Cider brewery eyed for Milton

By Katherine Donlevy
Posted 4/21/21

If all goes according to plan, Milton could grow a brewery on one of its oldest farms.

Chip Kent, of Kent Family Farms, applied at the Town of Marlborough Planning Board’s April 19 meeting …

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Cider brewery eyed for Milton

Posted

If all goes according to plan, Milton could grow a brewery on one of its oldest farms.

Chip Kent, of Kent Family Farms, applied at the Town of Marlborough Planning Board’s April 19 meeting to expand the property to include a New York State brewing license to sell cider. The 178 North Road farm will continue to sell fruit grown from its property.

As part of the proposal, the Kents plan to rehabilitate its historic residential dwelling, which has become dilapidated throughout its roughly 200-year-old life. When renovated, it would be used for farm history display, host small events or agricultural meetings and training for staff.

“I think it would be wonderful if it was rehabilitated. I don’t know if there’s any timetable involved with that and if there isn’t I am concerned with the public kinda walking around, enjoying the grounds — because it’s a beautiful area — and perhaps meandering around that building and the way it is right now it’s a danger,” said Planning Board member Cindy Lanzetta. “A couple drinks, who knows?”

Kent assured Lanzetta that state agricultural law would prevent him from opening his proposed brewery without first addressing the safety issue the house presents. He is already in talks with a contractor, who will secure the outside walls and windows of the home to prevent it from crumbling onto visitors or break-ins by visitors. After the brewery has operated for some time, the inside will be rehabilitated, though without heat or other modern amenities.

The board’s attorney, Pat Hines, pointed out that the application was missing some important information, such as an appropriate number of ingress and egress points for parking lots, that the parking lots must be made of a studier material than gravel and the brewery’s hours of operation.

On the latter point, Kent said it will likely operate seasonally and from Thursdays to Sundays at select hours. There are no definitive plans for what food will be sold, though Kent alluded to potential burgers or flatbread pizza options.

The brewery itself will be casual — no weddings or large events will take place on the property, according to the applicant.

“Nothing in the plans yet, because my wife said she would divorce me,” Kent said of the idea.

“There might be room for another wedding, then,” Hines laughed.

Overall, the Planning Board was receptive to the plans even in the face of missing application information. After correction, the proposal will need to be approved by the Ulster County Planning Board, but Kent’s representative Patricia Brooks was positive they’d get the OK.

A public hearing for the Milton brewery was set for May 17, assuming it passes Ulster County standards.

It is the second proposal to be scheduled for a May 17 public hearing — community members are invited to speak at next month’s meeting on the proposed subdivision at 282 Orchard Street.

Property owners George and Carole CrimiVaroli are looking to split their property into two parcels. According to their application, one 2.89-acre parcel exists on both sides of Orchard Road, which the couple want to use as a dividing line. If approved, the parcels will be 1.34 and 1.35 acres, while a 0.2 acre parcel will be released to the Town of Marlborough for Orchard Road.