Amsterdam property update: new field not ready until spring, what use to make of carriage house
Carriage house at the Amsterdam property
July 4, 2008
by Christine Yeres
Six months ago the New Castle town board voted to construct one field rather than two on its Amsterdam property at Hoag Cross Road. Although the project is well underway, the board learned in its work session last Tuesday that sod cannot be laid in the heat of summer. So it will be laid in the fall, pushing back the opening of the field for play until next spring. The question currently before the board is what to do with the carriage house that remains on the property.
The larger main house was razed several years ago, and the remaining carriage house has been used since for storage of town materials and supplies. There had been a plan years ago to convert the living space on the second floor, a railroad-style apartment that runs from end to end over the garages, into affordable housing. However, that plan never went beyond a plan. Now that the playing field and parking spaces are being laid out, the board is thinking again about possible uses for the carriage house.
The upstairs is in great disrepair (visit our photo gallery or check below to see this quaint building), but the town engineer examined it a few months ago and pronounced it sound. So there’s no more talk of leveling and removing it.
Now the question is whether to leave the bottom floor of stables as town storage and fashion a couple of apartments out of the second floor, or to make two-story housing out of it. The board is also considering whether to allow a caretaker for the park to inhabit the living space. Two single-story wings off the central two-story section partially enclose a courtyard in its center. Some residents have expressed interest in having the ground floor of the carriage house become a space available for public meetings or for performances. See photos of carriage house below and in Photo Gallery.
The Millwood Task Force will discuss possible uses of the carriage house at its next meeting, Thursday, July 10, at 8:00 p.m.at Fire Station No. 2 on Pinesbridge Road.
Playing field under construction
Amsterdam field and parking construction
Parking, playground, white carriage house in the distance
West wing of carriage house
East wing and covered walkway of carriage house
Front of same east wing
Back of the carriage house, showing second floor dormers of living space
Crossing the courtyard
Front view of east wing and main building with center courtyard
Below, interior of second floor living space
The slideshow requires javascript and Flash
Click here for a printable view of this article.
Click here to read more Government articles.Click here to read more Sports articles.
Click here to read more Town articles.
Click here to send a copy of this article via email.
We're interested in your opinion. Click here to submit a comment on this article, or any other.
