Ward 1 Residents Talk to the Mayor
Notes from a Ward 1 Listening Meeting Held on March 10, 2025
at the Kingston Alliance Church, 90 Millers Lane
Below is a summary of the discussion items brought forward by residents at the Ward 1 Listening meeting and Mayor Noble’s responses.
Stony Run / Tenant Protections / Building Safety Issues: Discussion was had about the status of the Stony Run development vis-à-vis its Emergency Tenant Protection Agreement (ETPA) status. Among the items discussed, the Mayor indicated that the City’s Regulatory Agreement with the stony Run property owners, which was enacted to protects tenants by turning a for-profit, market-rate housing complex into an affordable housing complex when the for-profit company faced bankruptcy and the impact on tenants was uncertain. At the time of the Agreement, all tenants living in their units were grandfather as part of the ETPA that had been enacted in Kingston. The transfer of ownership from a for-profit company to a non-profit Housing Development Corporation restricts rent increases for new tenants or those moving into new apartments to a percentage of their income.
The Mayor said that when the transfer of ownership occurred, the State Department of Housing and Community Renewal required that notice of the change of status be provided to tenants and that the tenants receive a copy of the owners’ application for Exemption from the ETPA based on the Regulatory Agreement with the City, which governs the regulation of the apartment complex for the next 40 years. The notice was not sent to tenants at that time, so they are receiving it now.
The Mayor also indicated that the City’s Rent Stabilization status is currently in front of the NYS Court of Appeals and will be heard on May 15th. If the Court decides not to continue ETPA protections, tenants will still be protected from eviction and will have limited rent increases due to the City’s Good Cause Eviction Law.
There was also discussion of the City’s upcoming Vacancy Study, which determines whether the City has a housing emergency based on a residential vacancy rate of 5% of less. A vacancy study is required to be done every three years and is now up for renewal. When asked whether the City is required to do this when NYS law doesn’t require this, the Mayor responded that both Newburgh and Poughkeepsie requests for ETPA protection were not honored because their studies were done differently, so it is in Kingston’s interest to maintain its due diligence by doing the study. As indicated above, even if the City’s tenants are not protected by ETPA, tenants are still protected from eviction by the City’s Good Cause Eviction Law.
Tenants also brought up issues related to Building Safety, including building inspections that to their knowledge have not taken place since the new owners bought the property. They asked whether a Building Inspector could attend a tenants meeting to provide information about what is constitutes a Building Safety violation.
The Mayor encouraged people to first contact the Property Management Office, and if no action is taken or if a potentially unsafe condition exists, to contact the Building Safety Department (845) 331-1217, report a complaint at www.kingston-ny.gov/311, or contact Ward 1 Alderwoman Sara Pasti at (845) 392-2519 or ward1@kingston-ny.gov.
Last, when asked about low-rent housing for seniors, the Mayor said that there are 165 senior housing units being built at the Golden Hill complex that is now in construction and scheduled for completion in November 2025. A lottery will be held for those units, with preference given to Kingston residents.Possible Dog Park in Forsyth Park: A question was asked about whether a dog park is still in the City’s plans when funding permits. The Mayor responded that yes, a dog park in Lower Forsyth Park near the Nature Center is possible, though it will depend on whether funding is available going forward.
Deitz Stadium: A resident asked about why the gate to the stadium was found closed during open hours. The Mayor responded that it was locked due to dangerous snow and ice on the track, which might not be apparent when viewed from the gate. The Mayor also indicated that the School District, which is the largest user of the Stadium, is working on increasing staffing during the 3-10pm time period as well as installing more cameras. One resident also asked about the posting of Stadium activities, which the Mayor said are now online. Here is a link to the Dietz Stadium Calendar
Pike Plan: A question was asked as to how long the removal of the Pike Plan will take once deconstruction begins. The Mayor indicated that it will take 6-8 weeks to deconstruct, which will be done in stages along with needed repairs to buildings once the canopies are removed.
