The fate of Hyde Park’s police facility will soon be in the voter’s hands. This Tuesday, July 29, residents will vote at Haviland Middle School to decide whether to approve a referendum to borrow up to $3.8 million for the construction of a new police station at Crum Elbow and Cardinal roads. The town hosted its final information session this past Monday during a Town Board workshop and invited public comment.
Police Chief James McKenna was on hand at the July 21 meeting to deliver a brief history of the police department’s housing spanning the last four decades. According to McKenna, the Town of Hyde Park police department was formed in June of 1969 and was headquartered in the boiler room of town hall. The department later moved up the stairs to the main floor at town hall, said McKenna, before relocating to the current headquarters on Route 9G in 1995. McKenna gave a PowerPoint presentation featuring photos of various elements of the current leased headquarters, which show a dismal state of disrepair.
McKenna commented on a small brown outbuilding, which was previously used for juveniles. The structure is no longer used, said McKenna, due to a leaking roof, lack of heat and other structural problems. “That building is absolutely useless,” he said.
Another outbuilding is used as an evidence locker. The structure’s proximity away from the main headquarters building makes it less than ideal for evidence storage, said McKenna “At night, you can’t even view this building,” he said. McKenna showed photos of the department’s lone holding cell, which has no self-contained bathroom. In order for a prisoner to use a bathroom, officers must remove the detainee from the holding cell and escort them to the restroom. “There’s a lot of risk taking prisoners to the bathroom,” said McKenna, citing a recent injury to a police officer.
McKenna noted that the new facility is comprised of four main components: community area, administration, booking and a juvenile area. Other elements have been removed from the project’s plan as a cost-savings measure, said McKenna, such as a rear Sallyport entrance area for detainees and a community room.
McKenna and Supervisor Pompey Delafield (D) explained that town board members and members of the volunteer police/court facility committee, led by Bob Kampf, viewed numerous buildings as possible sites for a new headquarters as an alternative to new construction. Some of those sites included the Boice Road building on Route 9, the Hyde Park Railroad Station, a credit union building at Hudson Valley Mall, the Hyde Park Motors complex, Grand Union Plaza, Old Staatsburg School, Doty Park, Hackett Hill, Fredericks restaurant (now Thai House), and a church on Crum Elbow Road.
The committee also considered purchasing and renovating the existing structure on Route 9G. Kampf added that other locations, such as the Lysko Carpet building and a site at Crofton Mews, were considered as well. Due to state mandates, many of the buildings required costly renovations; some, such as the Crofton Mews site, were found to flood after a heavy storm. After consideration of all sites, the committee felt that building a new facility on donated land was the best solution.
According to Delafield, the current headquarters requires approximately $125,000 in renovations, and the town has recently spent $25,000 for state-mandated repairs. Building a new facility, said Delafield, is a cheaper solution than having the police department remain where they currently are housed. Kampf agreed, saying the time is right to build a new headquarters. “It’s one of the best times – interest rates are low,” he said.
Bob Linville (D-1st Ward) has seen numerous police/court plans during his tenure on the board. “This is the third police solution I’ve voted on as a Town Board member and I’d like to see this one pass,” he said. “It’s a viable solution.”
Staatsburg resident Linda Clark also spoke in favor of the new project, noting that she preferred the previous $5.5 referendum that voters rejected, which would have combined the police and court system into one facility. “I recognize the difficult time, but I object more to taxes going to that horrible building,” said Clark, referring to the Route 9G headquarters.
Voting will take place from noon to 9 p.m. on July 29 at Haviland Middle School on Haviland Road. Absentee ballots can be obtained by calling the town clerk’s office at 229-5111, ext. 5.
Creek Week news
Emily Svenson, a member of Hyde Park’s Conservation Advisory Committee, invited the public to participate in “Creek Week,” a week of free events from Aug. 4 through 10 focusing on improving water quality of the Fallkill Creek, education on the biodiversity of the watershed and discussions about flooding issues in the Hudson Valley.
During Creek Week, Poughkeepsie High School students will be assisting the Fall Kill Watershed Committee in conducting a Rapid Trash Assessment (RTA) of the creek as it flows through the city. According to Jennifer Rubbo, Fall Kill Watershed coordinator, five 100-foot stretches of the creek will be scored based on the type and amount of trash present; the trash will be inventoried and picked up with the help of the City of Poughkeepsie Department of Public Works.
Special Creek Week events include:
• Storm Drain Markings, Aug. 4: Learn about where the water goes when it rains and watch as the City of Poughkeepsie DPW marks storm drains in the watershed. Space is limited, registration required – call 454-7673, ext. 114.
• Catch the Stream Bug, Aug. 5: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Hyde Park Library Annex. Learn about the watershed and meet some of the critters that live in the Fall Kill creek.
• Music in the Parks, Aug. 6: Vanderbilt Estate, Hyde Park – An interactive watershed display will be on site during the outdoor lawn concert.
• Much Ado About Flooding, Aug. 7: 6:30 to 8 p.m., Norrie Point Environmental Center. A discussion on flooding, stormwater and wetlands in the Fall Kill watershed and the Hudson Valley.
• Rapid Trash Assessment Aug. 8: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., City of Poughkeepsie – Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s No Child Left Inside students as they inventory and clean up trash in the Fall Kill through the City of Poughkeepsie.
According to Svenson, the committee is in need of a Dumpster during Creek Week. For more information on events or to donate a Dumpster, call Jennifer Rubbo at 454-7673, ext. 114.