Red Hook middle school students tell planners they want more activities, safer walking and affordable housing

More than 200 seventh- and eighth-grade students at Linden Avenue Middle School participated in workshops this spring to give planners input for Red Hook’s Comprehensive Plan, according to the steering committee’s April 28 presentation.

Teachers Andrew Strawinski, Emma Armstrong and James Armstrong hosted the eight one-hour class sessions and the project team ran mapping and questionnaire exercises to gather student perspectives. The workshops included a map exercise and an anonymous questionnaire that asked students what would make them stay in town, what would make them leave, and what priorities the plan should address.

Students most frequently asked for “more things to do” in town — 41 students referenced more activities, entertainment or places to gather. One student response quoted in the report said, “I hope there are more trees and shopping places.” Students also emphasized preserving Red Hook’s small-town character: 17 students wrote that they wanted the town to remain mostly the same.

Recreation and open-space improvements were prominent: 24 students specifically requested upgrades to parks and sports facilities, highlighting the Red Hook Recreation Park (Rec Park), Poet’s Walk Park and the Red Hook Soccer Club Fields; suggestions included better field maintenance, more tennis courts and additional turf fields.

Walkability and connectivity were recurring concerns. Students asked for sidewalks and safer pedestrian routes between neighborhoods and town centers; Route 199 (between Route 9G and the Village of Red Hook) was cited as an unsafe but commonly used pedestrian corridor. One student said, “I hope it’s connected by sidewalks so you can walk anywhere with a lot of community places.”

Housing affordability and job opportunities were also raised as reasons students might leave Red Hook: the report notes 16 students mentioned housing costs and 15 cited limited local job prospects. As the presentation framed it, these findings suggest that housing diversity, affordability measures and local workforce strategies should be part of the Comprehensive Plan.

The steering committee’s report listed four key takeaways to carry into plan development: create more youth-friendly public spaces and programs, balance change with preservation of town character, improve non-motorized connectivity, and incorporate housing strategies that help retain young residents. Workshop #2 (May 17 at Rose Hill Farm) was promoted as the next public opportunity to review draft visions and goals that reflect these findings.