Interested in the future of Rhinebeck's Historic District and the Hamlet of Rhinecliff? Do you want to hear about what that future could look like from the country's foremost expert on how to prevent sprawl while maintaining open space and valuable natural resources?

If so, please mark your calender for an important presentation and discussion by Randall Arendt, the country's leading conservation land planner and the author of the American Planning Association's Rural By Design.  Mr. Arendt will be speaking on Friday August 1 at 7:30 pm at Morton Library in Rhinecliff and again at 10 am on Saturday August 2 at the Town Hall in Rhinebeck.  

Mr. Arendt's discussion will focus on the Rhinebeck Historic District and Hamlet of Rhinecliff while discussing strategies that can help the Town of Rhinebeck to realistically achieve its goals of maintaining open space while protecting important natural resources.  

Mr. Arendt originated the "four step" conservation subdivision approach that is featured in the Town's Draft Comprehensive Plan and Draft Zoning.  He has worked with hundreds of municipalities across the country to plan for growth without sprawl.  

This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in the future of Rhinebeck.

A day of family fun - live entertainment, food, vendors, games, contests and Coast Guard boat “The Wire” to tour. 

Come celebrate the Hamlet of Rhinecliff and our wonderful waterfront resource.

At the dock in Rhinecliff, NY

For more info: Jennifer at 845-876-1125

March 25, 1961 - July 6, 2008

Spencer Gates, dear friend to so many residents of Rhinebeck, passed away peacefully on the morning of July 6. She was a beautiful soul, always thoughtful, and brought many of us together. Those who were with her during the last few days say she was surrounded by family and friends who gathered to celebrate her life.

Please share your thoughts in the comments sections below.

Click here to view the Morton Memorial Library Summer Newsletter.

May 12, 2008
 
To The Town Board:
 
Rhinebeck is a community that includes working and retired homeowners, large and small land owners, working farmers and people who pursue various commercial endeavors. I can’t say that I distinguish the town from the village from the hamlets; I don’t distinguish old time residents from weekenders from the estate owners. My family chose to buy a farm here thirty years ago simply because we like the place. For most of us our land is our most valuable asset, one we have loved, cared for, and guarded, one we expect to see us through retirement, or pass on to our children.
 
We must have viable economic alternatives for land use or we will divide and sell these properties. It hardly matters whether you have 5, 10, 20, or 50 acre zoning- once these lands are divided you will never again see them as they are today.  Rhinebeck’s current Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Draft threatens the rural character of our community.  The current zoning is arbitrary but this new plan is no less arbitrary.
 
Whether you live on the east side of Route 9 or the west side, the proposed downzoning amounts to a taking of our land.
 
On the subject of east side vs. west side: If this suggested R-20 zoning is implemented, will this now mean that I live on the “good side of the tracks” or will this have the opposite  effect based on tax implications? We don’t need three Rhinebecks: East, West, and Village.
 
Everyone should recognize the flurry of subdivision activity made “under the wire” of this development moratorium. Just the “threat” of this proposed change has yielded the collateral effect of legacy sprawl and it comes at the cost of all of us who failed to sub-divide or really had no intention to do so.
 
It’s not about density it about distribution.
 
To maintain our rural feel let’s not scrap the current zoning numbers, let's use tools such as Conservation Subdivision or turn those numbers into “currency” that can be traded through the use of Transfer Development Rights (TDR).  A simple market can be created to allow for owners of land to transfer their current density allowance to other areas deemed more appropriate. Either approach will allow for better economies and affordability; they are simple, effective, and will prevent further fragmentation with its associated sprawl.
We need a system that will respect the interests of land owners both large and small, that will promote restoration and rehabilitation. This solution, must include the village, and should be market based. At this point we are tired of hearing “You can’t do that,” “Wait and see,” “You really don’t understand.” The tools are at hand and have been used throughout the country. Downzoning is taking; plain and simple.
 
Richard Creed
Creed Ankony Farm
44 Ryan Rd.
Rhinebeck, NY. 12572

Why does New Jersey—New Jersey!—have three times the amount of solar energy systems installed as mighty New York?

New York was once considered a U.S. leader in the area of solar energy policy, but as the world's solar markets have developed, New York hasn't kept pace. A critical issue is net metering—a policy that allows solar systems to get credit for excess energy fed back into the grid. New York law currently caps net metering at 10 kW—which is fine for residences, but a major barrier for putting solar on large commercial applications such as schools, stores, and government buildings.

We are working on fixes to help open markets for large-scale solar in New York. Click here to help solar go big time.

Assembly Bill 9902 and Senate Bill 7171 would raise the state's net metering cap to 2 MW (the same level as the leading solar states), opening the market for large-scale solar in New York.
This is a defining moment for the future of solar in New York. Without net metering, solar in New York will always be playing second fiddle to New Jersey. It's just embarrassing.

Show your support for pollution-free solar power by sending an email to your state's representative today.

Onward-

Adam Browning
The Vote Solar Initiative
www.votesolar.org

Click here to view the latest news from Morton Memorial Library, including upcoming events. Or, go to http://www.morton.rhinecliff.lib.ny.us/ to go directly to the library's website.

Portrait of Catherine Rutsen Suckley

Wilderstein Historic Site in Rhinebeck, New York is dedicating its 2008 special exhibition to art of, for & by women. The exhibit will bring to life the social, cultural and economic contributions the women of Wilderstein have made, and their profound impact on the history of the Hudson Valley.  Many of the featured pieces will be on public display for the first time ever.

