Friday, September 26, 2025 - In this issue: | | City Wins Pike Plan Judgment | | 2026 CDBG Process Has Begun | | KCSD Joins City in Passing Housing Tax Incentives | | Mayor Noble Featured in NYSEC Video | | LYE Parklet Event on Saturday | | Mayor Noble's Upcoming Listening Tour Meetings | | Weekly Roadwork/Infrastructure Update | | City of Kingston Board & Commission and Job Opportunities | | |
Mayor's Message:
Dear Friends -
I want to congratulate my Corporation Counsel Barbara Graves-Poller on her recent victory in the appellate court. We can now move forward with our demolition plans for the Pike Plan canopies in Uptown Kingston. With this decision, we will be issuing an RFP to find a contractor for the demolition of the canopies. We expect that demo will begin in winter 2026. All precautions will be made to create as little disruption as possible to the adjacent buildings and businesses.
As we have stated many times, the Pike Plan canopies have come to the end of their useful life, and the safety of our residents is our utmost concern.
-Steve
| | City Wins Pike Plan Judgment | |
The appellate judges for the State Supreme Court have ruled in favor of the City of Kingston in the Pike Plan case.
In August 2024, the Kingston Common Council approved $1.2 million to remove the City-owned sidewalk canopies along portions of Wall Street and North Front Street. The City will now expend this funding for the removal of the structure, repairs to building façades, and new lighting that will better illuminate the sidewalks and storefronts.
Mayor Noble said, “During the full year that this litigation halted our progress on removal of the Pike Plan, there have been near-tragic incidents and further deterioration of the structure. If we look at the portion that was damaged beyond repair and quickly removed at 300 Wall Street, we can see the real benefits of removal. The building’s façade has been fully repaired and returned to its former glory. I look forward to seeing all of the façades and storefronts similarly restored.”
| 2026 CDBG Process Has Begun | | |
The City of Kingston is beginning the process of forming its Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Action Plan. The City of Kingston, in accordance with its Citizen Participation Plan, will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 6:00pm. The purpose of the public hearing is to gather citizens' views regarding the planning and implementation of community needs and the priorities as laid out in the 2024-2028 Five Year Consolidated Plan.
Groups and organizations operating within the City of Kingston may request CDBG funding for eligible programs situated within the City. Applications will be available beginning Friday, October 3, 2025, and can be obtained on the City’s website here, as well as at the Community Development Office, Ground Floor, City Hall, 420 Broadway, Kingston, NY. Examples of eligible activities and a list of threshold criteria are included in the application packet.
Applications will be due by 12:00pm on Monday, November 3, 2025, at the Community Development Office or emailed to Amee Peterson at apeterson@kingston-ny.gov.
New and previous applicants and sub-recipients are encouraged to attend the public hearing, contact the Office of Community Development for questions and technical assistance and attend the informational meeting to discuss eligible programs, process, and application requirements.
Public Hearing:
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 5:00pm
Informational Sessions:
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 12:00pm
Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 5:00pm
Public Hearing and Community Development Advisory Committee meetings will be held in person at City Hall.
For more information, visit the Community Development webpage.
| | School Board Passes Housing Exemptions | | |
The School Board joins the City of Kingston in passing the 421-P and 421-P*2 Tax Exemptions.
The legislation was part of a package of property tax exemptions encouraging new housing development that the Kingston Common Council adopted in August 2024. The City of Kingston was the first municipality in New York State to opt into the new law. With the School Board’s actions, the Kingston School District is the first school district in the state to opt into these exemptions.
Mayor Noble said, “I want to thank the School Board for passing this vital housing legislation, which will spur the creation of much needed housing. We set an ambitious goal of approving units 1,000 units of housing in Kingston by 2029, and we hope this will help us achieve that goal. This two-pronged legislation supports homeowners to create additional housing on their property as well as developers to build or redevelop larger housing projects. We encourage the Ulster County legislature to work together to pass 421-P on the County level.”
Kingston City School District Superintendent Paul Padalino said, “Lack of adequate proper housing has an impact on our entire community, especially our young people. These measures help ensure more families get access to a stable home, offering students a foundation for mental and emotional security, which is essential for academic success.”
The legislation has two components: 421-P Tax Exemption for New Multifamily housing and 421-P*2 Tax Exemption for New Accessory Dwelling Units. In May 2024, Mayor Noble proposed passing these exemptions after the New York State budget allowed municipalities to partially exempt new ADUs from taxation for 10 years (100% exempt during the first five years, with the exemption percentage declining over the subsequent five years) and allowed the exemption for newly constructed or converted rental units with at least 10 units that guarantee at least 25% of the units are affordable.
421-P Tax Exemption for New Housing allows municipalities to exempt newly constructed or converted rentals properties with multiple dwelling units from taxation and ad valorem levies. To qualify for tax exemption, the new structure must have 10 or more rental units and have been built on vacant or underutilized land. At least 25% of the units in the structure must be affordable to households between 60-80% AMI, and none of these affordable units may have households with more than 100% AMI. Construction must take place after the effective date of the local law. Qualifying properties receive a full exemption during construction (up to 3-years) and an additional 25-year period of decreasing exemptions for the improvements made (beginning with a 96% exemption in the first year after construction and then decreasing by 4% year thereafter). Further, at no point does an eligible project pay less in property taxes than it did prior to receiving the exemption.
