Mayor's Message

First ARPA Community Events Grants Awarded

ADU Grant for Ulster County, Kingston & RUPCO

Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan Draft and Public Meeting - New Date!

City of Kingston Job Opportunities

Parking Restrictions for Upcoming Filming

Roadwork Update

Sound the Alarm Event

ARPA Small Business Grant Program - Deadline Extended to 3/24!

Mayor's Message:

Dear Friends -

This week we went door-to-door to remind Kingston businesses about our ARPA Small Business Grant Program, which awards $10,000 to businesses without a match. The deadline for applying has been extended to next Friday, March 24. I encourage all small businesses to get their applications in next week. We have $1 million dedicated to this program, which means 100 local businesses can get this funding. Don't miss out!

We also got out the first of our ARPA Community Events Awards out. We are thrilled to get this funding directly into the community to support the first of many wonderful events this year. Kingston has long been a city of events, which have been a draw to our area and a source of community pride and unity. Our goal with this program is to support as many local events and festivals as possible -- community groups are encouraged to apply!

Details on these and other ARPA programs at EngageKingston.com.

-Steve

First of ARPA Community Events Grants Awarded

The first Community Events grants have been awarded to Bardavon for their Spring, Summer and Fall Free Film series, and a live performance of Through the Fire at the UPAC theater. Bardavon will receive $5,000 for each event for a total of $20,000. The Kingston Uptown Business Association has been awarded $5,000 to support the 2023 Snowflake Festival.

The 2023 Community Events Grant Program is made possible with Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The City has allocated $375,000 to support local events occurring in 2023 as part of city-wide pandemic recovery efforts. Funding is available for events taking place through the end of December 2023. Grant applications will be accepted through Friday, November 1, 2023.

Nonprofit groups and businesses located within City limits are eligible to apply for up to five events per year at up to $5,000 per event, for a total of up to $25,000 per organization. Events must be free and open to the public. Events must take place in 2023, and must have either previously taken place prior to 2020, or if new, not duplicate pre-existing events and focus primarily on youth and families as the target audience. Preference will be shown to applications for events that focus primarily on youth and families as well as those that draw audiences from diverse backgrounds.

More information, a list of eligible expenses, and the application can be found at: www.engagekingston.com/arpa-community-events-grant-program. 

Ulster County, Kingston Awarded $1.75M Grant for ADU Program

The Ulster County, in partnership with RUPCO and the City of Kingston, has been awarded $1.75 million from the New York State Housing and Community Renewal to help implement the Plus One Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program, adapted locally as the Ulster County Plus One Home Program.

The program provides funding to create new code-compliant Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Homeowners that meet the low- and moderate-income threshold (earning 100% or less of Ulster County Area Media Income) can apply to receive up to $125,000 dollars for the construction or rehabilitation of an ADU. In exchange, the property owner will agree to rent the apartment at an affordable rate for a minimum of 10 years. The program will also provide a one-stop hub for assisting interested homeowners in the financing, designing, and permitting of an ADU. The Ulster County Plus One Home Program will be launched and accepting applications in the summer of 2023.

The term Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) refers to all forms of additional units on residential properties and may be either attached to the primary residence, such as a basement apartment, or detached from the primary residence such as a garage conversion or cottage. Among many other benefits, ADUs can provide rental income to homeowners and offer an affordable way for renters to live in residential neighborhoods or can help older residents age in place.

The program is part of the City of Kingston’s other initiatives to encourage the creation of ADUs in the City. The proposed Form-Based Code legalizes attached and detached ADUs citywide and clarifies ADU approval rules, including setbacks and parking requirements. In addition, the City of Kingston Common Council recently passed Local Law 1 to adopt the 421-F Property Tax Exemption for the creation of new attached ADUs. This will allow property owners to exempt a portion of the value of new ADUs from their assessment.

For more information, click here.

Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan Public Meeting Rescheduled

The City of Kingston has released a draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (PBMP). The plan will inform the City’s efforts to improve conditions for non-motorized transportation users, reduce vehicle congestion and emissions, and support a culture of health across the community.

City staff and consultants will present the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan draft at an in-person public informational meeting on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 6:00pm at City Hall. Live Spanish interpretation will be available.