The women featured in this exhibition represent a period of over 200 years from the 1697 Beekman Patent to the death of Margaret Suckley in 1991.  Their stories are told through their paintings, drawings, needlework, and silver created, given or purchased for their homes and family.  Throughout the first floor rooms of the Wilderstein mansion, visitors will have the opportunity to see these objects and better understand the significant role of these women in the history of the Hudson Valley.

This exhibition runs from May 1 to October 31, Thursdays through Sundays, from noon until 4 PM.  Sponsorship that made the exhibit possible was provided by Barbara Boccuto & Darrelyn Brennan of Wachovia Securities.  Wilderstein Historic Site is located at 330 Morton Road, Rhinebeck, NY. 

For more information, call 845-876-4818 or visit www.wilderstein.org.

We have received notice from the Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council that they will be conducting a traffic count on Kelly Street, between Morton Road and Orchard Drive during the week of May 19-23, 2008.

Please be aware that this is one of 4 locations in the Town (plus 2 locations in the Village) that will be part of the annual traffic counts conducted at various locations throughout the County. These counts are conducted at varying sites (800 of them) throughout the County, each year. It is part of the County's annual traffic count records and is not an indicator of a specific project or a proposal. It is just data for the countywide study at 800 previously selected spots on 26 state, 100 county and 161 local roads throughout the county. These counts have been
conducted every year (rotating the locations among the 800) since 1999.

The other locations within the Town are Miler Road between 9G and 308 White Schoolhouse Road between Hilltop Road and Cedar Lane Mt Rutsen Road between Old Post Road and River Road.

The two Village locations are:
South Parsonage Street between North Park Road and East Market Street Montgomery Street between Route 9 and Old Post Road (not quite sure where they mean by that description)

Posted: April 26th 

The Rhinecliff Volunteer fire Co. is cleaning house and has the following items availabe for free as is.
2 hospital beds,have mattresses but would probably want new - 1 manual, 1 electric
4 Black Jack tables, can be taken apart for storage.
1 box misc. radio parts.
 
 
Call Cynthia Baer 845-876-5738 for info and to arrange pick up. Firehouse located at the corner of Shatzell Ave, Rhinecliff. NY.

Click here to view the Highway Department's Spring 2008 Newsletter.

The Rhinebeck Town meeting held at the Rhinecliff Firehouse on April 14th featured a presentation by The Rhinecliff Advisory Council on alternatives to the Comprehensive Plan’s proposed “Rhinecliff extension,” previously known as the “Rhinecliff TND.”

Geoff Sanborn (of the Advisory Council) gave a slide presentation and discussion on the four key concerns of the council. These included: The narrow streets and need for safe play areas, limited parking, challenging infrastructure, and the increased flooding that has occurred in recent years.

Some of the details discussed by Mr. Sanborn included the near impossibility of installing a sewage system in Rhinecliff due to the expense needed to overcome the complex geography and the significant historical significance of the region.
The slide presentation included recent photographs of the terrible flooding Rhinecliff has seen in the last few years. This is worth mentioning given the Comp-Plan’s proposed “Rhinecliff extension” is situated on wetlands and steep slopes.

Recognizing the need for growth, the council presented alternative locations be considered at the Laidlaw/Butcher Boys property to the North. Currently zoned commercial, they recommended the zoning be changed to residential.
In order to improve upon the Comp-Plans current recommendations, the council supported the use of Conservation Subdivisions to determine the best areas to place new development.

This practice relies on four key steps to define the best place to build. (i) identifying primary and secondary conservation areas, (ii) design open space to protect them, (iii) arranging houses outside of those protected areas, and (iv) finally lay out streets, lots and infrastructure.

In addition, the council laid out an ambitious plan for connecting the Village of Rhinebeck with the hamlet through a Greenway and connecting trails. This would allow residents to walk and bike from the Village to the hamlet on trails and foot paths.

While most of the presentation was focused on better alternatives to the Comp-Plan’s proposed “Rhinecliff extension,” there were some additional points worth noting. The council proposed capping the size of new homes in the hamlet at 2,800 sq feet in an effort to maintain the character of and feel of existing homes in the historic hamlet. The council also suggested that where appropriate, accessory housing be allowed such as converted garages. This would of course be dependent on septic approval etc.

Few questions were posed to the council after the presentation. The Town Board seemed very receptive and requested printed copies of the presentation for further review.

We hope to post the slide show presented by the council as soon as we receive a copy.

We will be adding all the Town Meetings from January and February shortly. Please note that there are some sound problems in this video but the sound improves after the first five minutes.

We would like to make note that towards the end of the meeting Dennis McGuire, the Town Supervisor from several years ago, expressed his dismay over Rhinecliff's leaf pickups. Mr. McGuire went on to say that this had never happened before and it was "not fair" to the rest of the town.

We found this particularly odd as Mr.McGuire allowed this very practice while he was Town supervisor. We reviewed old copies of Town minutes during Mr. McGuire's tenure and found multiple examples of meetings he supervised that mentioned Rhinecliff leaf pickup day. Click HERE to view one example from the November 14, 2005 Town Board Minutes.

Some feel the strong tug of the land. On March 1, KayCee Wimbish, 32, a former second-grade teacher, moved from her Harlem apartment up to Tivoli to raise sheep and chickens with Owen O’Connor, 22, a Wesleyan dropout who helped come up with the name of their enterprise, Awesome Farm.

READ MORE in Sunday's New York Times. (March 16th)

Also read more about this new movement HERE.

(Photo: NY Times)

The town had sent abandoned vehicles to a Newburgh scrap yard later cited for pollution.

At a Town Board meeting Monday, officials said the extension is part of a $49,000 settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which found the town liable for a portion of the $27 million cleanup of the Consolidated Iron and Metal scrap yard on the Hudson River.

READ MORE