halcyon hall always looks cool in the snow....

as it enters its' 119th year, halcyon hall continues to defy the odds

it continues to fascinate and amaze more people everyday, locally,
and "online" as it were

i have seen it recently described as "the most beutiful abandoned
building in America" {!} maybe? i would not Disagree...

wanderer, my friend, I believe what your referring to is the
physical plant of the college? it is square and concrete, it's roof was a small parking deck. It contained the upgraded [from the 1920's]
utilities for the school. There used to be a giant smokestack that was torn down in the late 1980's.It was probably the ugliest addition to the campus ever, that landscaping never quite mitigated.
nice that you were able to see it again while it all still stands. That is a pleasant time to visit Millbrook.

Not so sure I'd be around when they begin to demo, or that I'd want to be really. I'd bet that Johnny Kading will be there to photo or film that
process, something he has always done when Millbrook tears
down its' history.

The only interesting thing about that would be the ability to see
Halcyon cut in section, however briefly, as they demo. That is, to see
the interiors as they have not been seen, since they were being built
almost 130 years ago. Winding backwards, as it were, from profane
physical fact , back finally, to an ideal on a piece of drafting paper.
Architecture still exists even after it physically disappears.
From a dream in someone's imagination, now back to a dream in
our collective memories. These are the things that draw me, and most of us
i think, to these buildings in the first place. Mott's photos seem to capture that sense of connection particularly well, I think.

as of september 14th 2010, the Village of Millbrook has 30 days to outline dates by which the owner of Halcyon Hall, Bennett LLC,
must begin demolition, under compliance with building codes.
so in about 20 days, it will ostensibly become public information exactly when this building will be [ordered to be] torn down.
In other words, probably soon. But who knows?

yes, halcyon hall is still standing. and despite current scenarios,
i don't see anyone spending the ten million dollars to tear it down
any day soon, regardless of what legal edicts are issued, ya know?

i predict collapse, a lightning strike, etc. which will then force
some entities' hand to BEGIn demo...

i really do prefer my scenario of it being blown up violently as part of the climax of some big budget movie. Gets rid of the problem,
in a way that lives on forever, generates income, but doesn't require
ruining the site forever after with shit/faux tudor condos and such.

It's perplexing to me why not, America has become known primarily at this point as a people who are best at Blowing Shit Up. And making
Major Motion Pictures about Blowing Shit Up.

Someone get hold of Ridley Scott's Location Scouts!
I am completely serious, I am baffled this has not been a location for film, print ,photo,rock video[[that last one may change soon! heh he..]

i have some trepidation posting, because i am in the position of not necessarily being up on all the facts; that's what happens when local newspapers go under....no local coverage , published, or leaked,
as it were.... but, here goes..

the bennet college / halcyon hall property has been under order of demolition since mid spring 2010. By the village. To the Owner.
The matter is being decided by an independent arbitrator, who will
decide the matter[whether it must be torn down immediately out of
[long overdue] compliance, in the eyes of "the law", OR -whether there
is a "case'' to be made for it's reprieve, to be selectively ? demo-ed
later, as part of.... The Blumenthal Brickmann proposal!... Which is
still alive, and probably the central defense of the owners AGAINST
immediate demolition, that is being waged in legal forums as I write...
I have obviously been totally WRONG. Rumours of the Blumenthal Brickmann proposal's demise have been Greatly Exagerrated!
By me. Not only me, BUT-On that count I am an Idiot. Mea Culpa. If I were the first to ever jump to conclusions on the topic,
i might feel a bit chastened, but... obviously... Not.
So this proposal is still the scenario, and on a strategic level, it has been fortunate for it that the economy dived, and the snagzone these
things always go through occurs now when any work is good work to anyone anywhere...EVENTUALLY Someone is going to be tearing this place down, and building Something here. Sooner than later if up to the village. Which to demand full remission for that demo would
bankrupt pretty much anyone in the post Bernie-M era, right? So let's get real. No One is going to be Owed Money to do this.Not the owner!
NOT THE VILLAGE! That's why they are demanding Demo!! It Costs Millions of Dollars to wreck somewhere like this.No matter what any municipality's Laws say. And on that count, there are Bigger Things that need to be, compelled, to.. move in the right direction, as they say,
if you want AnyThing to happen, either way.
This place will be torn down as PART OF A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL. Period. This one was the one on the table, before the..first signs of the
decline of the American Empire, as it were... The Chinese Century,
many are now, openly, calling it.. I tend to agree with them, quietly.

