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Hillsdale residents to decide fate of town hall, library
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| Residents will vote Aug. 28 on whether the town of Hillsdale should purchase the library and relocate town hall there. Robert Raigani/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers |
By Francesca Olsen
A special election August 28 will decide whether the town of Hillsdale will purchase the current Roeliff-Jansen Association Library building for the purpose of using it as a new town hall, plus the costs of improvements to the historic building.
The decision lies in the hands of Hillsdale residents because any purchase of real property by the town board is subject to a permissive referendum. Lifetime Hillsdale resident Larry Edelman collected the 85 signatures needed to have a vote on the building’s purchase.
A legal notice in the Register-Star on August 5 includes the full text of the resolution. The town of Hillsdale proposes the purchase of the library building and land from the Roeliff-Jansen Community Library Association for a sum not to exceed $245,000 as well as an authorization to use up to $450,000 of Hillsdale’s Capital Building Project Reserve Fund for the purchase and renovation of the building.
Hillsdale’s $600,000 Capital Improvement Reserve Fund comes from savings from past budget surpluses, said Hillsdale Supervisor Art Baer.
“I’m looking forward to the results because I think it will give the town board confirmation that our reccommendation was, if not unanimously, then by a vast majority of our residents, confirmed,” said Baer.
Baer said that the building, opened to the public in 1925, will give more space to town hall functions and allow for “the reuse and rehabilitation of the historic building for contemporary purposes.”
“Because there will be more space, the layout will be more conducive to having town meetings,” said Baer. “We will have wi-fi so that town officers from different departments can share files and have more computer access, and I just think the layout will put the public more in contact with the departments in a better way than they currently have.”
Hillsdale’s current town hall has 1500 square feet of “usable” space, according to Baer, and the library building has 2500 square feet.
The Roeliff-Jansen Association Library web site states that the current library building is 1000 square feet with a 600 square foot basement. The building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the library site reports that no public rest rooms exist in the building and there is no central air conditioning.
“Assuming we acquire it, the building will be brought up to complete ADA compliance,” said Baer. “I don’t see that as far as a code issue or a functionality issue as a problem. I think it will be fully accessible to both ambulatory and non-ambulatory residents.”
Edelman said he sees several problems with Hillsdale acquiring the old library building for a new town hall. “You’re building a new town hall for future generations,” he said. “Let’s build with geothermal, with handicap access, with solar panels.”
Edelman said that the library building also has traffic issues from its close proximity to the Hillsdale IGA market. “That road is basically at a standstill on some days because of traffic issues,” he said. “It’s a dangerous place on a good day.”
“When you come right down to it, it’s a very minimal expansion from what they have now room-wise,” Edelman said. “The employees and the people that go into this building, from what I understand, will be in a cellar, working in a cellar of this building. It really isn’t anything updated.”
Baer said that renovations could include some green improvements. “We’re having a full inspection done,” he said. “It depends on the condition of the boiler. If it’s on the end of its useful life, we certainly will look at a greener solution for heating.”
“If it’s such a great building, why is the library leaving it?” Edelman asked. “I’m not saying tear the building down -- but let somebody else buy it and keep it as a historic site. If the voters pass it, I’m all for it.”
Carol Sacks, treasurer of the library’s board of trustees, said the new library building, which will be located less than a mile south of the light at the intersection of routes 22 and 23 in Hillsdale, is currently under construction. “We should be moving in in 2010,” she said.
“It would be wonderful if the town of Hillsdale would (purchase the building),” she said. “The existing library building has a lot of historic value. It would be wonderful if it could remain a public building so it could remain open and available to the community as it has been all along.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
The decision lies in the hands of Hillsdale residents because any purchase of real property by the town board is subject to a permissive referendum. Lifetime Hillsdale resident Larry Edelman collected the 85 signatures needed to have a vote on the building’s purchase.
A legal notice in the Register-Star on August 5 includes the full text of the resolution. The town of Hillsdale proposes the purchase of the library building and land from the Roeliff-Jansen Community Library Association for a sum not to exceed $245,000 as well as an authorization to use up to $450,000 of Hillsdale’s Capital Building Project Reserve Fund for the purchase and renovation of the building.
Hillsdale’s $600,000 Capital Improvement Reserve Fund comes from savings from past budget surpluses, said Hillsdale Supervisor Art Baer.
“I’m looking forward to the results because I think it will give the town board confirmation that our reccommendation was, if not unanimously, then by a vast majority of our residents, confirmed,” said Baer.
Baer said that the building, opened to the public in 1925, will give more space to town hall functions and allow for “the reuse and rehabilitation of the historic building for contemporary purposes.”
“Because there will be more space, the layout will be more conducive to having town meetings,” said Baer. “We will have wi-fi so that town officers from different departments can share files and have more computer access, and I just think the layout will put the public more in contact with the departments in a better way than they currently have.”
Hillsdale’s current town hall has 1500 square feet of “usable” space, according to Baer, and the library building has 2500 square feet.
The Roeliff-Jansen Association Library web site states that the current library building is 1000 square feet with a 600 square foot basement. The building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the library site reports that no public rest rooms exist in the building and there is no central air conditioning.
“Assuming we acquire it, the building will be brought up to complete ADA compliance,” said Baer. “I don’t see that as far as a code issue or a functionality issue as a problem. I think it will be fully accessible to both ambulatory and non-ambulatory residents.”
Edelman said he sees several problems with Hillsdale acquiring the old library building for a new town hall. “You’re building a new town hall for future generations,” he said. “Let’s build with geothermal, with handicap access, with solar panels.”
Edelman said that the library building also has traffic issues from its close proximity to the Hillsdale IGA market. “That road is basically at a standstill on some days because of traffic issues,” he said. “It’s a dangerous place on a good day.”
“When you come right down to it, it’s a very minimal expansion from what they have now room-wise,” Edelman said. “The employees and the people that go into this building, from what I understand, will be in a cellar, working in a cellar of this building. It really isn’t anything updated.”
Baer said that renovations could include some green improvements. “We’re having a full inspection done,” he said. “It depends on the condition of the boiler. If it’s on the end of its useful life, we certainly will look at a greener solution for heating.”
“If it’s such a great building, why is the library leaving it?” Edelman asked. “I’m not saying tear the building down -- but let somebody else buy it and keep it as a historic site. If the voters pass it, I’m all for it.”
Carol Sacks, treasurer of the library’s board of trustees, said the new library building, which will be located less than a mile south of the light at the intersection of routes 22 and 23 in Hillsdale, is currently under construction. “We should be moving in in 2010,” she said.
“It would be wonderful if the town of Hillsdale would (purchase the building),” she said. “The existing library building has a lot of historic value. It would be wonderful if it could remain a public building so it could remain open and available to the community as it has been all along.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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