The 421-P*2 Tax Exemption for New Accessory Dwelling Units allows municipalities to exempt newly constructed accessory dwelling units from taxation for a 10-year period. To qualify for tax exemption, the attached or detached ADU must be a new unit that provides independent living facilities, as defined in the City’s form-based code. ADUs cannot be used as short-term rentals. Construction must take place after the effective date of the local law.
Director of Housing Initiatives Bartek Starodaj said, “The housing shortage affects many of the families and students served by our School District, and we know that the quality and stability of a child’s housing deeply influence their health and academic success. These exemptions not only expand our tax base but also encourage the development of much-needed new housing. I thank Superintendent Padalino and the Kingston School Board of Education for recognizing the vital role they play in supporting and incentivizing this growth.”
More information on 421-P can be found here (421-P for multifamily dwellings) and here (421-P*2 for ADUs).
These exemptions complement other City initiatives to encourage new housing, including the ADU Plus One Grant program, the ADU design competition, and the City’s new zoning code.
| | City's Green Practices Featured in NYSDEC video | | |
Mayor Noble was featured in a recent NYS Department of Environmental Conservation video.
Local governments buy lots of products to meet the needs of their community, which is why DEC runs the Green Purchasing Communities program to help municipalities choose more sustainable products. These items, such as green cleaning products and zero emission equipment, help protect the health and safety of all community members while also conserving our resources.
Click below to watch the video.
| | Kingston Parklet Event on Saturday | | Join neighbors at the LYE parklet at Wall Street & Franklin Ave for music on Saturday, September 27 at 4:00pm. Stay tuned for more events in this pop-up community space! | |
Mayor Noble's Listening Tour Meetings | | |
Mayor Noble, along with Council members from each ward, is hosting monthly ward meetings to meet with residents and hear their concerns.
The two remaining meeting dates have been announced:
Ward 8
with Alderman Steve Schabot
Monday, October 20, 2025
5:30pm
Albert Brown Community Center (former Rondout Center), 105 Broadway
Ward 9
with Alderwoman Michele Hirsch
Monday, November 17, 2025
5:30pm
Immanuel Lutheran Church, 22 Livingston Street
| | Roadwork/Infrastructure & Road Closures Update | | |
Albany Avenue ADA sidewalks– State DOT is removing and replacing sidewalks in various locations throughout Kingston, including along Albany Avenue, Ulster Avenue, and Route 32. The lane closures along Albany Avenue are causing delays. Seek alternate routes.
Paving– this week, milling was completed but, due to weather, paving has been pushed to Monday on the following streets:
Dubois Street from Newkirk Avenue to Maple Street
Hasbrouck Avenue from Newkirk Avenue to the end
Maple Street from Dubois Street to Murray Street
Newkirk Avenue from Maple Street to Hasbrouck Avenue
Route 9-W paving– NYSDOT will pave 4.7-miles of Route 9W between Canal Street in Port Ewen and State Route 32 in the Town of Ulster as well as the ramps at Delaware Avenue starting next week.
Central Hudson– gas projects are currently wrapped up in Kingston. Central Hudson will have another round of paving in mid-October in the Cedar Street neighborhood.
Loughran Park pickleball/tennis court improvement– courts are being paved.
The weekly roadwork update can be found on the City website here.
| | Pickleball court paving and construction | | City of Kingston Job and Board/Commision Opportunities | | |
The City of Kingston is hiring! The following positions are currently open:
For more information on civil service exams and job opportunities, please visit https://kingston-ny.gov/employment
The following civil service exams are scheduled:
The City has over 25 boards & commissions, and we're always looking for volunteers to serve the community. The following currently have openings:
- Ulster County Planning Board (Kingston rep)
- Board of Water Commissioners
- Ethics Board (Republican or non enrolled)
- Conservation Advisory Council
- Zoning Board of Appeals
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Waterfront Advisory Board - deadline is Tuesday, September 30!
Find the application at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards.
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The Kingston 311 app, website, and phone system allow residents to quickly and easily report issues and submit service requests.
The Kingston 311 app, available for Android & iPhones, is a fast and simple way to connect to City officials in non-emergency situations. Photos can be attached to illustrate service orders.
This system is a valuable resource to submit municipal service requests. Examples include:
- Streetlight replacement
- City signage, including overgrowth blocking traffic signs
- Snow removal, reporting parking violations, and other snow issues
- Parks & playground repairs
- Report graffiti or vandalism
- Trail issues
Dial 311 from any phone within City limits to reach us, use the app or visit www.kingston-ny.gov/311/
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Sent on behalf of:
Mayor Steven T. Noble
845.334.3902
mayor@kingston-ny.gov
The purpose of this newsletter is to share important information, project updates, pictures and news from the City of Kingston. For more detailed information, visit:
www.kingston-ny.gov
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