Foreword.............................................................................. v

The Planning Process....................................................... v

What is a Comprehensive Plan?........................................ vi

Organization of the Plan................................................... vi

The Community – an Overview.............................................. 1

Natural Resources................................................................. 3

Water.............................................................................. 3

Groundwater Resources and Aquifers.......................... 3

Surface Water Resources........................................... 7

Floodplains ................................................................ 8

Soil................................................................................ 11

Prime Farmland Soils................................................ 13

Mine-able Soils......................................................... 15

Topography.................................................................... 16

Scenic Resources........................................................... 18

Special Resources........................................................... 20

Wetlands.................................................................. 20

Forest Lands............................................................ 21

Wildlife.................................................................... 21

Historic & Cultural Resources.............................................. 23

Poestenkill’s Past............................................................ 23

Sites and Buildings of Historical Significance.................... 24

Archaeological Resources............................................... 27

Cultural Resources.......................................................... 30

Poestenkill Public Library.......................................... 30

Poestenkill Historical Society..................................... 31

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.................................. 32

Dyken Pond Environmental Center............................ 32

Barberville Falls Nature Preserve.............................. 32

Geiser Preserve........................................................ 33

Boy Scout Troop 528 & Camp Rotary

Scout Reservation............................................ 33

Poestenkill Folk Music Society................................... 33

Hollywood Drive-In.................................................. 34

Religious and Philanthropic Institutions....................... 34

Housing............................................................................... 35

General Housing Characteristics...................................... 35

Housing Market Conditions and

Recent Housing Activity............................................ 36

Transportation..................................................................... 40

Highways and Roads...................................................... 40

State Highways........................................................ 41

County Highways..................................................... 42

Town Highways....................................................... 44

Travel Behavior.............................................................. 46

Other Modes of Transportation........................................ 47

Infrastructure....................................................................... 51

Water............................................................................ 51

Sewer............................................................................ 53

Electricity....................................................................... 55

Natural Gas.................................................................... 56

Telephone/Fiber Optic..................................................... 57

Cable/Broadband............................................................ 57

Local Economy................................................................... 58

Regional Economic Context............................................. 58

Labor Force Characteristics............................................ 59

Income Levels................................................................ 60

Businesses in the Town of Poestenkill.............................. 61

Natural Products............................................................. 63

Agriculture............................................................... 63

Forestry................................................................... 67

Mining...................................................................... 69

Municipal and Other Services.............................................. 71

Town Government.......................................................... 71

Town Planning and Zoning.............................................. 71

Fiscal Trends............................................................ 72

Property Tax Base.................................................... 74

Town Facilities and Services...................................... 75

Schools.......................................................................... 76

Fire & Ambulance.......................................................... 77

Law Enforcement........................................................... 78

Recreation...................................................................... 78

Land Use and Zoning........................................................... 82

General Development Patterns........................................ 82

Overview of Land Use Code........................................... 86

Residential...................................................................... 86

Mixed-Use..................................................................... 88

Commercial/Light Industrial............................................. 88

Natural Products............................................................. 88

Flood-Fringe Overlay District........................................... 90

Planned Development District.......................................... 91

Other Land Use Provisions.............................................. 91

Goals and Proposed Actions & Policies............................... 93

Vision Statement............................................................. 93

Goals............................................................................. 93

Plan Implementation........................................................ 94

Periodic Review............................................................. 95

Goals and Objectives....................................................... 96

Action Plan Matrix........................................................ 110

Appendices

A. Demographics......................................................... 115

Population............................................................... 115

Comparative Population Change............................... 115

Comparative Racial Makeup.................................... 116

Comparative Age Makeup....................................... 116

Household Projections............................................. 117

Households by Type................................................ 117

Educational Attainment............................................ 117

Labor Force Data................................................... 118

Resident Employment by Industry............................ 118

Resident Employment by Occupation........................ 119

Resident Commutation Patterns............................... 119

Income Data........................................................... 120

Comparative Data: Town, County,

State & Nation.................................................. 120

Housing Data.......................................................... 121

Age of Housing....................................................... 121

Residence in 1995 for the Population........................ 122

Poestenkill Census Designated Place........................ 123

B. Soils Chart.............................................................. 125

C. Summary of Report Findings on the

Town Landfill.................................................... 130

D. 1997 Town of Poestenkill Questionnaire.................. 133

E. Public Workshop #1.............................................. 136

F. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities

& Threats and Needs Analysis..................... 142

G. Public Hearing #1 Minutes..................................... 145

H. Public Hearing #2 Minutes.................................... 148

Acronyms used in this Document........................................ 150

Natural Resources

Physical characteristics and natural resources have played an important role in the development of the Town of Poestenkill. Significant natural features include topography, geology, soils, water resources, and wetlands.

Water

Water is perhaps the most important natural resource in the town of Poestenkill. It helped shape the development of the land by providing water power for industry, a valley to climb the Rensselaer Plateau escarpment to allow the development of eastern Poestenkill, and an ample supply of water to the wells that supply most of the houses and businesses in the town. It has also created damage during periods of flooding, some of which is in the recent past.

Groundwater Resources and Aquifers

An aquifer is a body of rock or soil deposit that is porous enough to conduct groundwater and to yield significant quantities of water to wells and springs. The Poestenkill Aquifer is located in the towns of Brunswick, North Greenbush, Poestenkill, and Sand Lake and covers 17.5 square miles. According to the Rensselaer County Water Quality Committee, approximately 89% of households in this area have wells and 47% have septic systems. Aquifers, being underground, are especially vulnerable to contamination from development above them and are nearly impossible to treat once contaminated. The Poestenkill Aquifer is vulnerable to the effects of agricultural and urban runoff, septic effluent overflow, the leaching of priority organics from landfills, and the demands of development on the presently unknown underground water capacities.

The Town Aquifer Protection Committee drafted a groundwater protection ordinance for the Town of Poestenkill in 1994. The purpose of the ordinance was to preserve and maintain the quality of groundwater in the Town. Rensselaer County had some concerns with it and for various reasons the Town Board never adopted it.

In 1995, the Town Board contracted with Spectra Environmental Group, Inc. to conduct a surficial geological and hydrogeological study of the Town of Poestenkill. The purpose of the project was to provide reference information upon which decisions regarding natural resources and land management could be made. Of particular concern was the identification and protection of groundwater resources. Elements of the study included field mapping of the surficial (soil) deposits, an inventory of water and well records from the Rensselaer County Health Department, and sampling and analysis of well waters selected for diversity of geologic setting.

Map 1: Water Resources

Based on the limited study, the consultants concluded that the natural water quality in Poestenkill is generally good:

The Town appears to have adequate and in many places abundant groundwater for household, commercial and, if necessary, public supply. Remediation of reported groundwater quality deterioration is indicated where long-term and crowded housing development has impacted the surficial aquifer. A review of options and costs of public supply and sewerage should be undertaken. The Town should be aware of efforts ongoing in Sand Lake to study feasibility of public water supply.^[1]

Correspondence from Allan Randall, a hydrologist working in Sand Lake notes that the first step in planning for public water supply and/or sewers would be to determine what areas would be served by the utilities. The Town would also need to solicit cost estimates and evaluate potential sources of municipal water supply, taking into consideration not only the amount of water available but also the distance to the service area and the land uses above the aquifer: “Planning for future public water supply and sewers cannot be separated from planning for future density of development. Requiring low density will make future public water supply and sewage unaffordable. Conversely, allowing high density will... eventually require public water supply and sewers whether or not they are affordable.”

The Spectra study did not investigate contamination of the water supply and water quality remains an issue in some areas of the Town. Hydrologist Allan Randall notes, for example, that contamination of private wells from on-lot septic systems is likely in two circumstances: where shallow wells tap surficial sand and gravel (e.g., near Deer Creek Road), and in upland areas of thin till and numerous bedrock outcrops (e.g., east of Weatherwax Road from Snyders Corners Road south to the Algonquin Middle School). The risk of water quality degradation could be reduced by providing municipal sewers in these areas; however, this option would have to be carefully evaluated since future development stimulated by the availability of sewers could preclude the future use of underlying aquifers as sources of public water supply, according to Randall.

Another area where water quality is a significant issue is around the former Town landfill, located near Coopers Pond off County Route 68. which was capped in 1992. The Closure Investigation Report and closure plan were completed by Clark Engineering and Surveying, P.C., consulting engineers hired by the Town of Poestenkill.

The site investigation for the Closure Investigation Report revealed elevated levels of Trichloroethylene (TCE) and/or Cis-1, 2 Dichloroethene (DCE) in monitoring wells and residential wells in the vicinity of the landfill. The tests found the highest levels in wells directly north and west of the old landfill. Additional details on the Closure Investigation Report and a subsequent groundwater investigation plan developed in May 1991 are included in the appendix.

