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The Town of Lloyd, once a part of the of New Paltz until the 1840s, and Marlborough are neighbors that share Ulster County’s southeastern shore with the Hudson River. And it’s the river, with its natural attractive beauty, and the farmlands, above the bluffs inland, that form the economic backbones of both towns, with a combined population of about 20,000.
“The towns’ economic base derives predominantly from agricultural products, especially apples, and agri-tourism,” said Tim Weidemann, Ulster County’s director of economic development. Both towns are marked by a hilly spine, known as the Marlboro Mountains, separating the Hudson River from a valley formed by the Wallkill River, about 10 miles west.
And with this natural beauty in mind, Lloyd Supervisor Dave Plavchak wants grow business, especially retail. Plavchak would also like a new hotel in town to make Lloyd a bigger destination. But infrastructure is a challenge, so sewer lines would need to run south from near Route 299, where there is a treatment plant, along the Hudson River in order for this to happen.
“One of major things we need to do is extend our infrastructure,” he said, “and I am talking about water and sewer. That has been a detriment.”
The Walkway over the Hudson, which is anchored in Ulster County in Lloyd, is attached to a rail trail that passes a few blocks away from Highland’s hamlet business district. But Plavchak thinks there has been minimal impact by the Walkway because there are few other attractions and avenues to get people to local businesses.
“They use the rail trail, and some come off, but not as many as initially expected,” he said.
But for Doreen Browning, of the Kiltmaker’s Apprentice, the Walkway and the rail trail have helped feed interest in her local, specialized business.
Browning said her shop is popular in the region by serving the needs of many drum and fife bands. She also gets clients from other parts of the world who need a rental for special occasions in places such as New York City.
“It’s a nice town to be in, and we attract a surprising amount of people into town simply because of what we are,” she said. “It’s a very niche business. We’ve had people come up on the train, walk across the Walkway to come into the shop.” Being on the edge of the New York City metro area, with a direct rail connection to the Manhattan, benefits Browning's business.
Housing in Lloyd and Marlborough, like much of the area and nation, has been impacted of late. During COVID, as New York City residents rushed north to safety, Ulster County became a haven, and new apartments, renting for more than $2,000-a-month and just a short journey from the Walkway, were quickly filled. Some new housing however is on the way.
Not far south on Route 9W, a senior assisted living facility with 194 standalone units, some 1,200-1,400 square feet in size, is being constructed on a hill across from Hannaford’s plaza. On another part of town a 162-house subdivision is half complete – as the demand for housing continues to grow.
“COVID drove up demand,” said Plavchak. “We don’t have enough housing for the people who want to move here.”
The rail trail, which connects to New Paltz, is a popular local attraction for walking and biking. A parking area on New Paltz Road, not far from Highland’s business district, has been the site of festivals celebrating the town’s history and agricultural heritage. Plavchak wants to continue and growth these kinds of events to enhance town businesses.
Business can be helped with coordinated marketing initiatives, and Meet Me in Marlborough is just such an initiative. The initiative helps the town by promoting festivals and other events in town and and assists in business development.
“Meet Me in Marlborough’s agri-tourism initiative continues to grow with more businesses opening and our members expanding” said Sheila Mannese of the Meet Me marketing organization. “Current operations include pick your owns, farm stands/markets, breweries, workshops, wine pairing dinners, food trucks, live events, live music and attractions such as line dancing, trivia nights,” said Mannese.
The hamlet of Marlboro (located in the town of Marlborough), straddles Route 9w and has traffic pushing through going north and south. This central location between the small cities of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie has helped SC Designs and Apparel, a family business founded by Mark and Melinda Ciaglia 12 years ago. Located in Marlboro, leading west out of the hamlet, they produce designs and apparel for local sports teams and other specialized items.
“It’s a good place to live. We started our business over 10 years ago and we’re still chugging along,” said Mark Ciaglia. “We do a lot of Marlboro sports teams, but we are also getting into Highland, Newburgh, travel teams, Boy Scouts, all kinds of civic organizations.”
On both sides of the small ridgeline are winding roads leading to orchards, breweries, distillers, restaurants and a pair of dominant resorts. The Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa is a growing business that includes a bakery about a mile south in Milton’s hamlet business district in northern Marlborough.
In Lloyd, on Route 44/55 leading to orchards facing the Shawangunk ridgeline is another resort, the Rocking Horse Ranch, a western-themed venue that has been an economic mainstay in town for decades.
In addition to agri-tourism and resorts, both towns have some light industry including businesses Sonotek and Brooklyn Bottling in Marlborough and Caraway Tea and Zumtobel Staff Lighting in Lloyd.
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