Going, Going, GoneMiddleburghs Chalet Demolished to Make Room for Needed Parking

MIDDLEBURGH - After years of discussions, talks, and stops and starts, the long-abandoned "chalet" in Middleburgh was demolished Monday morning.

Now that the two-story wooden building is out of the way, village DPW workers will transform the space into a parking lot which will likely open this fall.

At a special meeting Monday night, village board members discussed the future of the now vacant lot at 111 Railroad Avenue.

The current driveway to the property is right next to a house on Railroad Avenue so board members agreed to lower the sidewalk for the entire entrance to ease access.

Board members also discussed whether to have the contractor who removed the building, transform it into a parking lot. They agreed to save some money and have the village DWP do the work. Mayor Tim Knight noted that the lot will require a lot of fill and material. Until the parking lot is open, the area will be blocked off with boulders.

Mayor Knight said several residents have asked him about having "permit" parking in the new lot.

It is estimated that there will be between seven and 10 spots in the lot when completed.

Village officials agreed to decide on whether to issue permits to Railroad Avenue residents after the final number of spots is determined. Trustee Bob Tinker said he is open to the idea of permit parking, according to the number of spots.

If initiated, the permits would only be issued to Railroad Avenue residents only and only one spot would be offered. Only a portion of the lot would be for residents.

The village saved the elaborate porch supports before the building was demolished. Several residents have said they would like to purchase the supports. Village officials said they will discuss the matter when all  board members are present.

On Monday night, Mike Devlin of the Middleburgh Fire Department said the two training drills at the building went very well in the weeks before demolition.

On Monday morning, the village’s approved contractor, MSL Construction, approached the structure from the rear of the building. To facilitate the demolition, Railroad Avenue was closed from 9AM until noon that day to ensure maximum safety.

All public utilities had been disconnected from the premises, including water and sewer connections, as well as telephone and power lines. The village’s asbestos survey determined the structure was negative. The village DPW was on scene during demolition to hose down debris.

The majority of the building was down by 11am.

Over the years, many village boards have discussed the removal of the building with the idea of transforming the space into a much-needed parking lot.