If I owned this place, and had a development scenario in place,then they told me in 2010 I gotta tear it all down, at my own expense,
I'd tell the Village of Millbrook, to kiss my Dutch Irish ass. And whoever the hell else was , like ..SUING me! And I would prevail in court, too bubba. Even if i were Wrong.
I could elucidate about 5 or 6 very compelling reasons why, but I am not in the legal employ of the owners, developers, or legal counsel of Halcyon Hall... [yet?]
heh. heh...

Who knows? That may be my new schtick. We must tear down, so that we can "save".!
To Preserve, we Must Destroy.!
The Hudson Valley Society for Historic Demoltion!

There are no "sides" on whether this place will/ might/ could/ should
be torn down.I don't think their are villians, or any heroes either.
Just the simple human failures of generally good people ,from a very
lucky , interesting, and splendidly anachronistic locale, long after somewhere special like this should have lasted anyway, it seems, into our...stulted new century.

So.. how's that for irony? Are you against immediate, indiscriminate
demolition of Halcyon Hall, for whatever goddamned reason? Then
these developers, for now, are your best and only hope!. Ha ha...

Their original plan called for Some Preservation. Who knows now,
but to selectively demo Costs More
At this point i think it's just a bunch of fucking lawyers making money
off this place year after fucking year! it is hilarious!
So I am now available to the highest bidder as historic detail consultant, either side. Preserve, Destroy? It's all the same to me!
I'll bolster your case like a James Carville of Preservation...or maybe a Dick Morris of demolition, depending on ..um, your tastes, or politcal..persuasions or whatever, lol...I don't care anymore, pay me .
Forget the Possibilities:
Let's ALL collude & push the case that IS Going to Happen! All aggrieved parties will be compensated based on the merits of their individual cases anyway, some truly historically signifigant, most mundane and routine, yet serviceable in the grand scheme of millions of dollars that are gonna pour into this goatfuck, so let's everybody get a piece of the action!, THat's what lawsuits are all about! It's what they are for...It's your history too folks!!! So,Step right up! Get Litigious! [souds like a wild dance craze...]
We can't go wrong, in fact, let's ratchet up a whole fuckin hornet's nest of new, and esoteric, and expensive,
and stupid lawsuits on both "sides" to exploit
The freakin Inevitable. Why not? It's creates more work for lawyers. I love lawyers!
They Protect Us FromThe Law. I just think they gotta start spreadin the
wealth when it comes to this"Presvation/ Heritage schtick. I love the classic cinema of the 70's, but I've seen this movie before...
In Adjusted dollars, fthe legal fees squandered over the Dozens of [mostly now forgotten, many current] Lawsuits since 1977
related to this property
could have covered at least Halcyon's stableization!. Take a bite a that!
What was achieved from all that waste of money, legal expertise, etc
over the last 34 years?

Many millions spent to have Nothing, instead of millions spent to have Something. Which tells anyone who is awake Exactly what is wrong
with the values our national culture has embraced. It is embodied in the closing of schools {?!} while we unquestionably fund Permanent War. No matter who get's "elected"...
ok, [thanks motts, for
indulging my
sarcasm]

why thanks nancy...i probably don't deserve that high a praise though, as
i was one like everyone else in and from Millbrook who kind of let all this happen, really...
but, saving places like these is HARD, and Almost always impossible. Motts SO fuckin Rocks for reminding us, but also for
giving us a little glimmer, in the loss, of the things that last forever ...

That national economic circumstances kiboshed the condo mania
that was proposed for the site, at least, is good for Millbrook, in my opinion.
Very little of that proposal would have gone to local contractors, and if
so, then the usual suspects. Anyone who denies this... welll...
actually, you probably know where to reach me, lol.....so, whatever...

Resulting business for the village from the temporary jobs would spike a bit, but not long before the village as a municipality would
see insane, Westchester-like inflation of taxes to pay for the state mandated infrastructure, education, etc. required upon the
new expansion of the village population. It is SO such a diminishing
return..at least this specific proposal for this specific town..


Do we have to ruin everywhere? Are there some places where we can just say no to making sure it becomes just like everywhere else?
Can we just let some fucking places BE, Voluntarily!?

Don't worry, eventually Millbrook will face this same scenario all over again. This developer, that developer. This mayor, that mayor.
I have watched it go on for decades.

I have watched this place be used over and over again in collusion by players in local government, banking, and real estate, to further their own agendas.
over half the time their scenarios go down in oblivion, but it never seems to stop them from hitching up again. I continue to be amazed at how much even I underestimate them all.

Honestly, other than letting it beautifully rot forever, i wouldn't mind
watching it explode , like something out of a Ridley Scott movie.
To smithereens, like they say. That would be cool.

yeah, halcyon hall is still standing. i drove by it last saturday night in fact. i was at the bar with one of Millbrook's recent former mayors;
We talk, but never about Halcyon Hall. It is very good for us and the people around us that we do Not!!

