A combined village and town hall in Delhi has been proposed.
Delhi village Mayor Jeffrey Gearhart went before the Delaware County Economic Development committee Wednesday, Feb. 7, to talk about the need for a combined facility and suggested the old Wickham Sales building on Bridge Street. The former car dealership is owned by the county and has been used as part of the DPW campus.
Gearhart said after he was sworn in as a trustee, the village’s code enforcement officer gave him a long list of tasks that needed to be done to the Village Hall building, including replacing the furnace and front steps. The discussion basically alluded to the fact that the village needed a new building, but it’s difficult to find suitable properties in the village, he said.
A discussion with then-town supervisor Mark Tuthill revealed there was also a need for a new town hall, an idea supported by the new town supervisor, Maya Boukai, he said. “We have looked at different parcels throughout the village and one piece of property has drawn our interest,” he said.
That is the Wickham building that houses the Department of Public Works maintenance shop. Since the county already owns the property, it is off the tax rolls, so using it for a joint town and village hall would not hurt the village or the town’s property taxes. The village and town halls would then be sold and put back on the tax rolls.
The new municipal building would still be within walking distance for residents, he said.
Another reason for the consolidated building is convenience for residents. “We’re constantly sending people to the town hall for things and they’re doing the same,” he said.
The discussion is in its initial stages, he said. He went before the committee to hear their thoughts and “what it would take to make it a reality,” he said. “It’s going to need to be a community effort with the county, village and town working together.”
Gearhart said there is state funding to move courts and police departments and funding to municipalities to combine services.
Gearhart also came before the committee to discuss potential development along Page Avenue between Gallant Avenue and Bridge Street. He said he’d like to see the area developed with housing or mixed-use buildings.
Bovina Town Supervisor and board Chair Tina Molé said someone is interested in buying the old Department of Public Works building and developing it and she would give his contact information to Gearhart. Gearhart said after the meeting he would “love to sit down with him and anyone else” who wants to help the village meet its goals in regards to housing.
“There is a great need for housing in the village,” he said. “One of the biggest complaints, especially from employees at the college, county and hospital is that there is no place for people to live. People have to travel half an hour to find a place to live to work in Delhi.”
Molé said she would like the planning director’s input about the area sought for development because there might be issues with the soil.
Chief Planner Kent Manuel said the lot was once a mill pond and millrace, and the stability of the lot was in question when the county was looking for sites to build the new DPW and Planning Department building. He also said the committee would need DPW’s input about the old Wickham building because the facilities housed in the building are not planned to be moved to another location.