In October 1993, Clark Engineering issued a report that presented six potential remediation alternatives to address contamination around the landfill. In response to the consultant’s findings, water filtration systems were installed at the Town’s expense, on the nine properties where contamination was found. In addition, the Town of Poestenkill pays for the wells to be tested twice annually. Although no contamination has been found on other properties in the vicinity of the landfill, perimeter residential wells are monitored and tested once a year. These activities are designed to insure that additional residences with untreated wells are not affected, that the level of contamination is not increasing, and that the well treatment units continue to treat the water to drinking water standards. According to Clark Engineering, as long as monitoring continues to ensure that all affected wells have properly operating treatment systems, the health risks are minimal, although there may be an impact on fish since contamination of the groundwater will eventually reach the surface water bodies in the vicinity.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Preserve the quality of the groundwater to allow its continued use as a water supply in the town.
Reduce contamination threats from aboveground sources.

Groundwater, either from an aquifer or non-aquifer source, is the sole source of water supply in Poestenkill. Contamination of this water supply comes from the infiltration of pollutants from human activities. Although the Poestenkill Landfill is now capped to keep additional water from flowing through the waste into the groundwater, other uses such as the waste transfer station, mining operations, residential and commercial uses all provide a threat to the water supply. All these uses can be safe if simple rules are followed, such as keeping polluted and possibly polluted water from running into the ground by providing closed catch basins which are regularly cleaned and the fluids sent to a treatment plant; working with hazardous materials on a concrete or other impervious surface, and providing a roof to keep rain and snow away from these materials in cases where the materials are often worked with; maintaining septic tanks and providing sewer service in high density areas; properly disposing of old medicines and chemicals instead of flushing down the toilet or dumping in the back yard; and promptly cleaning up spills when they occur.

Maintain quantity or provide non-groundwater source in heavily developed areas.

High density of development usually means that there are many individual wells that pump out water for each building. The Rensselaer County Health Department uses the general rule of 400 gallons per day for each housing unit, although houses with single persons, especially elderly, may use less. Several wells pumping their daily ration of water can drop water levels, requiring deepening of wells or even water rationing in houses where the well may only provide water during a few hours of the day. In areas where water shortages begin to occur, new development should be examined as to whether the ground water supply will be able to provide sufficient water for the existing and new users. This would be done through test well and well pumping tests.

§ Encourage NYS DOT, and the County and Town Highway Departments to use appropriate deicing techniques, limiting salting where appropriate and turning off salting equipment when turning around in areas, especially at the intersection of Spring Avenue Extension and NYS 355.

Testing on a well near the intersection of Spring Avenue Extension and NYS 355 has shown sodium levels at levels much greater than allowed for drinking water. As this area is not near any salt storage facility, the usual culprit for such high sodium levels in Rensselaer County, it is suspected that the salting of the roadway during the clearing of the Y-intersection and turning around of salt trucks is the likely culprit of the high levels.

Surface Water Resources

The most significant stream in the town is the Poesten Kill, which gives the community its name and drains about 90 percent of it’s land mass. It also provides recreation in the way of trout fishing, swimming, and scenery. The Poesten Kill’s headwaters rise in Dyken Pond and on Berlin Mountain in Berlin and flows for about eleven miles through the center of town before exiting at its northwestern boundary with the town of Brunswick. The Bonesteel and Newfoundland Creeks are tributaries of the Poesten Kill. Other streams that flow for short sections in the town are the Wynants Kill and the Quacken Kill, where it flows into the Poesten Kill.

There are at least 35 named and unnamed ponds and small lakes in Poestenkill. The largest is Davitt Pond at 24.5 acres. Others include Moules Lake, Vosburg Pond, Hosford Pond, Hicks Pond, Camp Kiwanis Lake, and Cooper’s Pond. Several of the larger water bodies such as Davitt Pond, Moules Lake, and Vosburg Pond have fisheries suitable for recreational fishing. Warm-water fish found in many of these ponds include redbreast sunfish, pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, brown bullhead, yellow perch, and chain pickerel.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Maintain water quality to allow for fisheries.

To maintain fish population without yearly stocking, conditions must be good enough for natural fish propagation. Fish such as trout require cool to cold water, and gravelly bottoms on the creeks and streams. Deep pools and tree shading of the water in summer time help fish such as trout survive our warm summers. Chemicals can kill fish outright, or create conditions such as algae blooms that create hazards for fish. Reducing erosion, whether stream bank or land disturbance, proper use and disposal of chemicals, proper disposal of automotive fluids including motor oil, and maintaining stream bank vegetation to allow the shading of streams can help Poestenkill to maintain its fish population.

Reduce water degradation from erosion and other threats.

The largest threat to waterways in Poestenkill is erosion. Erosion fills in pools, suffocates fish, and creates sand and gravel bars that change the stream flow to eat into new stream banks. The federal Clean Water Act created requirements that new developments do not increase the amount of flooding, water pollution or erosion that will negatively affect water resources. Phase 2 of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requires all activities that disturb one or more acre, with the exception of agricultural practices following Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other exempt activities, to apply for a permit from New York State, which will address erosion, sediment control and stormwater management. These permits require Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, Erosion & Sediment Control Plans and may also require Post-Construction Stormwater Control Plans.

Floodplains

The floodplains in the town of Poestenkill are contained within the ravines and associated lowlands of the natural waterways. The Poesten Kill, the Wynants Kill, and the Newfoundland Creek are the largest and most significant waterways within the town. Connecting with these are numerous small tributary creeks and streams that create sizable floodplains.

The town of Poestenkill has been participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since September 1981 and relies on official Flood Insurance Rate maps to minimize damage from flooding. The Flood Insurance Rate maps are the official maps on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated both areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.

In Poestenkill, the 100-year floodplains are generally within 100 to 200 feet of either side of the shoreline of the waterways. In places where smaller tributary streams meet up with these waterways and where the waterways gently meander, curving back and forth in an “S-shaped” pattern, the floodplain often extends out farther.

The 500 year floodplains, while not numerous within the Town, are significant in size where they exist, generally extending outward from the 100 year floodplains where larger quantities of land area are covered. The most significant 500-year floodplain exists where the Newfoundland Creek and the Poesten Kill meet.

From the hamlet west to the municipal boundary and along Newfoundland Creek, the amount of land in the floodplain increases. The floodplain boundary varies in distance depending on the topography of the land. The area around Newfoundland Creek bordering the Rensselaer County Airport is extremely flat and therefore conducive to flooding. The same situation exists where the creek meets the Poesten Kill. The land is very flat for a significant distance and creates a sizable floodplain.

Another floodplain in the town of Poestenkill exists around the Wynants Kill. The floodplain extends out from each side of the creek by approximately fifty feet. The creek cuts through the southwest corner of the Town in an area with significant slopes. These slopes help keep the floodplain along the Wynants Kill to a relatively limited narrow area.

Within the last fifty years or so, there have been several major floods in the town, including one in 1949 and another in 1995. Plank Road, Garfield Road, and other areas have been flooded due to ice jams. In the late 1990s, the Town received a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to improve storm drainage in the Poestenkill hamlet. The project, which was completed in 1997, relieved the flooding of ditches along NY Route 355 and on Snyders Corners Road near the elementary school.

In compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program, the Town of Poestenkill has established Flood Damage Prevention regulations under Chapter 86 of the Town Code. The purpose of the regulations is to promote public health, safety, and welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flooding by provisions designed to:

§ regulate uses which are dangerous to health, safety and property;

§ require that uses vulnerable to floods are protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;

§ control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels and natural protective barriers involved in the accommodation of floodwaters;

§ control filling, grading, dredging and other development which could increase erosion or flood damage;

§ regulate the construction of flood barriers which might increase flood hazards to other lands; and

§ qualify for and maintain participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Under Chapter 86, construction and development in special flood hazard areas is regulated above and beyond the Town’s zoning and building code enforcement procedures. The special flood hazard areas are defined as “the land in the floodplain within a community subject to a one-percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year... [or] the ‘one-hundred-year floodplain’” (§86-4). Builders must obtain a development permit before starting construction or development, and adhere to a list of general and specific standards for building in special flood hazard areas. The Code Enforcement Officer is responsible for administration and enforcement by granting or denying development permit applications in accordance with the provisions of the code.

Chapter 86 also designates floodways within the special flood hazard areas. These floodways are the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height, as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Because floodways can be extremely hazardous, the regulations for building in these areas are even more stringent.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Continue working with the National Flood Insurance Program so that residents can purchase flood insurance for their properties.

The Town of Poestenkill adopted its Flood Damage Prevention Local Law No. 1 in 1987, when it also adopted the Flood Insurance Rate Maps and attendant Flood Insurance Study, dated March 2, 1981. To remain in the National Flood Insurance Program, the Town must continue to fulfill its obligations under this local law.

Work so that flooding does not increase with continued development.

Development can significantly increase the amount of water flowing into local streams, creeks and rivers. To this end, the federal Clean Water Act created requirements that new developments do not increase the amount of flooding, water pollution or erosion that will negatively affect water resources. Phase 2 of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requires all activities that disturb one or more acre, with the exception of agricultural practices following Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other exempt activities to apply for a permit from New York State, which will address erosion, sediment control and stormwater management. These permits require Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, Erosion & Sediment Control Plans and may also require Post-Construction Stormwater Control Plans. In addition to these requirements, Phase 2 of NPDES also requires municipalities of 50,000 or more, or municipalities within the surrounding area with a density of 1,000 people per square mile or more, to apply for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) following six best management practices, one of which being that the municipality must also regulate activities that disturb one acre or more. A draft Erosion, Sediment Control and Stormwater Management Local Law

is presently being reviewed that will fulfill Poestenkill’s requirements under Phase 2 of NPDES. The Town is also required to inspect and regulate completed Stormwater Control facilities, as well as investigate and eliminate all illegal discharges to their Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System (MS4) within the area of density of 1,000 or more population per acre. The Town is required to have public education and outreach, and public participation and involvement, including a public comment on the Town’s Annual Report. The Town is working together with Rensselaer County and its fellow MS4 communities to achieve their necessary goals.

