Washingtonville Upbeat About This Year's Surge in Main Street Business

Another new business that will operate as an Event Venue will be locating in the right 1/3 of the spacious building now the home of Orange County Bagel Bakery and Washhingtonville Pharmacy. It's a satisfying accomplishment to have the building become such a success since it was built on the site of Betty's Country Kitchen which had been the Village's favorite longtime meet and greet restaurant and gathering place.

Along with some other good news, including a historic marker for their new Sewell Historic Park, Mayor Tom DeVinko announced that there is a Dentistry group that is taking a lease at the former TD Bank and has the benefit of the spacious municipal parking lot at its rear entrance. And, In addition to last week's FirehouseNY Grand Opening an Event Venue Group that will be setting up a business across from Veterans Square and adjacent to the Washingtonville Pharmacy and Orange County Bagel Bakery will be well situated with the Veterans Square Parking Lot across the street.. Meanwhile, a Louisiana Soul Food Truck in the Veterans Square Park is feeding lots of commuters, shoppers and people just stopping by to chat with a friend.

These businesses join a lengthy list of successful new businesses that established along both East & West Main Street over the past 2 years, including: Prizmatica Home Decor and Art Design Studio, Greek Brothers Restaurant next to F&J Pizza, Balanced Body & Spa, Meraki Art by Libuse, and the 2 locations of Amada's Kitchen (Tacos to Go, and Amada's new spacious Mexican Kitchen at Depot Street). And, it's just a hop skip and jump over to Brotherhood Plaza, where Body by Juli has lots of people busy with a big variety of scheduled fitness programs and showing they are determined to stay fit and healthy.

Mayor DeVinko also mentioned that the County's Local tax income is way up (at $11.9 Billion) and he has inquired to the County whether the Village will be receiving a portion of that increase.

Veterans Square is becoming an ideal place to stop and chat with friends, being a stone's throw from Sewell Park, the Washingtonville High School and Orange County Bagel Bakery (which has a nice outdoor area with tables).

The rise in new business had one issue of concern for some residents. Last month the Board voted to allow outdoor dining and display of merchandise. Several residents said they thought those businesses should be required to pay a street use fee since, they said, "The sidewalks actually belong to the residents". While the board stood fast, saying that outdoor displays encourage visiting shoppers which will already benefit the tax base and shows to people passing throughg the Village Center that the Village is alive and active. But several residents stood fast when at least one of the truck vendors had stuck a string of advertising signs along the side of Route 94, which is illegal. While these vendors pay a monthly fee to the Village for the ability to park at several spots, that does not entitle them to advertise along the roadside. Trustee Donna Jacaruso said she had not noticed the poster ads stuck along West Main Street but would take care of the issue, and indeed by the following day they were all gone.

In Other News

The Village has received a William G. Pomeroy Foundation Award for $2,050 that Village Historian Jeanne Versweyveld applied for with the purpose being to install a blue and gold historic marker at Naomi Sewell Richardson Historic Park, similar to the other historic markers in our area. In addition, Certified Boundary Surveying Services were approved for a study of topography and boundaries of the Park by Licensed Surveyor Gary R. Rich, not to exceed $4,500. Having been a flood plain site, this is a requirement that must be accomplished prior to any future use for village activities.

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