It is just as well, as there is nothing to discuss, really; The development plan went down the tubes, for many
of the previously discussed reasons, and some newer ones; our current
general economic conditions seem to have been the final nail, though...
no one is going to build condos that no one will [or can] buy!

halcyon's demise will now be the village's [considerable] problem;
it is ready to fall down in several places, and when there are partial collapses, Millbrook WILL then move forward with at least partial demolition, i can assure you of that.
i've said it before, but, the place does not have much longer

i will go out on yet another limb, and say between summer and fall
of this year, the double bay windows on the central front facade will
collapse. i honestly don't think this building will remain much longer

still,....... you got to admire the tenacity, if a building can be said to have such a quality....

let it fuckin rot, beautifully, forever, i say.....

halcyon hall is still standing

simon- thank you for your post. it has to be said that halcyon hall is unsalvageable, no matter what other issues are debated here.

to wanderer- there still is no hard date set
on halcyon's demo, despite all the [wrong!]
PREDICTIONS I HAVE speculated on this board! i try to be up to date, and the halcyon saga has been as byzantine a story as there
ever has been in the annals of American preservation, or, non- preservation, as it were.. I'd bet that by the fall? but i also anticipate many more lawsuits!!! LOL!...
so....David Sloan was right, all hope for this building was lost by about 1994 at the latest,
on a structural, business, and practical basis.

Millbrook is inching closer though, to a resolution. The village held a meeting adressing the issue of code compliance of unsafe properties. The legalese / wording of the law was changed. Barricading or fencing off an unsafe property will no longer be acceptable as a remedy for an unsafe structure. This is the first step towards requiring the demolition of Halcyon to comply
with building codes.The change in the law is being touted as a remedy to derelict properties throughout the municipality. Anyone making this assertion is Full of Shit.
You can tell them Pat Ratchet Said So!

It is aimed squarely at The Bennett property
Situation. It's the only derelict property in Millbrook, literally! Has anyone been their lately? Every property is way dialed in... Millbrook is so beauttiful on a scenery basis.....


I would predict the blumenthal plan is dead in the water. In many ways that is unfortunate,
as THEIR PLAN DID PROVIDE FOR SOME PRESERVATION. The village may now be forced to demo out of compliance. This will cost millions, trust me. And that is before all the kickbacks that will be required. Anyone who denies that is a liar.

The positive end will be public safety [that is, if the asbestos is removed properly, WHICH IT NEVER IS!!! anyone who says it is, can ALSO BE INCLUDED ON MY LIST OF LIARS.]

With Halcyon gone, perhaps proper development could occur, as opposed
to the sledgehammer job that probably would have ocurred. Existing properties will be able to be free of the hindrance this adjacent
problem has visited upon them.

That the property would not be SO heavily overdeveloped is probably the smart concern.
Which must be balanced against the fiscal requirement of the village to have some plan
for the eventual disposition of this property.
Not to mention the actual owner of Halcyon Hall.

this has all gone on so much longer than anyone would have foreseen.

i do believe this year that their will be some resolution of alot of these matters, and that the building will be demolished sometime in 09. but i have been wrong before, haven't I heh..heh...

thanks as always Motts, for doing the things you do, the way you do them...

shameless plug: look for a pat ratchet guest column in the Poughkeepsie Journal ANY DAY NOW, about historic preservation.! ok....

the grape shade was the name of a bar /restaurant in the village. In recent years it has been Marcello's.

the science building is 33 years old and was never used. i imagine the roofs are compromised, and therefore there is probable water damage.Perhaps not too
bad though,? as the building has a steeply sloping roof. It was considered a modern structure in 1976.
it is slated for demo under the pending development proposal.

the house shown on flickr was faculty housing. it was to be saved under the pending proposal, although to be moved
elsewhere on the property.

bennett college is in millbrook ny,
travel east from poughkeepsie ny on rt 44,
come to the light at the junction of rt 44,
county route 82, and county route 343.

Bennett is diagonally northeast from the light, it IS RIGHT there, in winter you can even see it. I am astonished when people can't seem to locate the place! I would discourage people from going in there, you in all probability could be arrested, and it is extremely unsafe anyway.

but what the hell? i enjoy all of your tresspassing adventures vicariously, since
it is certain that if I, pat ratchet, were caught doing so, they would throw the proverbial book at me, with extreme prejudice, for reasons that are crystal clear to anyone who's read previous posts, and for even more
reasons that will never be made public.

In the interest of full disclosure, i must relate
that a signifigant portion of the info i have posted the last 3 and a half years came directly from The Millbrook Round Table.
Through my No-Bullshit lens, of course.

