Construction on the Hampton Inn in New Paltz is in progress. (photo by Lauren Thomas)
After being mired in litigation and the planning process for years, construction of the Hampton Inn in New Paltz is again held up, this time by the weather. While the old building at the intersection where South Putt Corners Road and Main Street abut the Thruway has been torn down and some foundation work was started, it’s likely to stay quiet until the weather turns warm again. That’s the word from town supervisor Susan Zimet and building inspector Stacy Delarede, who were reached during the chaos of moving town offices out to Clearwater Road as a snowstorm loomed.
Zimet confirmed that the developer had been issued a demolition permit to clear the lot for the new construction. Delarede explained that the expense of pouring cement in the cold weather — heaters are needed to ensure that it cures properly — will preclude the next phase of the operation for months to come. The inspector also said that no building permit has yet been issued, but with her files in transit, she was unable to cite the specific issues, if any, that may yet need to be resolved.
While the town’s Planning Board is officially finished with this project, it did come up again at the November 24 meeting. Chairman Michael Calimano noted that the Ulster County Department of Public Works (DPW) was curious about the inclusion of a crosswalk that will connect the hotel with the ShopRite plaza, as it will be several hundred feet from the intersection. That crosswalk was a condition of approval for the project, one that town engineer David Clouser feels should stay in place for safety reasons, and Calimano said he’d advise the DPW to that effect.
It boggles the mind that New Paltz will bicker endlessly about a “cross walk” to a shopping plaza that is:
1. Ugly
2. 80% Vacant
3. Does not meet ANY community, design, or aesthetic standards.
In order to complain about a good development that will add BETTER hotel rooms to town and our
tourism industry that probably accounts for about 70% of local business revenues. Tourism (which includes
events attached to SUNY) is THE driver here. That’s how the majority of our local business owners make
money, and that’s what pays our tax revenues!!!!
New Paltz SHOULD be demanding that the landlord/owners of Shop Rite Plaza REDEVELOP the plaza with new facades, a different parking lot alignment, more trees and landscaping and strong recruiting of business to the mostly empty plaza. And NO – a Dollar Discount Store is NOT the right use at that plaza. This town’s leadership needs to get real, real fast.
We should actually, in addition to this Hampton Inn, be tearing down the derelict 87 Motel and out parcel and
get an additional hotel developer going on that site as well. The backward thinking around here seriously makes me wonder…