PHILMONT — The Village of Philmont announces that it has received more than $850,000 in state-funded grants thanks to the dedicated work of volunteers.
Volunteer Robin Andrews, appointed by Mayor Brian Johnson to lead the Comprehensive Plan Update Committee, was willing to try her hand on behalf of the village to support the Comprehensive Plan effort by applying for two grants: a $43,490 Smart Growth Community Planning and Zoning Grant and a $10,000 Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant. Trustee Jason Detzel volunteered his time to assist Robin,andtheirhardworkpaid off in a big way. The $53,490 in awards will go toward updating Philmont’s 20-year-old comprehensive plan.
Volunteers Robin Andrews, Nancy Meyers, Jeffrey French, Alison Hoppe, Bob Macfarlane, Nabal Camacho, and Volunteer High School Students Savina Marin and Owen Perry, along with Trustee Debra Gitterman are on the committee.
Trustee Gitterman volunteered her time to work with Spring Sutter and Christopher Russell, the owners of 56 Main Street (The Hopkins House), and Urban Vantage, an upstate Economic Development Consulting Firm, to complete a Restore New York Grant. The $800,000 award will go toward renovating the 5,070 sq. ft. former historic inn into a mixed-use building that will feature retail space on the first floor and four apartments on the upper two levels. The Hopkins House project is one of only 65 Restore NY (Round 6) projects awarded in all of New York State.
Volunteers Mark Rowntree, Lily Hindes, Stefan Ambrose, and Trustee Gitterman worked hard in the cold last days of December to complete the rebuild of the Summit Lake dock. Materials for this project, supplied by Herrington’s, were funded by a $500 mini-grant from the Columbia Land Conservancy, which Deputy Mayor Douglas Cropper and Trustee Gitterman applied for on behalf of the Village.
In addition to those 4 grants, volunteer Climate Smart Coordinator Tom Paino, and his volunteer Task Force Committee — Sarah Barton-King, Arthur King, Susan Michie, Alison Hoppe, Andrew Personette, Candace Christiansen and Trustee Gitterman — have brought in grant awards to date totaling $50,000 to reduce Philmont’s greenhouse gas production, while cutting electricity costs and shoring up village infrastructure. Volunteer Peter Johnson, through Patterns for Progress’s Main Street Makers courses, is learning skills and knowledge to help Philmont make tangible improvements to main street.
“We are so grateful to our volunteers for their tireless efforts in securing these grant awards,” said Mayor Brian Johnson. “Their hard work will have a positive impact on our community for years to come. On behalf of the Village of Philmont, I extend a heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who made these accomplishments possible.”
The Village of Philmont, incorporated in 1892 and once known as “Factory Hill” because of the number of wool factories, is home to approximately 1,000 residents occupying one-and-a-quarter square miles in the heart of Columbia County. We’re proud of our industrial history and engaged community. The Village website can be accessed at https://philmont.org/.