But The Millbrook Round Table has just gone Out of Business. Announced Tuesday, The last issue comes out Tommorrow. Taconic Press, its' publisher has gone bankrupt.
7 other Dutchess County papers under the Taconic umbrella will also fold as a result.
The Millbrook Round Table's demise seems sadder and more shocking I suppose, because all of Taconic's offices countywide
were located in Millbrook; not to mention that it was published continually since the 1890"s.

in terms of sourcing, i have lost my main source of info on proceedings about Halcyon / Bennet. My supplementary conduits derive mainly from discrete gossip
amongst individuals and entities in local construction, real estate, business, and
legal circles. So it could be awhile before
I am able to provide any more scuttlebutt,
as I am prone now to wind down my muckraking, rather than ratcheting it up, so...


let's just say that the local paper going bellyup is a dream come true for the proposal before Millbrook to develop Bennett College. despite their having been practically cheerleaders for the entire scenario, they
were the only check at all on any
of these developments.

for myself on personal level, i am ready this year to become visibly active on my project on James E Ware & Sons, Architects.
I intend to give lectures locally, in anticipation
of publishing material on the subject.
Halcyon Hall and it's history wil be among the centerpieces of these presentations,
as it is within the architects ouevre.
Perhaps this could put a more public face on
Halcyon's continuing saga.

the Brickmann Blumenthal plan to develop the Bennet college property has hit a major roadblock. The New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation has ordered the millbrook planning board to recind the N.E.D.
allowing the project to proceed, based upon
'procedural errors, insufficient, and erroneous information."
Among the boards blunders were their failure to include the DEC as an involved agency. They also failed to adequately
address impact on two protected streams on the property. This oversight occured in
the developers plans by being ignored as if they do not exist. The same goes for the Exmoore mansion, which IS a historic property, and can be clearly demonstrated to be so. They just pretended it does not exist.
The State Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator has declared Exmoore was not even on the submitted site plans, and that changes in the plan would be required to mitigate the proposed development's impact
on this historic property.

There is also a huge problem relating to water supply, storm runoff, etc that have not been adequately adressed by the developer
in their proposal.
The NYS DEC declared the negative declaration [allowing the proposed development to go forward] be rescinded or amended immediately.

The developer has expressed surprise at this
turn of events, having recently seen the process go pretty much their way despite
overwhelming opposition to this development.

So the race to tear down local history is slowed once again.and not just because of no one dotting I's or crossing T's.
There are serious problems with the substance of the plan on commercial,
environmental, and legal grounds, and the
disgraceful, unethical if not illegal actions
of the board in trying to ram through this
fiasco only underscores their complicity in
trying to defy the public will and interest as
it relates to the gateway to the community.

Send in the lawyers, ho ho...

Millbrook has its' collective panties in a bunch over Bennett College. Village Attorneys Rich Olson and Rich Cantor have redrafted the villages' Unsafe Building Code,
to make them less liable for not tearing down
an unsafe building. The board will now officially demand of Louis Heithaus, the properties' developer, and David Blumenthal,
the developer, that they immediately tear down Halcyon Hall. Skip Ciferri seems to be leading the charge on that aspect. I am
unsure if Contento Corporation is still under contract for the demolition of Halcyon Hall.

Village Trustee George Whalen said
:We're all of the opinion now that safety is more important than expense...I think within the calendar year here we should have this figured out." All of a sudden, after 3 plus fuckin decades. safety compliance has suddenly become good for Business! Hoho ho...
The most obvious confluence of conflict of interests {banking, real estate, government]
Millbrook has ever seen Has Spoken.
NOW you can be SURE this fucking place will be demolished any day now!! Halcyon Hall may not see the freakin New year with the hardon the Village Board is fronting to rip this place down, indemnify themselves from liability or cost, get this project done while there is momentum, and ignore the lawsuit{s]
that might stand in the way of the program.

The developer published a guest column in the local weekly periodical to state his final position, promises, the history of his compliance and seeking common ground with his detractors, etc. He claims neighboring properties values will actually INCREASE [lol!...] due to this development.
This paper gave the developer a big fat wet sloppy kiss. Their was perhaps one line in The Editor's own statement on the topic that
even seemed at all concerned, and that only in regards to the Planning Boards handling
of the ongoing proceedings, which has subjected them to lawsuit{s} on the matter.
In other words, they might mea culpa on PROCEDURAL aspects of this fiasco, and the SUBSTANCE of contention is irrelevant
and already decided.

A local resident, eager for demolition,
expressed her fear of the unsafe condition of the building.
Quote: "Kids are going in there and shooting music videos" ! She discovered some on the internet. LOL!!!!
Hell, she should send Me the freaking links, I should have thought of that for my own
rok n' role combo, ha ha....