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Reduce erosion from stream bank flooding.

Erosion from stream bank flooding can eat away land until houses, roadways or other property are threatened. Although this often takes several years to occur, occasionally, rapid flooding can quickly endanger lives as well as property. Planting shrubs and other riparian plantings along the stream bank, as well as placing rip rap along the base of the eroding areas, changing stream flow through the elimination of sand and gravel bars, and the removal of snags may help alleviate and reduce stream bank flooding. The Rensselaer County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service have worked to reduce and eliminate stream bank erosion in parts of the county. They have partnered with the Rensselaer County Chapter of Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups to help maintain streams, as erosion destroys fish habitats by making streams more shallow and depositing sand and gravel on fish spawning areas.

§ Mitigate where necessary to eliminate sources that create flooding and scouring.

In certain areas, sand and gravel bars build up in the Poesten Kill which change the direction of flow and current of the creek and create bank erosion and flooding. Some areas identified are the Empire Drive area and sections along Plank Road (County Route 40). Working with the Rensselaer County Soil and Water Conservation District, NYS DEC and the Army Corps of Engineers, the Town can reduce or eliminate severe areas of damage while allowing the creek to remain in a natural state. Occasionally, private enterprises will work with the communities to remove these hazards for the high quality sand and gravel contents of the bars.

Soils

There are approximately fifty different soil types in Poestenkill. Table B-1 in the appendix summarizes the soil types found in the town of Poestenkill and their characteristics and limitations.

The Buckland-Glover soils dominate the eastern half of Poestenkill (see Map 2). These soils formed in glacial till derived mainly from sandstone. The sloping or moderately steep Buckland soils are found on convex hilltops, knolls, ridges, and long hillsides, while the Glover soils are located on the top of ridges, knolls and upper parts of hillsides where the bedrock is just 10 to 20 inches below the surface. The soils in this area are not well suited for farming, as numerous stones and boulders interfere with equipment use. In addition, seasonal wetness in the Buckland soils and the shallowness of Glover soils seriously limit development. Minor soils in this map unit include Brayton, Loxley, Beseman, and Hoosic soils.

The Bernardston-Albrights-Pittstown soils are located mainly east of NY Route 351 and west of the escarpment of the Rensselaer Plateau. These soils formed in shaley glacial till. The gently sloping to steep Bernardston soils are found on hillsides, ridges, and rolling areas between large hills. The gently sloping to steep Albrights soils are on hilltops, hillsides, and ridges, while the gently sloping to moderately steep Pittstown soils are found on hilltops, lower parts of hillsides, and rolling or undulating areas between hills. Many of the soils in this unit are currently used for farming or have been farmed in the past. Other soils exhibit seasonal wetness, slow permeability, and in some places numerous stones and boulders that limit development. Minor soils in this map unit include Scriba, Alden, and Nassau soils.

The gently sloping to hilly Bernardston-Pittstown-Nassau soils are located in western Poestenkill, in an area roughly bounded by NY Route 351 on the east and NY Route 66 on the west. These soils were formed in shaly glacial till. The topography in this area is complex because of the underlying folded shale and slate bedrock; the landscape is a series of ridges, knolls, and low hills. The Bernardston and Pittstown soils have a seasonally high water table, which can impact development. The Nassau soils also limit development due to their shallowness; bedrock is exposed in places, particularly on crests of ridges and on the top of knolls and hills. Some soils in this unit are prime farmland soils. Of minor extent in this map unit are Scriba, Alden, Manlius, Raynham, Hoosic, Teel, and Carlisle soils.

The Hoosic-Chenango soils dominate the southwestern portion of the Town. These soils formed in glacial outwash that has a high content of gravel and sand; soils in the Hoosic series are conducive to gravel mining. The nearly level to steep Hoosic soils are on terraces, outwash plains, and low hills and ridges that have been complex slopes. These soils tend to be droughty in summer. The nearly level or sloping Chenango soils are on terraces, alluvial fans, and outwash plains. Many areas of this unit are suitable for community development and farming, but pollution of ground water by septic tank effluent can be a hazard because water moves rapidly through the soil. Overall, however, the Hoosic-Chenango soils are the most developable in the town of Poestenkill. Minor soils in this map unit in Poestenkill include Castile, Fredon, Raynham, Palms and Carlisle soils.

Map 2: Major Soil Series

As the above discussion suggests, development is inherently restricted by the characteristics of soil types present in the town of Poestenkill. Most of the major soil series in the town have moderate to severe limitations that affect building site development and septic tank absorption. Barring any future development of municipal infrastructure, it is possible to overcome or minimize these limitations through special planning, design, or maintenance, although there may be increased construction costs.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Encourage developers to use the Soil Survey to best use their lands.

Each different soil has its own capabilities for development, agricultural, forestry and other uses. Soils that do not drain easily are not good for septic systems, but do not let pollutants pass through quickly either. Soils that drain quickly may also drain too quickly for proper treatment of septage. Soils with bedrock near the surface may require blasting for the development of roads and water and sewer lines. Certain soils erode more quickly than others. Developers and other users of land may find that the review of the soils may help them budget better, create higher quality development, and save themselves from a headache or large fines when something goes wrong during development.

Prime Farmland Soils

Ten of the soil types found in the Town are considered prime farmland soils by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are of particular importance to agricultural production (Map 3). These soils have characteristics that are considered to be favorable for the production of sustained high yields of crops. Although other soil types in the Town are also suitable for crop production and pasture, prime farmland soils produce the highest yields with minimal inputs of energy and economic resources. Farming these soils results in the least damage to the environment. As shown on the map, the soils identified as prime farmland soils are found exclusively in the western half of the town, particularly in the floodplain of the Poesten Kill Creek in the vicinity of NY Route 355 and Garfield Road. Some of these areas are in active agricultural use.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Use conservation or cluster development to preserve tracts of prime farmland.

Subdivisions where lots are clustered on soils that are not prime farmland can allow development to occur while preserving the significant natural resource of prime farmland soils. Lots would be allowed to be smaller than the underlying district to allow the clustering to preserve land.

§ Preserve the best farmland by Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs), easements or other methods

The U. S. Department of Agriculture and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets both have programs where funding is made available to purchase the development rights on properties to keep the properties in an agricultural use. An easement is then placed on the deed which allows the owners to use the property for agriculture and other uses agreed to during the PDR negotiate process. Easements do not have to be purchased, but can be donated freely to land conservation not-for-profits. Transfer of development rights (TDR) allows developers to develop more densely in one section of town (receiving zone) if they purchase development rights to properties proposed for conservation.

Map 3: Prime Agricultural Soils

Mine-able Soils

According to the Soil Survey of Rensselaer County, there are six soil types in the Town of Poestenkill that are considered probable sources of sand and gravel. These are ChA and CkB in the Chenango soil series and HoB, HoC, HoD, and HoE in the Hoosic soil series. All of these soils are present in the western half of the Town, primarily around the Poestenkill hamlet and along the western municipal boundary. While extensive engineering studies would be necessary to determine the extractive value of individual sites, these areas of the Town appear to be most conducive to mining based on soil properties reported in the Soil Survey. Some soils with a high content of gravel and sand may also be found east of Barberville.

The Chenango and Hoosic soils are located in areas with a level or hilly topography. They formed in glacial outwash that had a high content of sand and gravel. These soils run deep into the earth and drain extremely well. (For additional information about the characteristics of individual soil types, see Table B-1 in the appendix.)

Several areas in the town have shallow soils above the underlying Rensselaer Graywacke, a favorite hard rock used for roadway construction due to its durability and hardness. The Rensselaer Plateau is comprised of Graywacke, a limestone formed in the lower Cambrian period. Areas on the edge of the plateau, where soils are shallow, provide the easiest access to the underlying bedrock and the easiest mining opportunities.

Mining is a high-intensity land use that may have an impact on the physical environment of a community. Mines serve as a source of employment and provide resources needed in the construction industry. Extraction and reclamation must be properly implemented to minimize the potential impact on the rural landscape.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Discourage DEC from allowing mining at or below the water table.

The gravel soils that are desired for mining are also the soils that hold the aquifer that provides drinking water. Allowing mining at the water table exposes the groundwater to possible contamination. Mining below the water table would require pumping out of the groundwater that would lower the water table and require new wells for surrounding properties and also expose the groundwater to possible contamination.

Encourage mine owners to use best management practices to minimize the potential impacts of mining.

Mining is an exempt activity under Phase 2 of NPDES, and therefore does not require a stormwater and erosion control plan. Mining exposes large quantities of earth and bedrock, and creates a possibility of wind and water erosion. Best management practices including seeding of topsoil stock piles, diverting stormwater into the mine area, using calcium carbonate or other methods to reduce sand and dust blowing outside of the mine, and using explosives during correct weather conditions.

