Slowness on Rhineson 'intentional'
By Donna Cafaldo , Kingston Freeman Correspondent 8/11/04

RHINEBECK - Town Supervisor Dennis McGuire made it clear this week that the town is deliberately moving slowly regarding the development of the former Rhineson property, now known as the Thomas Thompson Recreation Park.

McGuire said representatives of the Rhinebeck school board sent a letter to the town stating the school board "needed to be there to move the project forward," insinuating the town was purposely stalling, and not including the school district in the process.

"It is intentional," McGuire said at a Town Board meeting Monday. "We are dragging our feet so we do it right. I want the press and everyone here tonight to know this."

McGuire added the Thompson Trust was in complete agreement regarding the site development process, saying it would be done one time and one time only. McGuire said the plan is to move slowly and cautiously.

The Thomas Thompson Trust is a Vermont-based organization that has allocated funding to develop the 70 acres of the former Rhineson property into a multi-use recreational facility including ball fields, playgrounds, nature trails and other recreational opportunities.

The property was jointly purchased with the village of Rhinebeck in 2002 for approximately $1 million.

McGuire said the committee charged with overseeing the site's development will begin the process of interviewing planners and design engineers who specialize in recreational facilities as well as begin receiving public input regarding what the community would like to see at the site. This includes a meeting with school officials scheduled for Sept. 11.

Councilman Ken Tompkins said recent news reports said the last meeting of the committee was a "planning session," but he said that was not the case, that it was simply an informational meeting. Tompkins said the committee was speaking to a Massachusetts-based planner confused regarding the three f orms of government involved in the park's development, namely the town, village and school district.

Tompkins said the planner simply misunderstood the way things were done in Boston compared with how they are done in Rhinebeck. Tompkins said the public will also be afforded the opportunity to express their concerns in two additional meetings set for Sept. 30 and Oct. 13.

All three meetings will be held at Town Hall.

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