The dates of demolition are being determined immediately in conjuction with Millbrook's Building Inspector, Ken McLaughlin.

As the first blanket of heavy snow covers
the hudson valley, i'd guess this weekend would be the best last time to photograph
Halcyon Hall. I'd bet it will disappear before
it is ever seen without snow on it again.
This first storm of the year is a heavy one,
the better to blanket Halcyon to sleep finally.

There will probably be more lawsuits.They
probably will not matter. But who knows?
The Law is the Biggest Business there is in Dutchess County in many ways....

Merry Christmas Halcyon Hall....

and Cheers All!

you may be right, johnny blackout. Millbrook
is the like the publisher's clearing house IN REVERSE... you May Have Already LOST the
sweepstakes.....

On Nov.20th Tim Tice, owner of Exmoore,
along with Millbrook resident and entrepenuer Paul Orofino,
filed suit against The Millbrook Planning board, for flagrant abuse,
ignorance, and gross violation of Open Meeting Laws, in particular in relation to
handicapped access laws, as well as the
"sped-up" nature of the proceedings, the
bait & switch aspect that has characterized
the nature of these proceedings at least as long as Mott has been photographing the
site, and at least as long as I can remember anyone but me bitching about it all....ho ho ho...
Some Serious People Care what happens, and don't ,to this place, for reasons of Their Own...the word iz the developah wants it all on the fast track, presure, pressure...
Their are also allegations of gross disregard
of historical criteria for preservation
ignored. I would guess this is in regards to Exmoore. But who knows? The promises for the Monument were also extremely vague. The
latest evalution had that as a resource
actually endangered by this development.

What is good for saving history? What are the wiser decisions to make as a generation
to leave the next? What is smart development , what is zoning? When is commerce bad, when is {actual] conservatism Good?
When does the common voice finally get
it's point on record? Before all the rammed
through, backroom ballrub fuck-fix deals
that are NEVER UN-Doable in this country..
When?

Halcyon Hall is to me a boxer who just won't go Down...a fighter who will never tap out.

ha ha.. i'd like to think that nancy....

The owner of Halcyon Hall, Louis Heithaus,
principal of Bennett Acquisitions LLC, has
filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Poughkeepsie, against the board of the adjoining Bennett Commons Condominiums.
The suit relates to easements on the property
between the existing condominiums and the soon to be developed areas to be sold by
Heithaus to Brickmann/ Blumenthal partners.

The lot in question is formerly part of the
condominium parcel, yet owned by Heithaus,
whom has payed taxes on it, but has not
been offered the opportunity to vote, or avail himself of any controlling interest in the Bennett Commons Association, despite
owning the lot in question that Heithaus claims
would proportionally give him a 44% vote.
He is seeking to have the lot declared free of any legal encumbrance, pursuant to its sale
for the proposed development.

Another easement situations seems
unresolved as far as the Exmoore property.
This small mansion will be virtually landlocked by this development, and is allegedly left off some of the siteplans.
Rumoured to meet the criteria to be considered a historic property.
Exmoore was built in 1913 as the President's residence for Bennett college.
Designed by Halcyon Hall's original architect,
it continued James E Ware's employ by Mae
Friend Bennett in enlarging and adding to the
college campus that he had originally designed as a hotel 21 years earlier. It is
one of the last buildings in Millbrook designed by Ware. A quietly distinguished
neo colonial residence that has a stately charm, still reminiscent of the early 20th century.

it is also considered something of a dead horse in the local real estate market for
years at varying prices. There isn't a problem with the house itself, it's in excellent and upgraded condition.
It is just one of those difficult properties, made more so
by proximity to the controversial Bennet ruin.

There is also the looming scenario holding
the village responsible to demo in the event of the failure or delay to do so by the development proposal.

most of these snags will likely just add to the eventual cost of this fiasco. I would bet good odds
and real money that will be the justification for
jettisoning the preservation aspects of the development,[what laughingly few there are]
Hopefully selective demolition is not the first casualty of the current economic climate relative to this proposed development's
own stated plans, the plans that have been agreed upon.


So there are a few ghosts in the machine in the race to tear down Halcyon Hall which is 116 years old.

The Millbrook Village Board has voted to issue the negative declaration allowing the Blumenthal development to proceed as
presented. For all intents and purposes,
this means the demolition of Halcyon HAll.
The only real mitigative stipulation by the board was 5 foot sidewalks instead of
4 foot sidewalks, and that was not even out of
compliance with the Americans With
Disabilities Act.!

