Hobart Alliance Continues to Build Community

Above photo: "The Shops Around the Corner" at 40 Cornell Avenue in Hobart, are excited to welcome Megan Avery of Hipstitch Academy as their newest collaborative member.This little shop will serve as a satellite location for Megan, who operates a studio at her home in Harpersfield where she teaches sewing classes, as well as designing her own sustainable fashion line and providing mending and alteration services. Fabrics by the yard will also be on offer, supported by sewing notions stocked by The Hobart Exchange. The Hobart Community Alliance is excited to support the efforts of Megan Avery's "Hipstitch Academy.” Contact Megan directly at megan@meganaverydesigns or (201)745-0186 for more information. The shops at 40 Cornell are open 11 to 5 daily, year-round.

HOBART — Thursday evening, January 29th seemed an unlikely night for a community get-together at the Hobart Community Center. Below zero-temps had convinced many to stay at home, but more than a dozen volunteers braved the frigid weather to meet with neighbors to support the efforts of the Hobart Community Alliance, a newly formed grassroots organization dedicated to the improvement of village life.

Lights & Signs

 First, based on feedback from the Village Board, the group considered the merits of the old-fashioned red lantern holiday lights versus the current modern ones and determined that the lanterns are more popular with residents and more in keeping with the character of the Village. Plans were made to order two new lights for next year’s holiday display.

Volunteer Michelle Stevens, who has dedicated her efforts to keeping Hobart’s entry signs and surroundings in tip-top shape, reported that the metal brackets holding the lower part of the sign on the Delhi side are rusted and need replacement. When weather permits, she will be repairing the sign with the help of Evelyn Aguirre and her children, Ralphy and Mavis.

Ms. Stephens, who attended the Village Trustees’ January 5 meeting on behalf of the Alliance, shared that the Village Board is supportive of the HCA’s search for funding to make the second floor of the Activity Center accessible to those in wheelchairs, strollers, or using walkers or other walking aids. A work group formed around this concern will focus on identifying sources of funding, Stevens explained. Step one will be to obtain a professional consultation to determine feasibility and cost. 

Village Playground Improvements

The Village Board is considering what improvements should be made to the playground, which was built in 2004.  The HCA has volunteered its energies to assist the Board to identify funding for the playground project and hopes to participate in the design process, as well. 

Cornell Avenue Lighting

Alliance Coordinator Julie Rockefeller noted that the Village Board is aware that the bulb in the streetlight on the telephone pole on Cornell Avenue needs to be replaced.  At the January Village Trustees meeting, Mayor Aaron Kaufman stated that the Village will work with NYSEG to get it replaced. HCA members agreed that Cornell Avenue needs more lighting in addition to the one slated for replacement and intends to work towards that goal.

Main Street Improvement Grants

Business owner and HCA volunteer Barbara Balliet reported that the Village Board has given a thumbs up to taking a “lead agency” role in any grant applications for Main Street Improvement.

HCF Grant Opportunity

Don Thomases, serving as a Trustee of the Hobart Community Foundation (HCF), which awards grants for initiatives within the South Kortright school district, noted that the Foundation offers grants of up to $1,500. Don suggested that the Alliance could apply to the Community Foundation for grants to support their projects. Paying for a professional evaluation of feasibility and cost of improving accessibility to the Activity Center’s second floor was suggested as one candidate for such a grant request. Applications are due by April 1 for consideration next quarter.

Comprehensive Plan

 Soon the Village of Hobart will begin updating the community’s Comprehensive Plan. The Village’s previous Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2002, is over twenty years old and needs an update to reflect the current conditions and aspirations for Hobart’s future.

The updated Comprehensive Plan will be a document used to guide decision-making on land use, capital investments, economic development, revitalization, historic preservation, community building, and more over the next twenty areas. The planning process incorporates multiple opportunities for public engagement to ensure that it addresses the concerns and desires of the community. 

According to Mayor Kaufman, the Village Planning Board will revise Hobart’s Comprehensive Plan,” Ms. Rockefeller announced to the group.

“Most members of our group were not living here when the 2004 Plan was created and are not familiar with the process,” she said. The Alliance has both digital and print copies of the plan for sharing.  Ms. Rockefeller has requested information from the Village Clerk regarding the way the Planning Board works in general, and how the process will proceed. 

Ms. Rockefeller closed the hour-long meeting by thanking everyone who had braved the bitter cold to attend. Reflecting on the gathering in a later email, she wrote, “I smiled several times while reading through the meeting minutes as I remembered various interactions, comments and questions. It is good to hear so many voices talking together, working together. And I like the way that the group can maintain good humor and a light-hearted, optimistic approach, even as we address serious subjects.

“Please invite friends and neighbors, anyone who might be interested in working with us on Hobart-Centric projects,” she urged, reminding everyone that “many hands make light work.”

The Hobart Community Alliance will meet again on Thursday, February 26, 7 to 8 PM in the Community Center.