Pine Plains Town Board Takes Steps to Relocate Town Hall, Discusses Funding for Housing

The Pine Plains Town Board took a decisive step in its ongoing efforts to relocate and construct a new town hall, choosing an architecture and planning firm at its meeting on Thursday, July 18. The board also signaled its intent to pursue state funding for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

The decision to move forward with LaBella Associates, which is based in Rochester, N.Y., with locations across the United States and Europe, was made after a question-and-answer session on Monday. LaBella and CPL, another architecture firm, based in Poughkeepsie, provided details on their bids to design a new Town Hall on North Main Street, adjacent to the municipal parking lot. 

Pasquale Marchese, senior project manager at LaBella, and Richard Campagnala, the firm’s building code manager, presented to the board on Monday. “A municipal building for a small community must reflect the aesthetics of the rural area,” Marchese said. They informed the board that while a town hall could potentially be built for $500 per square foot, the presence of the police and court in the same building raises the cost to around $700-$750 per square foot due to additional security needs. Campagnala explained the rise in price, noting that police are considered essential services and a building that houses them must be disaster-proof. Another costly challenge is installing a septic system for the building, as the town lacks a central septic system for the business district.

LaBella estimated that, after its final plan is submitted and approved, construction would take a year to 15 months. The board voted 5-0 to move forward with the firm, which was also contracted to design a town hall for Tyre, N.Y. Once their final design is submitted, which could take several months, a 6,000-square-foot building at $750 per square foot would cost $4.5 million.

Public comments underscored additional pressing concerns for the town, with Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago raising the possibility that Pine Plains might still secure state funding for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These secondary houses share the lot of a primary residence, providing homeowners with the option to create a rental property or a secondary living space, potentially beneficial for older residents looking to rent out their main home.

“I had a discussion with [State Senator] Michelle Hinchey’s office, as well as the housing authority that is issuing the grants. It turns out there will be a third round of funding,” Drago said, referring to the state’s Plus One ADU program, for which the latest deadline passed in February. He noted that, unlike Columbia County, which received $2 million, Dutchess County did not receive any state money from the first or second rounds of funding from the program.

Drago noted that the funds might become available for applications later this year or early next year, potentially providing individual homeowners with over $100,000 to build or renovate an ADU on their property. “I’m pushing the county to apply on behalf of multiple municipalities,” he said. Any county or municipality in the state can apply for funding in partnership with a nonprofit housing organization that will administer the grant funds.

Board member Jeanine Sisco, who has participated in meetings on ADUs with officials from Amenia and Millerton, suggested collaborative efforts to secure county assistance. She noted, however, that the funding could not be used for short-term rental ADUs.

Additionally, during the meeting, board member Kevin Walsh reported on the cleanup of 41 Hoffman Road, where an explosion leveled the residence and killed homeowner Lawrence Pariseau, 61, in October 2021. 

The board also accepted the resignation from the Pine Plains Planning Board of Vikki Soracco. After an executive session lasting more than 30 minutes to discuss “personnel issues and possible litigation,” according to Town Supervisor Brian Walsh, the board appointed Scott Cavey as Soracco’s replacement. Cavey had been serving as an alternate member. The board asked for interested residents to apply for the now-vacant alternate position.

The board also approved the hiring of four counselors for the Pine Plains Summer Camp at $15 an hour.