Opposed Interested parties have expressed astonishment at the vote in light of the
compellingly comprehensive presentation
against the particulars of this development proposal. Be careful who ya vote for, folks,
somewhere around the millenilum, that
vote of yours DID suddenly matter, Huh? ho ho ho...now live with it

Former Mayor Don Briggs, under whom this plan first manifested, was an enthusiastic cheerleader for this development plan,
and commented favorably on the resolution , almost as if he were still mayor.
Just my impression. The current mayor has not been vocal at all, even after promising to
update the public on a monthly basis, and
failing to, even once in seven {7} months.

THe Blumenthal plan provides for SOME
preservation of a tiny fraction of Halcyon Hall,
specifically the stonework foundation, the extant chapel property, some part of the eastern tower wing[ most of which will undoubtedly be almost new construction]

The plan calls for all of this to be conglomerated into some postmodern
jumbling together of the very elements that are being demolished to make room for the
psuedo Tudor condos evoking the real architecture that is making way for it in the first place.

AS a preservationist I try to preserve when
and where possible. The plan approved
PROVIDES EXACTLY FOR SOME OF THIS PRESERVATION! IF THEY DO WHAY HAS BEEN AGREED UPON IN THEIR OWN PLAN.

I emphasize to those opposed to demolition
that the AGREED UPON, IN THIS PLAN,
provisions for SOME preservation of this
site, IS THE BEST that can be hoped for.
I Don't Like it, but it is too far gone to save.
I've been there not long back, and it is just too far gone. Believe me I know from
a structural point of view...

BUT...
NOW that this development plan goes forward, let's makle sure they do what they agreed to, BLUMENTHAL & THE VILLAGE
BOARD...at least in regards to the token
preservation of Millbrook's unique physical heritage.

the millbrook board held its' 4th and final meeting to determine the fate of the Brickmann Blumenthal proposal to develop the Bennett College property.
Attended by a little under 100 people, only
2 people spoke in favor of the proposed development. Former mayor Don Briggs,
under whose term the plan was initially presented, made his case that it was a good
plan in the best interests of Millbrook.
Local contractor and builder Skip Ciferri,
whose ancestors built the stonework of Halcyon, also expressed a desire to see the plan move forward. Unfortunatly, unlike the former mayor, Skip felt the need to excoriate
dissenters, labeling them as "from outside the village" and imposing
'their own elitist view".

The counter argument against the development proposal was more effective
this meeting. 25 people alloted their 3 minute
slot to billionaire Oakleigh Thorne, whose
ancestral farm neighbors the Bennett property to the west. Thorne used the 45 minutes to present a comprehensive
argument against the project, based on
economic, environmental, infrastructure,
and quality of life issues.This included a
56 page slide show, as well as reports from
consultants Morris Associates.
Alot of residents of the existing condominium
community adjacent to the property in question also spoke against the plan. That
development from 1984 converted the
existing dormitories on the Bennet campus.

The meeting was actually very detailed
as far as the specifics of this development's negative impact on the village of Millbrook.
I have not the time nor space to get into those specifics, except to say that they were fairly thorough. The way previous meetings
were conducted, there was no opportunity to respond or counter SPECIFICS of the proposal. This should have been allowed
from the begiining, which seems why Thorne's presentation was necessary to
at least hold the board accountable to those specifics as it decides the fate of the Bennet
Property.

As of tonight, Halcyon Hall is still standing.

Thanks again Motts, you Rock....
'

Your probably right, i must admit not living in
the village anymore that i am probably not
on about the relative merits of millbrook's
"leaders" ! I guess I felt pretty disappointed
in the last 2 mayors, under whose tenure things
COULD have been improved, and felt that
Andy, who I think is a decent guy on a human level at least, might have brought some of that to the job.
I've tried to evolve my position as the situation changes:; that is, that "restoring"
Halcyon is out of the question, case closed.
That the development scenario already
in motion [?] DOES provide for some
sympathetic retention of stonework, the chapel, cottages, etc.
I do think that IS preferable to just tearing it all down outright. So my advocacy for this building's rescue starting in 1989, appears now to have
evolved to a position of "siding" with developers, if one were not careful to
recognize the nuance of my argument.
If THEY are going to save some of this place, then I will side with whoever THEY are!
... with reservations about the
impact on the character of the village.
I love Millbrook, and I care deeply about the place, on alot of levels. So your right, there
are no easy solutions or answers. Other than your point which is local government, in
general, and this one in particular, ARE THE
PROBLEM! And that dealing with them is useful if only
because one must go over or around their bullshit inevitably. But you are right that they
no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt from anybody, not even an optimistic
maniac like myself!
Bottom line the building IS falling down,
the OWNER might want to get his shit together and advise the board, the public,
etc etc. But we all know, on a business level that would be a lit bag of dynamite in the
current climate of Absolute Code Compliance.

