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Kingston council approves budget transfers, land-bank sale; Pike Plan canopy removal clears vote
Summary
At its Feb. 4 meeting the Kingston Common Council approved a series of routine budget transfers, a land-bank property sale for affordable homeownership development, and a bond to remove the Pike Plan canopies in Uptown; the Pike Plan removal passed 6–2 and the canopy bond passed 6–3.
The Kingston Common Council on Feb. 4 approved a set of routine budget transfers and land-use items, and it voted to remove the Pike Plan canopies in Uptown Kingston and to authorize a bond to fund that work.
Most administrative measures passed unanimously. Resolutions 13, 14, 15 and 16 — budget transfers for Building & Safety ($1,746.76), Parks & Recreation ($3,232,950), Fire Department ($492,552.89) and City Clerk’s judgments and claims ($70,000) — passed by voice vote, each recorded as adopted 8 to 0. The council also approved a 2025 resolution supporting continued and increased state aid for local governments (Resolution 17) by an 8–0 vote.
In housing and land-use business, the council approved the Kingston City Land Bank’s purchase of 46 Grand Street (Resolution 26). The Land Bank proposes stitching the parcel to an adjacent lot to support development of 12 to 14 condominiums for homeownership; the land bank told the council one of the units would be priced at 60% of area median income (AMI) and the remainder at 80% AMI, according to the proposal discussed during the meeting. The council’s recorded vote on that resolution was 8–0.
The council also considered and adopted a finding of no significant environmental impact and a separate bond ordinance for removing the Pike Plan canopies on North Front Street and Wall Street (Resolutions 27 and 28). Resolution 27 (negative declaration for canopy demolition) passed 6–2; the council recorded alderwomen Mickens and Tierney as the dissenting votes. The bond ordinance (Resolution 28) authorizes up to $1,200,000 for canopy removal and related work; the bond passed 6–3 on the roll call recorded at the meeting.
Other traffic and administrative ordinances (Resolutions 20–25) — including multiple parking changes, a traffic ordinance amendment and an appointment to the Board of Assessment Review — were handled with little discussion and passed by unanimous votes recorded 8–0.
Alderman Michael Tierney spoke at length during debate on the Pike Plan canopies, arguing the structure is a defining Uptown feature and calling for a clear streetscape master plan before full removal. “Why do we wanna sand away the edges from what makes our city unique and special?” Tierney said, and he recorded a no vote on the negative declaration.
The meeting also included public comments on other city matters, including requests to re-open a waterfront visitors center and parking concerns in the Rondout waterfront district. The council adjourned to its next regular meeting scheduled for March 4, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
