New Lebanon Town Board Action – Town Will Not Take Over Road

by Thaddeus Flint
Residents who live in the Covenant Circle development in New Lebanon might feel like they are running around in circles sometimes. One of those times was Tuesday night when the Town Board, at their monthly meeting, authorized a letter to the Covenant Circle Homeowners’ Association basically denying their request to have their road taken over by the Town.
[private]While the Town does not come out and say it will never take over the roadway, it does set down a lengthy list of requirements and conditions that must be met before the Town will consider it.
The letter, signed by Town Supervisor Mike Benson, states, “It appears that while there were discussions during the subdivision process about the possibility of the Town of New Lebanon accepting a dedication of the roadways, said highway dedication was conditioned upon the following: a) construction of the roadways in accordance with the Town Highway Specifications; b) certification by a licensed engineer that the constructed roadways met the highway specifications, and c) a formal offer of the roadways to the Town of New Lebanon by the developer. Unfortunately, none of the foregoing conditions were met by the developer or the homeowner’s association.”
A copy of the letter was first provided to the Town Highway Superintendent, Jeff Weinstock, who raised no objection to its content Tuesday. Copies were then provided to members of the Covenant Circle Homeowners’ Association who were in attendance. They exited the meeting with their letters without any comment.
At the February Board meeting Weinstock had been of the opinion that the road needed quite a bit of work. “It wasn’t built to Town specs,” pointed out Weinstock. Craig Trombley, who lives on Covenant Circle, had said, “We don’t have the money to do what needs to be done.”
Closing The Landfill
What needs to be done to permanently close the Town’s old landfill, however, might actually get done and without much money needed at all. A plan has passed two County committees and could go before the County Board of Supervisors as soon as June. When asked how much it will cost, Benson replied, “If I did this right, nothing. But the deal isn’t done yet.”
While the Town could be responsible for maintenance costs for some thirty years, a State grant has been applied for that could cover those expenses as well.
Town Hall Landscaping
In the meantime, before beautifying the dump, the Town will be beautifying its new Town Hall. Councilman Bruce Baldwin is working on some landscaping plans with Phyllis Stoller, who he described as a professional. “She knows her stuff,” he said. Maple Lane Nursery in Valatie has offered the Town wholesale prices on various trees and shrubs. A request by Baldwin for $1,329 to fund the landscaping was authorised with all in favor. Baldwin has set aside May 23 and 24 as planting days and asked that any members of the public interested in helping contact him before hand.
The Town of Stephentown seems to have already donated some trees. According to Baldwin, who is also working on flood and erosion planning, Hurricane Irene dragged some trees away from the Town’s northerly neighbor. “We are going to try and get Stephentown to come and get them back,” laughed Baldwin.
Tag Sale
The New Lebanon Historical Society will be hosting a tag sale Memorial Day weekend, and the Town Board graciously donated some surplus items from its very near history. “Just as long as we don’t get it back,” quipped Councilman Matt Larabee. A laptop, probably the only thing of any value however, will be added to the ever growing arsenal of cutting edge tools available to the Town’s Historian, Kevin Fuerst.
Art Car Parade
And finally, the Town Board unanimously endorsed the first Art Car parade and barbecue which will be put on by the Lebanon Valley Business Association sometime in the autumn. The first parade is expected to be rather small, but with Lebanon Valley Speedway onboard, the LVBA’s President, Fiona Lally, wrote that “they hope it will grow annually.”[/private]