Golf Carts / Bike Wheelies / and Speeding on Millers Lane: In response to residents’ complaints, the Mayor encouraged people to note the color, make, and direction of the vehicles as well as the vehicle owners if known. All violations should be reported promptly to the Police Dispatch Line at (845) 331-1671. Police officers are now ticketing speeders when they see them, not simply issuing warnings. So if you see something, say something!
Double Parking on North Front Street: In response to concerns about double parking on North Front Street, the Mayor said that there is now a dedicated Traffic Safety Unit of two officers. Between January 24th and March 7th, they issued 1,000 tickets, compared to a total of 1,700 in 2024.
Dog Waste on Private Lawns: Residents expressed concerns about dog owners who have leashes of up to 20 feet for their dogs, permitting them to run far into people’s lawns to do their business so the owners don’t pick up the waste. The Mayor indicated that a public education program could address this by posting the required leash length, dog owner rules, and the number of the dog warden. He indicated that this could be addressed in an upcoming Mayor’s Weekly Newsletter.
Speeding on Mountain View, Miller’s Lane, and Dunneman: Several residents described consistent speeding on these streets and asked whether speed tables could be installed. The Mayor said that speed tables can be problematic due to water drainage issues that can lead to flooding, and also said that the noise created by vehicles going over the speed tables can be disruptive to neighbors. One resident noted that in some locations, ‘pretend’ speed bumps have been painted on roadways to slow down drivers. The Mayor said that he will look into this. The Mayor also said that the City’s portable speed radar signs can also be placed on these and other streets in the City to provide feedback to drivers and the City can measure speeds.
Abandoned Houses: Several residents asked about vacant houses in the ward and what the City does to address abandoned homes. The Mayor said that property owners are charged a vacant building fee of $10,000/year, with serious building safety violations charged at a rate of $1,000/day. The City has a process by which it can take abandoned properties when an owner walks away, but the process can take some time as owners and heirs must be tracked down and properly noticed before that can happen. 305 Lucas Avenue is one of the abandoned houses on the City’s acquisition list.
No Parking Here To Corner Signs on Browning Terrace: Residents said that the existing signs are parallel to the road, which means that they are not easily seen, and people end up parking where they should not. Can those signs be turned so they are like the other signs on the street?
Lucas Avenue Water and Sewer Line Replacements: Residents asked about the new water and sewer lines that were previously mentioned to them. The Mayor responded that while Lucas Avenue does need new water and sewer lines, this cannot be done in the short-term as the costs are likely to exceed $15 million, so grant funding needs to be sought to make this possible.
Water Drainage/Flooding on Dunneman: One resident says that water runoff from Dunneman runs directly onto her property. The Mayor said that this happens because the driveway is lower than the curb on the street, so the driveway isn’t protected by a curb. The homeowner said that installing a curb/speed bump at the end of her driveway to channel the water away from her property would be fine with her. The Mayor said that the City can add this item to this year’s paving list.
Regular Ward 1 Meetings: One resident asked whether Ward 1 meetings could be held twice a year. Alderwoman Pasti said yes.
List of Follow-Up Items for the City:
Include information about dog walking etiquette in an upcoming Mayor’s Weekly Newsletter and on the City’s website.
Consider painting “pretend speed bumps” on busy roadways like Mountainview, Miller’s Lane, and Dunneman.
Add Mountainview, Miller’s Lane, and Dunneman to the City’s queue for portable speed radar signs.
Turn the “No Parking Here To Corner” signs on Browning Terrace so they face drivers entering the street from Miller’s Lane.
Add a curb at the head of the driveway(s) on Dunneman Lane where the driveway is lower than the existing curbs.
Important Informantion for Ward 1 residents:
To submit a complaint to the Kingston Police:
Call the KPD Dispatch Line at
(845) 331-1671
To submit a complaint about
road or building safety conditions:
Text 311 with photos,
report a complaint at
www.kingston-ny.gov/311
or call the
Building Safety Department at
(845) 331-1217.
To reach your Ward 1 Alderwoman:
Contact Sara Pasti at
(845) 392-2519 or
ward1@kingston-ny.gov.