Map 4: Mine able soils; sand and gravel deposits and major outcropping of greywacke. Source: Soil Survey of Rensselaer County, New York, United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.

Topography

The Rensselaer Escarpment divides the town on the north-south axis just east of Poestenkill Center. The western third of the town has generally rolling slopes, while the eastern two-thirds of the town is the hilly Rensselaer Plateau. Elevations in the town range from 420 feet at the northwest corner to 1,891 feet in the southeast corner of the town. The map of slopes (Map 5) shows that the third of the town west of the escarpment is generally rolling with several areas of steep slopes. The eastern two-thirds is characterized by steep slopes of over 10 percent, thereby placing severe limitations on development. A number of significant ponds dot the town.

Map 5: Slopes

Scenic Resources

As noted in the first Master Plan for the town of Poestenkill developed by Russell Bailey & Associates in 1970: “The community has many important assets; one of which is the scenic, rural character of the Town.” The mixture of farmland, woodlots, wetlands, successional fields and rolling hills gives western Poestenkill its rural scenic quality. Behind this rural landscape is the backdrop of the Rensselaer Escarpment, which rises 500 feet from the valley floor of the Poesten Kill. In contrast to western Poestenkill, the eastern section on top of the Rensselaer Plateau is hilly and largely forested with hardwood and conifer forests.

The western slope or escarpment of the Rensselaer Plateau in Poestenkill is an important scenic resource. The Rensselaer Escarpment is also an important regional landscape feature that can be seen from distant locations such as the Helderberg Escarpment in Albany County. Local roads and hilltops provide many open vistas of the Rensselaer Escarpment. Traveling northbound on NY Route 351 provides excellent views of the escarpment, especially during fall foliage season. Scenic vistas of the plateau can be seen from other roadway hilltops (e.g., Weatherwax Road) when viewing in an easterly direction.

Open panoramic views of western Poestenkill and distant views of the Catskill Mountains to the southwest and the Helderberg Hills to the west can be seen from roadways and residential properties along the western slopes of the Rensselaer Plateau. Open land such as the area south of Hinkle Road and along Snake Hill Road have been selected for residential development in part because of the panoramic views and distant scenic features which can be observed from the escarpment area. Similar views can be seen from cliffs located on the western slope of the Rensselaer Escarpment north of Hinkle Road. The growth of trees has reduced this view compared with turn-of-the-century photographs of the area. Private trails on Snake Hill also lead to scenic overlooks both to the west and towards eastern Poestenkill.

The Poesten Kill is another important natural scenic feature in the local landscape. The stream as it flows off the Rensselaer Plateau creates a spectacular waterfall at the hamlet of Barberville. The Nature Conservancy, a national conservation organization, has acquired property on the eastern side of Barberville Falls. A trail can be taken down to the falls from Blue Factory Road or from Plank Road, although the Crick Trail from Plank Road is extremely steep. Parking is provided across from the Brookside Cemetery on Plank Road. There are roads along most of the Poesten Kill throughout the Town, which provide many opportunities for the public to view this stream during the seasonal changes of the year. Late winter snowmelts can provide some spectacular views of this dynamic stream. The best viewing opportunities of the Poesten Kill can be seen along the corridor of Plank Road between Barberville and the last stream crossing near the border with the Town of Berlin. Pedestrian walkways on bridge crossings, such as NY Route 351 near Town Hall, also provide viewing locations of the Poesten Kill.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Encourage development behind ridgelines and set back from important scenic resources.
Consider conservation and cluster developments to preserve scenic areas.

Subdivisions that ignore slopes, natural features and open spaces often devalue the natural features they are trying to take advantage of. The clustering of lots away from a view can preserve the view for all the houses. The placement of lots and houses can detract from or improve scenic resources. Farm fields that appear to be growing houses that look like they are dropped from the sky are not as attractive as houses that are carefully sited to fit into their surroundings. Placing a house near the edge of woods in a farm field allows views of both the woods and farm field. Adding features such as hedgerows, stone or rustic wood fences and careful landscaping can soften a development’s impacts.

Map 6: Scenic Resouces

Special Resources

Wetlands

Most of the large wetlands in the town of Poestenkill are shown on freshwater wetland maps prepared by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The March 1986 maps, numbers 11 and 12 of Rensselaer County, show 25 mapped wetlands in Poestenkill (see Map 7). Most of these wetlands are Class II and are widely scattered about the town, mostly along tributaries of the Poesten Kill. Wetland AP-18, located on both sides of NY Route 66 near Vosburg Pond, is a Class I wetland and is the largest wetland in the town at 160 acres.

Two wetland communities of about 10 acres each associated with Hosford Pond are significant communities listed in the New York Natural Heritage Program. One is “Dwarf Shrub Bog” and the other is an “Inland Poor Fen,” both of which are rare to uncommon within New York State. Moules Lake also has a number of wetland community types associated with it.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Developers should have federal wetlands delineated before providing plans to the Planning Board.

Federal wetlands are not mapped as the NYS DEC wetlands are officially mapped. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the regulatory agency in charge of federal wetlands, encourages developers to have wetlands delineated by a certified consultant. The Army Corps personnel will review the maps in the field before certifying them.

The Town may want to create buffer zones around wetlands and streams to protect these natural resources.

Wetlands provide water recharge areas, flood relief and water treatment as well as significant wildlife habitat. Erosion fills in wetlands significantly, reducing their capabilities to retain and filter stormwater, and leads to greater floods and lower water quality. Buffer zones, whether natural or landscaped, create an area where erosion is held back and stormwater is treated. The roots in the buffer zone will hold the stream bank.

Forest Lands

Much of the eastern portion of the town is covered with upland eastern forest, including hemlock, oak, aspen, poplar, birch, maple, beech and white pine. Some smaller woodlands are also found in the lowland area. Many of these forest lands are managed and harvested for lumber and biomass as well as providing wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and areas for hunting. Forest lands also provide water filtering and flood management as trees absorb water from rain in the summer and reduce the speed of snow melt during winter thaws.

Threats, Issues and Goals

The Town recognizes forestry as an important industry in the town and encourages the best forestry practices to maintain the viability of the forest.

Forests provide a working landscape in the town of Poestenkill. Forestry performed poorly can lead to major erosion, silting of streams, and land slides in areas of slumping soils. Poor stream crossings of skid trails can destroy sections of streams and also lead to vehicles becoming stuck and work downtime. The NYS DEC has forestry guidelines that denote best management practices for the forestry industry. Logging can produce a vibrant ecosystem if performed properly and carefully, and leave a stronger forest.

Wildlife

Commonly observed wildlife throughout the town includes white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, turkeys and songbirds. Red-tailed hawks, woodchucks, crows and geese are more commonly seen in the mixed agricultural and residential areas in the western part of Poestenkill.

Occasional sightings of martens, black bears, and signs of moose and mountain lion in the Rensselaer Plateau suggest that wildlife indicative of large, northern forests may be making a comeback to former cut-over forests of this area. Fox and coyote are common residents of the field and forest habitats. Bobcats, bear and larger cats are residents of the large forest tracts on the Rensselaer Plateau. Several moose are known to be living near the Poestenkill/Berlin boundary. A great blue heron rookery listed in the New York Natural Heritage Program has been associated with a beaver-flooded wetland near Dyken Pond.

The New York State Museum and Science Service studied small mammals at eight locations in the town in 1953. Small mammals found in Poestenkill included Smokey shrew, short-tailed shrew, northern flying squirrel, white-footed mouse, deer mouse, northern red-back mouse, woodland vole and eastern chipmunk.

Counts of winter birds in the southwestern section of the town have been made by the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club each December since about 1966 as part of their Southern Rensselaer County Bird Count (Poestenkill sector). Some winter birds commonly observed on these surveys include European starling, cardinal, downy woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, American crow, dark-eyed junco, tree sparrow, house sparrow, house finch, tufted titmouse, and white-breasted nuthatch. No threatened or endangered birds have been recorded, but species of special concern such as the Eastern bluebird and grasshopper sparrow have been recorded in Poestenkill.

Poestenkill contains suitable habitat for both warm-water fish and cold-water fish species. Many unnamed ponds and small lakes provide warm water fisheries habitat while the Poesten Kill, Quacken Kill and Wynants Kill provide cold-water fisheries habitat. The latter also provide habitat for aquatic wildlife such as beaver, muskrat, herons, ducks, and northern water snakes and are an important source of drinking water to wildlife during summer droughts. Fish likely to be found in the Poesten Kill in the town include brown trout, brook trout, satinfin shiner, cutlips minnow, common shiner, bluntnose dace, longnose dace, creek chub, white sucker, tesselated darter and slimy sculpin.

In 1999, the NYS DEC conducted an Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Program. Surveys were made in Poestenkill and the following species were identified in the town: red-spotted newt, redback salamander, northern spring peeper, gray treefrog, bullfrog, northern leopard frog, wood frog, snapping turtle, musk turtle, northern water snake, and garter snake.

