Progress Report: Week of October 18-24

A kick-off meeting with PPS and the Hamlet Committee was held at the Hillsdale Town Hall on Monday, October 19. PPS presented the key issues we will work on during the initial phase. These items included a discussion of the format for a public meeting on November 7; interviews with stakeholders; an upcoming written questionnaire for a survey of public opinion. All are detailed below. Minutes of the Oct. 19 kick-off meeting will be available shortly, and will be posted to this blog.

Walking Tour: Following the kick off meeting, PPS and the Committee toured the Hamlet. Photographs were taken to record conditions for further study. In addition, the group scouted locations and picked five key sites. Participants at the Nov. 7 meeting will document existing conditions at those sites, and that will need to be addressed during the design process. The five sites are:
1. The intersection of Routes 23 and 23 including Maple Street and the area south of the intersection down to Stewart's and the Post Office,
2. Anthony Street down to the old Agway and the surrounding buildings.
3. The Town Hall, Veteran's Memorial, vacant lot across the street and the Hamlet Park.
4. Monument Square, including Hillsdale House, IGA, Library, Mt. Washington House, etc.
5. The entire Herrington complex including White Hill Lane.

Minutes of this site tour and photo documentation of existing conditions will be presented shortly by PPS.

Interviews: Using the Town Hall, PPS spent the afternoon of October 19 and all day October 20 conducting interviews with key individuals and stakeholders of the community in order to better understand the existing conditions and destinations, civic uses, opportunities for future development and what new destinations are needed. Stakeholders interviewed included Town and County officials, Planning Board members, Zoning Board members, key business owners and local Hamlet and Town property owners. For a list of all those who were interviewed, visit this link: http://plannerdocs.blogspot.com/2009/10/list-of-those-interviewed-by-pps-on-oct_25.html

Minutes of the interviews and a summary of ideas will be available shortly.