Members of the Walden Business Council, after establishing the group in late June, gathered once again on Thursday, July 25 in the village hall to discuss their challenges in the village, how they could overcome them, and help other business owners in similar situations.

Cheryl Baker, former Walden trustee and founder of the council, formed the group last June to unify local businesses and improve the village’s economic environment with short and long-term solutions. A long-time resident, she said she understands the problems that Walden businesses face and hopes to provide support and networking to them through the council.

“I feel that the problems involved in Walden are multi-layered, it’s not just one issue but multiple. The point of this council was to bring Walden businesses together to combat those issues,” Baker said. “It’s going to be a long process. It’s not going to be something that can happen overnight. But there are some things that I think can be quick, minor remedies that can help generate a more positive viewpoint.”

Baker asserted that most residents prefer to shop in places outside of Walden, such as New Paltz or Beacon, and while many commuters drive through the village, only a few of them stop by and browse the stores. She suspected that this low foot traffic was due to limited store variety and unappealing aesthetics, as many buildings on Main Street lack eye-catching signage, colors, and greenery

“I would love to see trees back on Main Street, I can’t see why we can’t have a little green. If you go into the City of Newburgh, they have nice tree-lined streets. You see that in a lot of more successful areas,” Baker said. “People walk in the City of Newburgh but not Walden, because Main Street is not particularly appealing or pretty.”

Kristen DeRosa, owner of a freeze-dried candy company called Jasba, stated that most visitors are hesitant to park on village streets because of constant speeding, increasing the risk of collisions.

“Nobody wants to park on the streets. My car has been hit twice, one of which was a hit-and-run. The other would have been a hit-and-run but I jumped out of my car and started screaming at the guy,” she said. “You don’t feel comfortable stopping because the cars are going to hit you, or you can’t get out because of the speeding traffic.”

DeRose also agreed with Baker that Main Street lacks diversity, adding that Walden hosts plenty of service businesses but very few retail stores, such as boutiques or gift shops.

“We go to New Paltz and go in all the little stores where you could impulse buy clothing, gifts, food, etc. You don’t impulse buy a haircut, you don’t impulse buy the dentist,” she continued. “They’re great service businesses, but we should try to fill the empty stores with things that are inviting for people to want to go in.”

Becky Pearson, a village trustee, speculated that landlords could be problematic for business owners, whether due to increasing rent, disallowing certain businesses, or restricting visual modifications to storefronts.

“You still have to go through a landlord; the rent is high and they’re not going to let you change something. So it’s not just the businesses but also the landlords who are restricting and making things not easy,” Pearson said. “The owners are not going to the planning board and asking ‘Can I paint my building? Can I make it better?’ So the landlords are just there to collect the rent, and it’s very difficult for the businesses to just find a place since they’re raising rent all the time.”

Dickie Baxter, owner of Hudson Valley House of Ink and a member of the Business Council of Greater Montgomery, stressed the need for business mentors in Walden, people that could not only guide current business owners but also prepare the village’s next generation of owners. He recommended resources from the BCGM, including the council’s Entrepreneurial Success Program, a class tailored for aspiring business owners.

“It’s detrimental to your business plan when you have nobody to coach you in business, to get local people with experience helping you with your business,” Baxter said. “We’re lacking that, a lot of our business mentors here are dead.”

“If you’re trying to do some kind of revitalization and you’re willing to partner with other organizations like the Business Council of Greater Montgomery or a commerce chamber, I would suggest talking to them if they’re asking about anything you need,” he continued. “They can be getting that advice before they spend the money, whether it’s getting in touch with realtors or lawyers, writing up contracts, or finding out logo design costs.”
Brittani O’Hearn, owner of Blue Fox Books, explained how she found success with her book store through posting on social media, hosting events like book clubs and author readings, and getting to know her fellow business neighbors.

“I like hosting book clubs and activities for children, they usually draw in a lot more people, especially in the evening,” O’Hearn said.

While not touched on until the end of the meeting, Baker hopes to form a board comprising local business owners within the next meeting or so. This would allow the council to apply for grants, securing funding for things like professional advice or tree plantings on Main Street. Before departing, the council members agreed to meet again on Thursday, August 22 at 7 p.m. in the same building.