Threats, Issues and Goals

As larger mammals return to habitats in Poestenkill, the Town encourages its residents in the more rural areas to live sensibly with their new wild neighbors.

Bears, coyotes, mountain lions and moose, once hunted to oblivion in Rensselaer County, have made a comeback into the Rensselaer Plateau and rural areas. Although these large animals can be dangerous, they will usually leave residents and visitors alone if simple precautions are followed. Garbage should be kept in sturdy containers or indoors and bird feeders should be left empty during the summer season so as not to attract bears with a possible food source. Bears should not be fed by humans either as it inures them to humans. Bears and moose should not be challenged, and attempts should not be made to pet them. Coyotes and mountain lions are usually shy, retiring animals and any that do not make attempts to avoid human contact should be avoided due to rabies concerns. Residents and visitors should be reminded to back away from these large animals until a safe distance is between them. Whistling, humming and singing while hiking in the deep forest will announce your presence to these animals long before you notice them, allowing them to evade human contact.

Historic & Cultural Resources

Poestenkill’s Past

Named for its principal stream, the town of Poestenkill was formed from part of the town of Sand Lake in 1848. The land on which the town was established was once part of the colony of Rensselaerwyck, a 700,000-acre area covering most of the present-day Albany and Rensselaer counties and part of Columbia County. A patroon, or wealthy Dutch landowner, named Kilean Van Rensselaer, owned the colony. Van Rensselaer and his descendants encouraged settlement in the upper Hudson Valley by providing tenant farmers with seeds, plows, and other farm implements, as well as some livestock. In return, occupants had to pay rent to the patroon’s agent. Trappers and traders participating in the lucrative fur trade also located in the area.

The first permanent settlements in the town were made by farmers prior to the Revolutionary War. Archelaus Lynd was given the use of 300 acres of land for two years by the Van Rensselaers. This was done for the purpose of opening up and settling this section of the manor or patroonship. Lynd made his first clearing about 1775 on White Church Road near the vicinity of the cemetery, which is today called Hillside. Years ago the cemetery was known as the Lynd Cemetery, after Archelaus Lynd who founded it in 1762.

Other settlers who came to the area before the Revolutionary War included the Strunks, Ives, Whylands, Barringer, and Blewers families. Some pioneer families came during and immediately after the war from “over east,” which is western Massachusetts, southern Vermont, and New Hampshire. Many also emigrated to Poestenkill from Connecticut. Records show that several earlier families came up the Hudson River as far as Albany or Troy, then moved eastward into the wilderness of present-day Rensselaer County. Others followed the mountains to settle in the eastern section of Poestenkill. These small hamlets no longer exist. To the north and east of East Poestenkill are sites of Rogers Bridge, Red Rock, Oak Hill, and Four Corners. Four Corners was located on Perigo Mountain and was once populated by sturdy German settlers.

The trails that the settlers followed soon became roads that connected the growing industrial Troy with growing industrial communities in Massachusetts. These roadways also provided the routes for raw materials and food, as well as pieced materials bound for the mills. As all traffic went by foot power or horse power, inns were developed as rest stops for weary travelers to get food, fresh horses and the occasional bed for the night. Due to the traffic around some of these inns, additional services such as a store, competing inns, and blacksmith shops developed.

By the nineteenth century, the town of Poestenkill had four hamlets. The principal village, situated just west of the town’s geographical center along the Poestenkill Creek, was known as Poestenkill Village. It contained several stores and churches, a hotel, and a sawmill. East Poestenkill, the second of four hamlets, was formerly known as Columbia and contained a Methodist and a Baptist Church, two stores, an inn, and about 100 inhabitants. Barberville, a small settlement east of Poestenkill Village, boasted a tollgate, a hotel, store, shoemaker shop, and about a dozen houses. Ives Corners, the smallest of the four hamlets, was further north and east.

Poestenkill was the site of a popular mineral spring health spa until it was destroyed by flood in 1813-14. The Poestenkill Creek supplied water power for mills located along its banks, such as a grist mill, saw mill, tannery, collar shop, etc. Craft industries developed early in the nineteenth century and were replaced by piecework and support industries serving the larger manufacturing concerns, which prospered with river and rail access in Troy and Rensselaer. Agricultural products, kindling, charcoal, ferns, and berries provided cash income for residents not involved in manufacturing. As transportation improved and subsistence farming declined into the twentieth century, Poestenkill followed the natural pattern of urbanization with increased reliance on the heavily developed areas along the Hudson River. Today, the town is primarily a bedroom community for residents working elsewhere in the Capital Region.

Sites and Buildings of Historical Significance

Table 1, below, provides examples of structures located in the Poestenkill hamlet that may be of historical and/or architectural significance. The list is by no means complete. It should be noted that a formal survey of Poestenkill’s historic resources has not been conducted. Additional research and documentation would be necessary to evaluate these and other potentially significant structures in the Town and determine their eligibility for National Historic Register listing and/or local protective measures.

Table 1: Buildings of Potential Historic/Architectural Significance, Poestenkill Hamlet
Poestenkill Christian Church	Snyders Corners Road	This church was organized in 1850. The present building was erected in 1900 and boasts some of the most spectacular stained glass windows in Rensselaer County.
Evangelical Lutheran Church	Round Top Road	This church originated when a group split off from the Lutheran congregation in West Sand Lake. A chapel was built and dedicated in 1832. By 1865, the congregation had outgrown the chapel so they demolished it, laid a new cornerstone, and constructed the present edifice.
Bubie’s General Store	Main Street, west of the Four Corners	Formerly the Woodbine Hotel, a place where alcoholic beverages and groceries were sold and lectures and entertainment were held.
Sagendorf Home	Plank Road and Round Top Road	Built by Lysander Clickner around 1887. The house once housed a meat market. Original horse stalls and chicken coops are still in what is now the garage.
Liberty Home	Main Street	This home was known for many years as the Barringer home. The west side of the house was once a school house; living quarters for the teacher were provided upstairs.
Daley Home	Main Street	Built in 1863 by a Dutch family. Early owners were the Cottrells and the Whylands. It is a polychromed brick and slate Victorian with a cupola on the roof, unique for Poestenkill.
Lynd Home	Main Street near the firehouse	Three generations of Holsers lived in this gracious homestead, breeding and raising Leghorn chickens and registered Holstein cattle. The house was originally part of the Lynd estate.
Tank House	Main Street (behind Lynd home)	This structure was located on the Lynd farm and was a collar factory. The third floor of the building housed a big tank that was filled with water by the windmill and used to power the sewing machines on the lower floors.
Tripi Residence	White Church Road	Believed to be the oldest surviving home in Poestenkill; probably built by Archelaus Lynd shortly after moving to the Town in the 1750s. It has three original fireplaces made of adobe clay and brick. There are remains of a beehive fireplace in the basement. It is a typical example of an early yeoman’s house.
Old Parsonage	Plank Road, across from the post office	This home was built in 1860 and is pictured in many of Joseph Hidley’s paintings of Poestenkill village. It was a parsonage for the Poestenkill Christian Church until 1967 when it was sold. The home had many kerosene lamps of the type used during that period. Thought to have been built by the Ives family.
Dater Home	Plank Road, across from the post office	This home was probably built by the Ives family and then owned by the Dater family until the 1960s. It is pictured in many of Joseph Hidley’s paintings. Mr. Dater was a local businessman manufacturing shirts in “The Shop” behind his house. He was also an accomplished musician and served as Town Clerk.
Select School	Foot of Snake Hill Road	This building was once a “select school,” a private, post-graduate school that operated for only a few years in the 1850s. At one time, the basement contained a bone-grinding machine operated by Jacob Veith, a butcher as well as operator of the Eagle Hotel that was located across Plank Road.
Intestate Laminates	Main Street	In the years immediately following W.W.I, the town’s economy was given a boost by the appearance of a “big business”, the first and only of its kind to appear in Poestenkill. The mill was a branch of the Swans Down Mills of Hudson. It was this business that first brought electricity as far as the village in 1921. This business closed in 1927 and several years later, the 7-UP bottling company moved in and employed many people.
Poestenkill Town Hall	Farm-to-Market Road or White Church Road	This property was set aside in 1788 by Stephen Van Rensselaer for a school. Five acres were taken from lands leased to Barringer, Peck and Strunk, early settlers. After the school was built, officials leased the remaining lots, and only in the late 1900s was ownership finally resolved. The original 1788 school, known as District #7 of Sand Lake, was replaced in 1823, and the old school sold for $45.00. Yet another replacement school was built in 1848, known as District #3, or “The Village School.” The next “New School” was built in 1927. When it has ceased to be useful as a school, the building was bought by the Town and now houses the Town Offices.

Table 1: Buildings of Potential Historic/Architectural Significance, Poestenkill Hamlet

Site

Location

Description

Poestenkill Christian Church

Snyders Corners Road

This church was organized in 1850. The present building was erected in 1900 and boasts some of the most spectacular stained glass windows in Rensselaer County.

Evangelical Lutheran Church

Round Top Road

This church originated when a group split off from the Lutheran congregation in West Sand Lake. A chapel was built and dedicated in 1832. By 1865, the congregation had outgrown the chapel so they demolished it, laid a new cornerstone, and constructed the present edifice.