Millbrook Village trustees were confronted
over the inertia and lack of official
update on the status of the Bennet property.
The interested parties seem to represent
land and /or homeowners whom seem to feel that the village board/ and or Bennet's
owners have turned a blind eye to safety
and enforcement of building codes there
for the past three decades.
Yeah, no shit. A real hot news flash.Like
no one has noticed the place....

There are some who view this falling wreck of a former landmark as a hazard, and a
blight on Millbrook's image and property values. They are probably correct at this point.
Fire concerns were also cited.
The board led by Mayor Andy Ciferri, is
now ready to hold the proposed developer
accountable for the staus of their project
scenario. In other words, pissed off property owners who feel the developers as well as the current owners have been given a free ride, have decided to light a fire under their asses in a very public way.
It seems the intent is as much to provide
parity, and fairness in regards to ALL local
building codes, zoning, etc. and Bennet
is the obvious example, for people who are routinely
screwed or denied by the village board for their own property, additions, expansions, easements etc.

In other words, this has little to do with Bennet directly, it is {again] being used as a very convenient excuse to embarass Millbrook into following the law regarding
ALL properties.

Kinda, sorta.

These shortsighted people are going to
end up screwing themselves in the end.
Despite the board's seeming cluelessness
regarding Bennet's status, they ,as well as everyone else who has followed this at all
know that the DEC is still conducting its' environmental review. It takes time, people.

There is a war on, Government is busy
Wrecking Everything, it's hard for them to
multi-task folks!! Chill out. Don't worry they
are going to ruin this place soon enough.

Except these rule crazy types may end up forcing the village to DEMOLISH HALCYON HALL ITSELF. Who do you think will pay for that? Millbrook will, if these shortsighted people have their way. Then they will be the first to complain when the multi million bill
forces up their taxes considerably, all in
the name of SAFETY and CODE COMPLIANCE.

They remind me of Republicans: The whole
world can be going to hell, ruinous wars,an economy down the toilet, and all of that is just fine BECAUSE BILL CLINTON"S NOT GETTING ANY STRANGE. To put it nicely.

Basically, they should let the developer
finish the deal. HE pays for demo, site
remediation, and more importantly [to these
rule -crazy types] insurance, against
liability for injury, contamination, or whatever other scenario these paranoid panic-junkies
are so freakin worried about after 3 decades.

It is somewhat of a ploy for a whole other
agenda. But they are right in the long run.

As one who is interested in Preservation,
as opposed to Rules, my concern is that
the current development scenario
provides for some actual preservation!!
The best that can be hoped for, I assure
you.

If the village is forced to demo out of
{all of a sudden] code compliance,
then forget selective preservation
of the tower wing, stonework etc. So if
you are for preserving some aspect of this
place, a legal directive to demo would
be a disaster. As it would also be for the village's fiscal position.
Perhaps the only good would be that the
property would then not necessarily be
as heavily developed as current plans call for.

Mayor Andy Ciferri, who i personally think has been pretty good on this and other issues,
has promised to update the village on a monthly basis.
He has his work cut out for him.

thanks barbara, for the humorous reply, and
for the hellraising on your own. Unfortunately
the Harkaway Theatre is to be demolished
as well. It was originally built as a stable, if
not for the original hotel, then for the college
not long after. I remember my aunt taking me to plays there when i was a little kid. Either
Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar. {SO 70's!]

The March 8 public hearing on the Bennett
development was billed as another chance for residents to offer public commentary. As the meeting began, however, it immediately became nothing of the sort. The Planning Board chairwoman changed the format
instead into a forum for the developer to
update Millbrook's own planning consultant.
No public commentary was allowed to the
dissappointment of many of the over 90
attendees.The claim was made that no new info was being submitted by the developer.
Yet by the end of the evening a large number of developments were made public for the first time, many after most of the attendees
spoke with their feet and left upon being
misled. Perhaps next meeting no one will be allowed to comment on this last one's developments? They are getting famous for this swap-o/ change-o routine.
Perhaps because last meeting 61 of 62
speakers were on record as against this fiasco?
The mayor dosn't seem to be having a problem with his free speech being curtailed.
He has published a very bitchy letter to local
papers excoriating opponents of this deal.
He is in a bid for re=election in less than 2weeks, and took a case to the County Supreme Court to have his opponents
candicacy nullified at the last minute. He
lost the case badly, complaining of missing legal deadlines because of bad weather. Judge
James Brands, known as a strict interpreter of the law , in cases before his court at least,
dismissed the case quickly.
The politician who can sucessfully develop
Bennett will be worshipped as a brahmin god
by certain segments of Millbrook's political,
banking, and real estate community. The
politician who attempts this and fails will go
down in flames of political oblivion.Make no
mistake, this is smash mouth, bloodsport politics to the parties involved here. There
are many millions of dollars at stake for the
public and private sector, There is so much
goddamned money in millbrook in general,
it is almost staggering.

