Clement went on to point out that residents are going to pay one way or the other whether the building stays up or goes down. The demolition is expected to cost $40,000. “Not to try is wasting taxpayer dollars,” said Clement, “and once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Town Supervisor Margaret Robertson agreed. “We have more of a gem on our hands than we initially thought,” she said. Robertson observed that the 25% of the project’s cost that would be shouldered by residents is still less than the $800,000 they voted down in the 2010 Town Hall referendum. “In my opinion that building should be saved…I think we should probably take a look at it,” she said.
The other Board members were not as enthusiastic about the project as Robertson. Council Member Bruce Baldwin was the strongest against it. “It’s not like this is Wisconsin, and Laura Ingalls Wilder was born there; it’s not even the oldest building in New Lebanon,” he said. Baldwin stated that he felt the costs, the location and the problems of parking and the ancient septic system were just too impossible to overcome. “I don’t see the Town being able to use it…and the Historical Society is telling us this is our next town hall?” Clement responded, “We are not telling you, we are appealing to you to allow it to stay alive.”
Council Member Doug Clark sided with Baldwin’s opinion. “This site is not appropriate,” he said, “I would never vote for that as a town hall site. It’s just a lousy site.” Clark also doubted the School Board would want the building to remain in its place when they could have extra parking there for soccer games instead.
Council Member K.B. Chittenden didn’t appear convinced either way, but conceded, “I guess it could be a town hall.”
In the end, a resolution that the School Board put off the demolition while a grant proposal is submitted to the EPF was voted on. It passed with all in favor except Baldwin who abstained. “It’s because I’m a member of the Historical Society,” he said, explaining his vote. The resolution will be presented to the School Board on August 17.
David Stocks of the Mount Lebanon Shaker Museum also spoke to the Board of the Town’s historical landmarks. The Museum is pursuing an EPF grant as well. A grant of $270,000 would be used to purchase some thirty acres of land currently owned by the Darrow School. The site has Shaker built stone walls on it, and preserving it would not only protect the beauty of the Museum’s lands but allow for better views of the Shaker Village to be seen from Route 20. A road might one day be constructed to allow buses to more easily come to the Museum without disturbing its serene look. The total acreage of the Village would now total 91 acres. The Board passed a resolution with three votes for the plan’s approval, required by the EPF. Clark abstained.
Baldwin Reprimanded
A few moments of some drama arose when Matthew Larabee of the Ethics Committee presented two complaints to the Board in regard to Baldwin’s use of Town email for personal reasons. Apparently Baldwin had written an email advising others in the Town to endorse Republican Christopher Steadman for the position of Town Justice at the Democratic Caucus held on June 29. The Ethics Committee found the complaints valid and advised that Baldwin be reprimanded. Robertson read the findings into the record as the reprimand. “Town email is solely for the purpose of Town business,” she added. Baldwin appeared unconcerned, saying only that he had never been interviewed by the committee as to his side of the complaint.
One of the complainants in the room that night, Joanna Johnson-Smith, felt that the reprimand was insignificant. “A tap on the wrist!” she said. Johnson-Smith also felt that the committee had actually reprimanded her as well with a report which “chided her.” “Why am I being chided?” she asked. Larabee bellowed, “Have you ever read the Ethics Code?” “I have,” Johnson-Smith replied, “ have you?”
Helping Veterans
Not everything that night was gloom and accusation. Gary Flaherty of the Columbia County Veteran’s Service Department moved everyone when he spoke about his latest work. Flaherty doesn’t wait for Veterans to find him, he seeks them out and informs them of the benefits they and/or their families are entitled to. He is also working with County judges to help Vets in trouble with the law. Fifteen mentors have come on board to work with Vets who might have committed crimes as a result of post traumatic stress. “We get them into the V.A. instead of a prison where they could become professional criminals,” he said. Flaherty and his wife are even taking one Vet in to live with them. “There will be no homeless Vets in Columbia County,” he stated. His work has saved the County over $10,000 by getting the V.A. to pay for health costs that would have normally been covered under Medicare. Flaherty advised Vets and their families to contact him on his cell phone at 518-610-0941 so he could make sure they are getting what they truly deserve as defenders of our country. Flaherty left that night to sustained applause from the room. “He’s done a phenomenal job,” said Robertson.
Hannaford Update
The latest on the Hannaford Supermarket was also good news. The project had recently slowed due to permit requests by the State Department of Environmental Conservation. “Those permits were granted today,” said Town Clerk Colleen Teal. Robertson agreed to act as a liaison between all those concerned to further make sure that the project stayed on track.
While the Town waits for a supermarket to bring them fresh produce, Kathy Murnane of the Senior Advisory Committee informed the Board that low income individuals and families could now receive $20 coupons to buy food at the local farmers market.
The Board also agreed to have fencing repaired at Shatford Park, make sure the sign there which fell down was replaced, work on a project for movie nights for next summer as well as drafting an agreement for a circus to come to Town in 2012.
An account of the Town’s finances was also reviewed that night. Lebanon has $811,003 in a money market multifund with Bank of America. Baldwin pointed out that the shares at this bank were dropping daily and that the FDIC could only guarantee $250,000 of these funds. Robertson agreed to make sure that Town’s money was adequately protected after Baldwin stated, “Bank of America is not looking too good. We need to make sure our money is safe.”