Bubie’s General Store

Main Street, west of the Four Corners

Formerly the Woodbine Hotel, a place where alcoholic beverages and groceries were sold and lectures and entertainment were held.

Sagendorf Home

Plank Road and Round Top Road

Built by Lysander Clickner around 1887. The house once housed a meat market. Original horse stalls and chicken coops are still in what is now the garage.

Liberty Home

Main Street

This home was known for many years as the Barringer home. The west side of the house was once a school house; living quarters for the teacher were provided upstairs.

Daley Home

Main Street

Built in 1863 by a Dutch family. Early owners were the Cottrells and the Whylands. It is a polychromed brick and slate Victorian with a cupola on the roof, unique for Poestenkill.

Lynd Home

Main Street near the firehouse

Three generations of Holsers lived in this gracious homestead, breeding and raising Leghorn chickens and registered Holstein cattle. The house was originally part of the Lynd estate.

Tank House

Main Street (behind Lynd home)

This structure was located on the Lynd farm and was a collar factory. The third floor of the building housed a big tank that was filled with water by the windmill and used to power the sewing machines on the lower floors.

Tripi Residence

White Church Road

Believed to be the oldest surviving home in Poestenkill; probably built by Archelaus Lynd shortly after moving to the Town in the 1750s. It has three original fireplaces made of adobe clay and brick. There are remains of a beehive fireplace in the basement. It is a typical example of an early yeoman’s house.

Old Parsonage

Plank Road, across from the post office

This home was built in 1860 and is pictured in many of Joseph Hidley’s paintings of Poestenkill village. It was a parsonage for the Poestenkill Christian Church until 1967 when it was sold. The home had many kerosene lamps of the type used during that period. Thought to have been built by the Ives family.

Dater Home

Plank Road, across from the post office

This home was probably built by the Ives family and then owned by the Dater family until the 1960s. It is pictured in many of Joseph Hidley’s paintings. Mr. Dater was a local businessman manufacturing shirts in “The Shop” behind his house. He was also an accomplished musician and served as Town Clerk.

Select School

Foot of Snake Hill Road

This building was once a “select school,” a private, post-graduate school that operated for only a few years in the 1850s. At one time, the basement contained a bone-grinding machine operated by Jacob Veith, a butcher as well as operator of the Eagle Hotel that was located across Plank Road.

Intestate Laminates

Main Street

In the years immediately following W.W.I, the town’s economy was given a boost by the appearance of a “big business”, the first and only of its kind to appear in Poestenkill. The mill was a branch of the Swans Down Mills of Hudson. It was this business that first brought electricity as far as the village in 1921. This business closed in 1927 and several years later, the 7-UP bottling company moved in and employed many people.

Poestenkill Town Hall

Farm-to-Market Road or White Church Road

This property was set aside in 1788 by Stephen Van Rensselaer for a school. Five acres were taken from lands leased to Barringer, Peck and Strunk, early settlers. After the school was built, officials leased the remaining lots, and only in the late 1900s was ownership finally resolved. The original 1788 school, known as District #7 of Sand Lake, was replaced in 1823, and the old school sold for $45.00. Yet another replacement school was built in 1848, known as District #3, or “The Village School.” The next “New School” was built in 1927. When it has ceased to be useful as a school, the building was bought by the Town and now houses the Town Offices.

Source: Linda Sagendorf, Town Historian.

Threats, Issues and Goals

The Town encourages the listing of significant historical properties on the National Historic Register

In many towns, an important first step in recognizing and preserving the traditional character of the community is the identification of historic resources. This is formally done through the listing of historically or architecturally significant properties on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

Established by an act of Congress in 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is the official list of properties significant in the history, architecture, archaeology, and culture of the United States. These are buildings, districts, sites, objects and structures that possess "integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association" and:

· that are associated with historic events; or

· that are associated with "the lives of persons significant in our past"; or

· that embody distinctive architectural or artistic characteristics; or

· that have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces or graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years are not considered eligible for the National Register. Such properties may qualify, however, if they are a part of a designated historic district or if they fall within certain categories. In New York State, the State Register of Historic Places provides a parallel process for designation.

Listing on the National Register provides access to public and private sector financial incentives, including tax credits. Property owners wishing to claim the tax credits must comply with the federal certification process that includes documentation of existing conditions, architectural drawings and specifications indicating compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings, and “as-built” documentation upon project completion. National Register designation also provides limited protective measures for the improvement of historic building, which generally come into play only when federal or state funding is used to finance a project; it does not prevent building demolition or alteration.

Despite Poestenkill’s rich history, currently there are no properties in the town listed on either the National or State Registers of Historic Places, nor has the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation formally identified any properties in the Town as eligible for listing. However, there may be properties in the Town worthy of designation on the National or State Registers.

Identify houses and buildings outside of the hamlet that have historic significance to the town.

The map above shows buildings outside of the Poestenkill hamlet that were signified as significant for the Rensselaer County Natural Resources Inventory during the late 1980s. The sites of these buildings are in question as well as whether they still exist or are considered important to the Town. Additionally, houses in the hamlets of Barberville and East Poestenkill were not separately identified. Similarly, other buildings and sites may not be identified that should be included.

Archaeological Resources

There has never been any formal, dedicated archaeological work conducted in the town of Poestenkill. Given the physical characteristics of the town, however, Poestenkill may be an ideal site for archaeological exploration. The hill typology of the area was an attraction for Native Americans to settle and work. The terrain also precludes the use of heavy industrial equipment to mar the landscape for building or exploration. This situation may leave archaeological treasures in Poestenkill well preserved for future generations to find.

According to the New York State Museum’s Prehistoric Archaeological Site File, there are several areas of prehistoric archaeological resources in the northwestern part of the town and in the vicinity of East Poestenkill. Other areas, predominantly in the western half of the town, have been identified as having a high or medium probability of prehistoric archaeological resources. Additional research would be necessary to determine precisely where resources exist, and what those resources are. While some information on archaeologically sensitive areas is maintained by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, this is considered restricted information, provided on a “need-to-know” basis only, to prevent vandalism and looting.

Landmark Businesses

1                  Bubie's General Store

2                  Bubie's Apartments/House of Pizza

3                  Bubie's Garage

4                  Interstate Laminates

5                  Eagle Hotel/Blue Post Tea Room

6                  Moon Hotel

7                  Ives Corners Hotel

8                  Beebe's Hotel/Flint's Store

9                  Deverno's Garage

10               Bubie's Auto Parts

11               Saint Gobain Performance Plastics

12               Ed's Garage

13               Dynamic Systems Inc.

14               Peggy's Hair Repair

15               Mona's Beauty Shop

16               Beauty Shop

17               Hotel (gone)

18               True Elgin Creamery

19             Ott's Garage

Landmark Public Buildings

1                   Christian Church Disciples

2                   Evangelical Lutheran Church

3                   Union Gospel Church

4                   First Baptist Church

5                   St. Mary's of the Woods (destroyed)

6                   Town Hall

7                   Postenkill Fire Company

8                   Old Fire House

9                   VFW/Sullivan Jones Post #7466

10                Poestenkill Elementary School

11                Algonquin Middle School

12                East Poestenkill Fire House

13                Beauty Shop

14                Poestenkill Library

15                Camp Rotary - Boy Scouts of America

16                Town Garage

17              Post Office

Cemeteries & Gravesites

1                            Lockwood/Mason

2                            Baker

3                            Brookside

4                            Herrington

5                            Hillside

6                            Himes (destroyed)

7                            Minnick

8                            Moody

9                            Peek (Peck)

10                         Read

11                         Kilmer

12                         Sliter

13                         St.Mary's

14                         Snyder/Whyland

15                         Woodside (#56)

16                         St. Mary's 2

East Poestenkill Inset

On Left

Poestenkill Inset on right

Map 7: Historic Resources and Gravesites

Over the years, some archaeological finds have been made known through an oral tradition. For example, a local resident once claimed to have found a fulsome (spear) point at a site near Weatherwax Road. If true, this artifact would date over 10,000 years. Additionally, there have been many claims of arrowhead finds that would date back 4,000 years. These have primarily been collected by local Boy Scout troops.

Threats, Issues & Goals

§ The Town should consider creating a repository for finds, including artifacts from the prehistoric, colonial and industrial periods.

Artifacts donated to the town or collected by the Historical Society are presently housed in the records archive in the Town Hall. A rotating display by the Historical Society is presented in the entrance to the Town Hall. To allow the proper preservation and display of artifacts and donated historical items, a room which is air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter has been provided for storage of items, with displays in public building such as the Town Hall and Library.

Cultural Resources

The Town of Poestenkill sponsors several events along with funding such organizations as the Poestenkill Public Library. The Town-funded Mermorial Day Parade along Route 355 and the 4^th of July Celebration provide the town residents a sense of community and pride.