Comments on the draft PBMP plan will be accepted until April 14 and can be made via an online form here, or emailed to eflynn@kingston-ny.gov.

More info at https://engagekingston.com/pedestrian-bicycle-master-plan

City of Kingston Job Opportunities

The City of Kingston has a number of job openings, including: Motor Equipment Mechanic, Motor Equipment Operator, Fire Inspector and a part-time evening Cleaner.

There are a number of upcoming Civil Service exams:

Account Clerk on April 15, 2023

Custodian on April 15, 2023

Receptionist on April 15, 2023

Environmental Educator & Sustainability Coordinator on April 22, 2023

Administrative Assistant on April 22, 2023

More information at https://kingston-ny.gov/employment

Parking Restrictions for Filming Next Week

Due to filming next week in various locations in Kingston, there will be parking restrictions in place from March 20-22, 2023.

From 11:59pm on Sunday, March 19 to 12:00pm on Wednesday, March 22, there will be no parking on the YMCA side of Pine Grove Ave between Broadway and Susan Street. During this time, there will be no parking on the cemetery side of Pine Grove Ave between Cemetery Lane and Mary’s Ave. There will be no parking in the median of Pine Grove Ave between Broadway and the YMCA entrance.

From 5:00am to 7:00pm on Monday, March 20, there will be no parking on either side of Cornell Street from Broadway to Smith Ave. There will be no parking on Ten Broeck Ave from Cornell Street to Grand Street. There will be no parking on Grand Street from Ten Broeck Ave to Smith Ave. There will also be intermittent traffic control in this area between noon and 6:00pm.

From 5:00am on Monday, March 20 through Wednesday, March 22 at 12:00pm, parts of the Cornell Street municipal parking lot will be closed. From 5:00am Monday, March 20 to 3:00am Tuesday, March 21, there will be no parking on the south side of Thomas Street.

From 6:00pm on Monday, March 20 to 3:00am on Tuesday, March 21, there will be a rolling roadblock on Route 9-W from the Delaware Ave exit through North Broadway in Port Ewen.

From 6:00am Tuesday, March 21 through 4:00am Wednesday, March 22, there will be no parking on either side of Broadway between Liberty St./Elmendorf St. and St. James St. There will be intermittent traffic control in these areas between 12pm on March 21 and 4:00am on March 22, 2023.

The Kingston Police and Fire Departments will have officers on-site for the duration of filming. More info here.

Roadwork Update: Central Hudson Gas Work to Begin

Next week, Central Hudson is expected to begin replacement of approximately 4,600 feet of gas lines in the City of Kingston. The project is estimated to take 3 months to complete. During the project, construction trenching will occur along:

• Fair St, between N Front St and Pearl St

• Main St, between Wall St and Clinton Ave

• Clinton Ave, between Main St and Albany Ave

• John St, between Green St and Clinton Ave

• Crown St, between N Front St and Green St.

Main installation will begin on or around Monday, March 20 on Crown Street between North Front Street and John Street. Please expect lane changes and road closures.

For more on Central Hudson gas work, see their project page.

Sound the Alarm - Free Smoke Alarm Installation

To mitigate the effects from home fires, the Kingston Fire Department and the American Red Cross will host a Sound the Alarm event off on Saturday, April 15, 2023 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center.

KFD and Red Cross volunteers will be installing smoke alarms in Kingston homes. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death from home fires in half. Sign up today! For more information or to schedule a free smoke alarm installation, please contact Red Cross's Eastern New York Preparedness Team at (518) 649-5121 or preparedness.eny@redcross.org.

ARPA Small Business Grant Program - Deadline Extended!

Mayor Noble has extended the application deadline for the ARPA Small Business Grant Program to March 24, 2023.

The City of Kingston has allocated $1,000,000 of its $17.3 million ARPA award to aid local businesses in responding to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19. 

Grant awards of up to $10,000 each will help businesses keep their doors open, protect local jobs threatened by the pandemic, support community recovery, and increase resiliency.  

The grant application has been extended to Friday, March 24, 2023. Further details and the application are available at Engage Kingston.