The Town Board started its September 17 business meeting with two public hearings – first a hearing at which there was no public comment on the removal of the off-street parking requirement for The Dark Room discotheque.

The venue, operated by Jim Ferrara, has been open just about a year, and has hosted eight events in that time. None of those events required parking in the rented lot he has access to.

“No one was parking there except for me,” Ferrara said, adding that if the town allows him to drop the off-street parking amendment, it frees him from purchasing the insurance needed to use the lot. He said that for most of his events people either park on the street, or even walk to the event.

Councilwoman Virginia Scott asked Ferrara if he could wait until the end of the calendar year (when that insurance he purchases expires) to have the requirement dropped, saying she “has some concerns about the big picture” on Main St., alluding to an approved hotel just down the road.

Supervisor Josh Wojehowski responded, saying “multiple studies have shown we have plenty of parking” adding especially in the evenings. “If it becomes an issue, he can come back to us every year.”

With only Scott voting no, the matter was okayed. “I don’t see reason to delay,” Councilwoman Rokhsha Michael-Razi said.

The second hearing was an ongoing open hearing on New York Military Academy’s unsafe building proceeding and fire protection. While Jason Li from NYMA was on hand and updated the board on the fire hydrant issues (they are waiting for parts for two hydrants on Faculty Rd. before they can do complete flow testing), the board was not completely satisfied with the progress.

Building Inspector Gary Vinson noted that “they are working on” outstanding violations, but the board declared the public hearing to continue October 8.

“By that date there needs to be something substantial for us,” Wojehowski said.

The board also scheduled two hearings for its October 15 meeting, both pertaining to the town’s 2025 budget. Both the hearing on allowing the board to override the state’s tax cap and the annual hearing on the Benefit Assessment Districts will be held that evening.

Among the other business conducted, the board agreed to grant a reduction in the performance bond given to them in 2021 by the Hudson Valley Golf Foundation. Initially $958,978, it was reduced to $503,576 in 2022, and now, after a unanimous board vote, is $347,548. Of that, $322,536 is for remaining site work and $25,012 for site landscaping. Engineer Shawn Arnott “reviewed the estimate and found it acceptable”, Wojehowski said. The security bond is a letter of credit, and the move to reduce it was not an unusual one, he added.

Also, the board heard from two groups hoping to use public space for events on Saturday, Nov. 30.

The Cornwall-Highlands Arts Alliance was approved to have a 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. ‘Holiday Artisan Market’ at Munger Cottage that day. And, the Cornwall Events Committee explained its plans to hold a ‘Shop Small Saturday’ event from 3 - 7 p.m. From that committee, Dawn Kilgore told the board that the event will include as many local groups as want to participate – “we’re looking at it like a Hallmark, or Gilmore Girls type of hometown event,” she said. Details on it will be announced closer to the time.