Poestenkill Public Library

Since April 2001, the Poestenkill Library has been located in a lovely, renovated house in the center of town. It is considered by many to be the “jewel” of the Town of Poestenkill and the residents take great pride in its existence and appearance. It is staffed by five part-time paid employees and over 20 community volunteers. As of January 2005, the library had over 16,000 items in its collection. This includes books, videos, DVDs, magazines, and audio books. Poestenkill Library has over 1500 registered borrowers. The visits to the library in 2004 totaled 12, 315. The library offers free Internet access through three public access computers. The Poestenkill Library is a member of the Upper Hudson Library System which serves the 29 public libraries located in Albany and Rensselaer counties. This allows access to over one million items located in the various libraries. The Poestenkill Library holds a preschool story hour on Friday mornings. This program has been offered continually since 1992. The Friends of Poestenkill Library, the main source of fundraising for the library, also offers two adult book discussion groups. The spring and fall Market Day events and the Holiday Lights Annual Appeal are the major fundraisers for the Friends. The Poestenkill Library has depended on this source of income for operating expenses since it moved into the new location.

Threats, Issues and Goals

§ Additional funding is needed to expand programs and events for the community

The Poestenkill Library presently receives funding for its operating expenses from Rensselaer County, the Town of Poestenkill, Brittonkill School District and fund raising events. As fund raising events are not a reliable source of funding, the Library’s services could be reduced during years that do not have successful fund raising events. The North Greenbush and East Greenbush libraries have their own taxing districts in which all property owners in the towns pay library taxes with their local taxes. The Brittonkill School District provides taxing for libraries in their school district, adding a small percentage onto the school district taxes that are dedicated to the town library of the taxpayer. With operating costs paid by the taxpayer, monies collected during fundraisers could go to special events and new programs for the town’s residents. Another funding source could be a community chest type organization that raises funds for multiple organizations in the town. A community chest organization could also promote a sense of community in Poestenkill.

Poestenkill Historical Society

The Poestenkill Historical Society meets in the Town Hall every 4^th Tuesday except July and August. The Historical Society uses the Poestenkill Library as a repository of research materials. The Library also has a local history section stocked by the Historical Society and Historian. The Historical Society provides changing displays at the Town Hall. Articles and artifacts belonging to the Historical Society are spread in several locations, making control of these items more difficult.

Issues, Threats and Goals

§ Space is needed to consolidate historical and archaeological items, documents and artifacts and to provide a base for the Town Historian and Historical Society.

The provision of heated and cooled space in which to consolidate collections would help preserve as well as add to the collections. Elderly owners of artifacts would be more likely to donate items if they knew that they would be preserved and maintained adequately. This space could be located within existing facilities, although if collections grew, a separate space may be needed.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post

The VFW Post hosts the Poestenkill Seniors, Poestenkill Business Association, Rensselaer County Conservation Alliance, Mark 20 and the Patroon Dog Club and Dog Show. The VFW also sponsors the Poestenkill Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. The facility is made available to community groups for meetings and events such as blood drives and classes. The facility is also available to be rented to non-members for events. The Sullivan Jones Post is presently collecting funds to sponsor memberships for returning veterans from Iraq.

Dyken Pond Environmental Center

The Dyken Pond Environmental Center is owned by Rensselaer County and located in the towns of Berlin, Grafton and Poestenkill. One small parcel of about 30 acres south of Dyken Pond Road and west of Dustin Swamp is located in the northeast corner of Poestenkill. The Environmental Education Center offers a mixture of forest habitats, wetlands, small streams, and Dyken Pond. The area is rich in animal and plant life.

The Poestenkill section of the Center was created in 1990 with the 10-acre Eischen parcel and added to in 1991 with 19 acres of the Mulson parcel. The Poestenkill section is crossed by the Long Trail and a loop trail. The trail crosses a western finger of Dustin Swamp, which is now a sedge meadow with a boardwalk. The Environmental Center holds public events regularly. The Center works with community groups that wish to use its facility and is open to the general public.

Barberville Falls Nature Preserve

Barberville Falls is a 119-acre nature preserve established by the Eastern New York Chapter of the Nature Conservancy through land purchases and gifts. The area was farmed during the 1800s, and around 1900, construction was begun on a community-financed hydroelectric plant at the top of the falls which was never completed. At the falls, the Poesten Kill flows 90 feet off the Rensselaer Plateau into a deep pool. Davitt Pond Brook flows into the Poesten Kill on the east side of the gorge. There are three trails in the preserve. Along the Ridge and Creek Trails in the gorge one can see a variety of wildflowers, mosses, lichens, horsetails, and ferns.

Issues, Threats and Goals

§ Parking by visitors has created problems around the intersection of Plank Road (Co. Route 40) and Blue Factory Road (Co. Route 79).

Parking in the vicinity of the preserve is limited to two pull offs located on the north side of Plank Road near the Brookside Cemetery. No parking is available at the trailhead. According to the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, residents living adjacent to the trailhead are frequently inconvenienced by illegal parking along the road near the intersection of Plank Road and Blue Factory Road. It has also been suggested that parking in this area represents a traffic safety concern. Parking for the Preserve should be more clearly marked to encourage visitors to park in legal parking areas, with better walking connections between the parking areas and the site itself.

Geiser Preserve

The Geiser preserve contains 95 acres of forest around Perigo Hill, the highest point in Poestenkill. The preserve was a gift to the Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy from Ruth Nevin, a Taborton teacher, who purchased the land in 1932. The old, abandoned Eastern Turnpike that ran from Albany to Boston bisects the preserve. There is an impressive view from the peak when the leaves have fallen off the trees.

Boy Scout Troop 528 & Camp Rotary Scout Reservation

The local Boy Scout troop is sponsored by the Sullivan Jones VFW Post 7466 and meets in the Poestenkill Lutheran Church.

Camp Rotary Scout Reservation, located on Davitt Lake Road, serves the Twin Rivers Council of the Capital Region Boy Scouts. The reservation consists of over 1,250 acres in the Towns of Poestenkill and Grafton. The southern section of the reservation around Davitt Pond lies in Poestenkill. The Boy Scouts have marked trails throughout the reservation that can be used by permission only of the Twin Rivers Council. The area is covered by extensive stands of hemlock. Parts of the trails located in the southern section of the reservation cross onto private property and are not open to the public.

Poestenkill Folk Music Society

The Poestenkill Jam or “Friday Night Jam” is a folk music jamboree that meets two Friday nights a month in the Poestenkill Town Hall. Many of the musicians are from Poestenkill and reflect the musical talent found in the town.

Hollywood Drive-In

There are less than 300 drive-ins left in the United States and Poestenkill has one of them. The Hollywood Drive-In was built in 1952 and originally ran year round. It is now open from May to October and provides entertainment for residents of Rensselaer County and surrounding areas.

Threats, Issues and Goals

§ Traffic becomes backed up on Route 66

The entrance to the drive-in has been moved inward on the property, which has eased the traffic problem a bit. Signs to warn motorists may be useful to reduce the likelihood of accidents in this area.

Religious and Philanthropic Institutions

The following is a list of religious institutions in Poestenkill:

Averill Park Jehovah Witnesses

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Poestenkill

First Baptist Church of East Poestenkill

Poestenkill Christian Church

Union Gospel Church

Many of these institutions provide space for other community groups to meet

Housing

General Housing Characteristics

According to the 2000 Census, the town of Poestenkill has a total of 1,628 housing units, of which 84.4% are owner-occupied and 15.6% are renter-occupied (Table 29). Although more than four-fifths of the housing in Poestenkill is single family, 12.3% of housing units are in multi-family structures with two or more units and 4.7% are mobile homes or trailers. A very low portion (6.2%) of the housing is vacant, whether for rent, for sale, seasonal or otherwise. In contrast to the neighboring communities of Berlin and Grafton, where a significant portion of the housing stock is seasonal, almost all of the housing units in the town of Poestenkill have year-round occupancy. No vacant houses were for sale in Poestenkill during the 2000 census.

In 2000, the median housing value in the town was $117,600, an increase of 24% from 1990 and 231% from 1980. (The value is based on an estimate by a homeowner, at the time of the census, of how much their property would sell for it if were for sale.) The median value was lower in the town of Poestenkill than in the town of Sand Lake ($123,500), but higher than in North Greenbush ($116,200), Brunswick ($115,400), Grafton ($96,300) or Berlin ($79,000). In the 2000 Census, the median housing value was the third highest of all the communities in Rensselaer County behind Sand Lake and Schodack.

In general, housing prices in the town are higher in newer developments such as Algonquin Estates, Deer Creek, and Winding Ridge than in other older established neighborhoods. Most of these new homes are constructed on large lots and are in the range of $150,000 - $200,000. Prices are lower in rural areas of east Poestenkill and in the Poestenkill hamlet where lots are smaller and the structures are older.

The town of Poestenkill has experienced modest amounts of new construction, with nearly 30% of the town’s housing stock built during the 1980s and 1990s (Table 30). Many of these new units appear to have been constructed in the major subdivisions approved in Poestenkill during this time. In contrast, 20.8% of residential units were constructed before 1940 and 42.5% were built before 1960. The age of the town’s housing stock generally reflects the steady population growth that has occurred over the last fifty years in Poestenkill.

Residential building permit activity in the town of Poestenkill was significant during most of the 1990s and grew during the early 2000s, with a total of 240 new housing units permitted since 1990. The majority of these units were single-family structures, including modular homes. Most of the new construction has been in the western and southern sections of the town, which are more accessible to Albany and Troy. In addition, soil conditions and easier topography have made construction more affordable in these areas.