The final application will be submitted by the
end of March. The developer says he is creating a web site with all available info, to spare the village clek being inundated with
Freedom of iNFORMATION requests.
It was settled that THERE ARE NO MORE ZONING ISSUES, this site is legal in that regard for this development, and that that will
NOT be revisited. From here it is a matter of
environmental permits, etc. and final legal
drafting etc blah blah...
In addition to concerns about road width,
trees and landscaping, and other site issues,
they were savvy enough to bring in a Historic
Resources consultant, who revealed that The State Office of Historical Preservation requested that they AGAIN LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS TO SEE IF MORE OF THEM CAN BE SAVED, which was concluded negatively.

On the positive side, the east wing's tower,
as well as The Chapel, and two quality Victorian houses are to be saved, along with some section of the beautiful stonework.
PIcture this photo with most of the stone base
but all of the wood section gone except the
easternmost fifth or so. This is what the computer simulation looks like anyway
There has been alot of redesigning of the
housing to be built, that it will fit with the
Tudor style of what will be saved, as well as the look of the village's housing at large.
Another huge revelation was that Blumenthal
will pay for a traffic roundabout at the everlong
dangerous Monument intersection at the
southeast corner of the parcel. This would be a welcome restoration of a very historic, and
long neglected slice of local history.
I think this is the best to be hoped for, really.
None of these concessions would have been a reality but for alot of different people getting
really pissed off and demanding input, including even this website,. I know for a fact that involved parties have monitored the chatter on this message board, which i think is a good thing. In that
regard I have to commend the developer, i hate to say. It is the village govt. that has acted
like absolute shits to the people they serve.
Blumenthal & Co must be aware that they have taken alot of the pr blowback that deserved to be square in the village board's
faces, but hey that's why he makes a buck, right? Besides, the village gvt is WAY too busy
trying to get people to vote for them, instead of actually
LISTENING to those voters.
F*** 'em. Selling off our history SHOULD be expensive, hopefully to all of their miserable political careers!


Thanks again Motts for providing a forum
where free speech still reigns!

happy st patricks day to all!

2007 finds the Millbrook planning board
finally holding meetings re: the impending development of the Bennett parcel. Predictably,
these first meetings open to the public are
already the ones slated to declare wether or
not the plan is given a negative environmental
declaration allowing the plan to go forward. A
positive declaration would mean that more
intensive environmental studies are required.

Billionaire Oakleigh Thorne, the publishing
and software magnate, said he was concerned about possible effects to his nearby
farm, particularly because the water flows to it westward through the Bennett property.
[ Thorne's estate, Thornedale, has been in his family since before the American Revolution.
It was deeded to his ancestors by Crown Grant. It is considered one of the great
country seats of the northeast, due to it's
architecture, renowned gardens, colonial
pedigree, and it's high standing for centuries
in American racehorse and cattle breeding.]

Thorne expressed his doubts about the projects chances of succeeding if more
reviews and studies are required, and in
that event "we will help find a project better suited for our community." This recieved
enthusiastic applause from over 80 attendants.

more meetings are planned in the coming weeks. some people are in favor of this
proposal, and speak out in favor of it as well.
In some cases there is more to it than meets
the eye in terms of said parties public/
private interests being rather conflicted, let's
put it that way, but hell, we are all entitled to our
opinions for WHATEVER reasons, pro or con,
right? as long as the con ain't on me,baby....
i mean, I'm biased as hell on the issue,
for my own goddamned reasons...

is oakleigh hinting at getting behind an alternative proposal?
perhaps; his family has and probably continues to be one of Millbrook's most
generous benefactors, often anonymously.
there had been idle chatter, often referred to
as Gossip, that the Thorne's wanted
something Proper to happen with their
failing neighbor Halcyon Hall. Who knows...

But the relationship between Halcyon and
Thornedale can be historically described
as polite ambivalence; Halcyon's founder
HJ Davison Jr. was upfront about trying to upstage it's neighboring estate, and it's
very in-your-face siting relative to the Thorne
bloc still resonates in terms of proximity.
Mansion building tended to be very competitive
in the nineteenth century. Perhaps some things have changed since 1893?

i will be Pat-strodamus and predict that...
this project will likely go through, perhaps
with modification. Too much of which will definitely make the whole thing unprofitable
for anyone, and Halcyon will STILL be left
to rot, fall, or burn.

What a fuckin mess....

i'm a "cremation man" myself, but if i were
to be interred, i would want it to be in a
badass pimpgothic grandroyal crib-crypt
like this!!Take me to Hell, baby!