Table 2: Major Subdivisions Approved in the Town of Poestenkill, 1985-2004
Subdivision Name	Location	Year Approved	Number of Lots
Heather Ridge	Vosburg Road & Holloway Lane	1985	48
Pleasant Hill	Hinkle Road	1985	15
Deer Creek	Route 351	1986	21
Algonquin Estates	Algonquin Beach Road	1986/1986	27/44
Nursery Estates	Route 355 & Dino Lisa Drive	1987	8
Pine Meadows	Laura Drive	1987	13
Reichard	Reichard Farm Road	1987	3
Moules Lake	Route 355; Carol Place; Daisy Lane; Todd Drive	1987/1987/ 2000/2004	3/3/8/5
Holser Subdivision	Lynn Road	1988/1995	13/ 6
Clayton Johnson	Oak Hill Road	1988	3
Common Farms	Hinkle Road	1988	8
Winding Ridge	Algonquin Beach Road	1991	7
Victorian Estates	Weatherwax Road	1993/94	14
Skyview Meadows	Snyders Corner Road	1994/1999	7/6
Shuhart	Grandview Drive	1997	6
Clemente	56 Road	1997	6
Henry Duncan	NY 355	1999	4
Futia/Laraway	Plank Road	2002	4
Hammond Hills	Weatherwax Road	2004	4
Buckingham Place	Abbey Road	2004	19

Housing Market Conditions and Recent Housing Activity

Chapter 139 of the Town Code defines a subdivision as the division of any parcel of land into three or more lots, blocks, or sites, with or without streets or highways, or any division of land containing a new street. A major subdivision is one with five or more lots, or any size subdivision requiring any new street or extension of municipal facilities. A minor subdivision consists of no more than four lots fronting on an existing street, not involving any new street or road and the extension of municipal facilities, and not adversely affecting the development of the remainder of the parcel or adjoining property.

Subdivisions usually occur when the housing market conditions are strong enough to make a profit from the subdivision of land. The cost of planning and engineering as well as construction costs of utilities and roadways often outweigh the actual profit received from the actual sale of land. Therefore, subdivisions usually occur when housing prices rise, such as was seen in the early and mid 1980s, mid 1990s and 2003 to present (2005). This can be seen in the subdivisions approved in Poestenkill.

Source: Town Assessor & Building Inspector.

Fifteen subdivisions have been approved in the town of Poestenkill since 1985. The majority of the subdivisions are located north, west, and south of the Poestenkill hamlet. The subdivisions listed in Table 2 are approved sites and do not necessarily have homes on them. However, most of the lots have been developed and sold. Approximately 30 vacant subdivision lots remain, with several purchased for construction. This low number of vacant lots has created a demand for additional subdivisions, which can be seen in the 3 major subdivisions with 28 lots that have been approved in 2004.

Local builders indicate that the buyers tend to be families with children. The majority are Poestenkill natives or families relocating from other parts of Rensselaer County. Many of them have chosen to live in Poestenkill for the quality of life. The desirability of the Averill Park School District is another factor driving the demand for new housing development.

Rensselaer County has lagged behind the Capital Region in terms of housing sales and prices. Median selling prices for homes in Rensselaer County are lower than in Albany or Saratoga Counties. According to the Capital Region Multiple Listing Service, a subsidiary of the Greater Capital Association of Realtors, Inc., median prices of existing homes sold in Rensselaer County rose from $94,000 in 1999 to $133,000 in 2004. This, together with low mortgage prices, has resulted in a “seller’s market” in Rensselaer County.

Rensselaer County has been collecting information on single-family housing listed under the Multiple Listing Service for February in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2002, four houses were listed in the town with an average price of $87,750. In 2003, only one house was listed with a price of $142, 900. In 2004, two houses were listed with an average price of $174,900. In 2005, eight houses were listed, one a sizeable farm listed at $2,500,000. The average price of the seven remaining properties listed was $214,129.

The low numbers of houses for sale in Poestenkill may be an aberration as the data was collected in February, not a popular month to sell houses in, but also shows that houses are less likely to come up for sale. The only other town with fewer houses for sale over the four years studied was Petersburgh, a much smaller community with many fewer housing units. Another significant indicator was that the price of houses rose much higher than the county or region. The average price of houses rose 144% in those four years. The average sales price of houses in the Capital District rose 35% from $135,565 in 2001 to $184,965 in 2004, and rose 30% in Rensselaer County during the same time period. The actual sales prices are lower than the listed price, but the listed price shows the price that the property owners expect to receive for their property. The rise in listed prices does reflect that residences are becoming less affordable to those with moderate incomes. A family spending one third of its income purely on mortgage and property taxes for the average listed price house would need to make $54,162 a year.

The town of Poestenkill has experienced significant residential growth in recent years. An estimated 30% of the housing stock in the Town was built since 1980, typically on large lots with the amenities common to newer homes in suburban communities. Much of the recent construction activity has been in the Averill Park School District, perceived as one of the most progressive districts in the County. This has attracted many families to Poestenkill from other areas of Rensselaer County. Convenience to employment in Albany and Troy is also a factor influencing the demand for housing.

Table 3: Single Family Residential Building Permit Activity, Town of Poestenkill
Year	Number	Median Value	Average Value	Median Area	Average Area
1993	11	$90,000	$116,364	1,964	2,212
1994	14	$145,000	$132,321	2,485	2,338
1998	18	$94,000	$103,833	1,708	1,782
1999	15	$114,300	$113,687	1,652	1,845
2003	21	$150,000	$150,938	2,173	2,133
2004	35	$140,000	$149,571	1,860	1,874

Source: Poestenkill Building Permits; includes manufactured housing and housing replacement.

The range of housing options in Poestenkill does not include any condominiums, townhouses, or large apartment complexes. Rental units constitute less than 20% of Poestenkill’s housing stock and the number of rental units has dropped since 1990. As a result, there are relatively few lower-cost alternatives for singles, young families, or seniors on fixed incomes. This can be seen in the significant drop in the 20-24 year and 25-34 year age range. Since starter families and recent college graduates do not usually have the savings to put a down payment on a house, these households cannot find housing in the town unless they move in with family members.

Threats, Issues and Goals

Increase the amount of rental housing without lowering area property values.

Rental housing has had a negative stereotype as they are traditionally considered to attract undesirable, low-income families. This stereotype is reinforced when one considers urban areas that have many absentee landlord rental units. Other communities have considerable numbers of rental units, but they are part of the neighborhoods or are maintained due to surveillance from the community.

The town can increase rental units through the allowance of in-law apartments and apartments above garages, etc., where the septic systems will allow an increase of units. Owner-occupied two-family houses are maintained, and tenants are usually not uncontrolled as their landlords are nearby. Large rental complexes in areas of public water and sewer can provide high-quality housing. As these complexes age, the community must ensure that the units are maintained to code to prevent the degradation of these units.

Provide housing assistance and alternatives for special needs groups such as the elderly.

People are living longer, healthier lives now as compared to 50 years ago. Elderly people are no longer being placed in nursing homes due to age, but are usually left to age in place in their homes. Many of the houses often become too much for the elderly to maintain, which causes the housing to deteriorate. As the elderly are most likely to be on fixed incomes, they cannot afford to pay for the maintenance of the home, or the heating or other costs.

Several programs exist to help low- and moderate-income households including the elderly to repair or maintain their homes. Rensselaer County Housing Resources runs a small repair program for the lower income elderly. The Commission on Economic Opportunity runs a HEAP program for the low income with a weatherization portion in it program. ROUSE RPC, Inc. owns and manages several senior housing complexes including the Brookside Senior Apartments in West Sand Lake. ROUSE occasionally receives RESTORE funds to help senior citizens with housing repairs.

Town of Poestenkill

Comprehensive Plan

Margaret Schmidt, Supervisor

Robert Juenger*

Contents

The Planning Process

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

Organization of the Plan

Water

Threats, Issues and Goals

Surface Water Resources

Threats, Issues and Goals

Floodplains

Threats, Issues and Goals

Soils

Threats, Issues and Goals

Prime Farmland Soils

Threats, Issues and Goals

Mine-able Soils

Topography

Scenic Resources

Special Resources

Wetlands

Threats, Issues and Goals

Forest Lands

Threats, Issues and Goals

Wildlife

Threats, Issues and Goals

Historic & Cultural Resources

Poestenkill’s Past

Sites and Buildings of Historical Significance

Threats, Issues and Goals

Map 7: Historic Resources and Gravesites

Threats, Issues & Goals

Cultural Resources

Poestenkill Public Library

Threats, Issues and Goals

Poestenkill Historical Society

Issues, Threats and Goals

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post

Dyken Pond Environmental Center

Barberville Falls Nature Preserve

Issues, Threats and Goals

Geiser Preserve

Boy Scout Troop 528 & Camp Rotary Scout Reservation

Poestenkill Folk Music Society

Hollywood Drive-In

Threats, Issues and Goals

Religious and Philanthropic Institutions

Housing

Table 3: Single Family Residential Building Permit Activity, Town of Poestenkill

Threats, Issues and Goals