Carmel Hamlet Needs a Community Gathering Space…
And Reed Memorial Library can be the solution.
I am a Carmel Hamlet resident, homeowner, and property taxpayer. While I have been in the community for 15 years, first as a Carmel High School Freshman football coach and varsity Lacrosse coach, five years ago when my wife (who graduated from Carmel High School) and I were deciding on our forever home to raise our two kids in, we settled here on the Hamlet.
And one of the things our neighbors and I have lamented, going back to my days as a football coach, were the lack of community gathering space here in the Hamlet without needing to travel to Mahopac or Patterson Rec center.
We’ve been losing lots of community hallmarksmpover the years. Smalley’s has been vacant for 5 years, we just lost the Tea Room, and the host of vacancies in our three shopping plazas.
So when I was offered the chance to join the board of a “Friends” group for Reed Memorial Library, I was thrilled. Reed is the oldest library in Putnam County, and a historical landmark in our town.
And now an even better opportunity has arisen with the unsightly smoke shop leaving from next door. When the new director of the library told us of the possibility of expanding into the space the ideas were flowing non-stop.
For one, the Library as it is now is not ADA compliant, preventing our seniors and young children from fully accessing this beautiful space easily. The space next door is ADA compliant and would allow two of our most important demographics to access this wonderful town asset.
Secondly, I proposed that we use the space as a place to also house a used book sale and tiny cafe that could serve as vocational opportunities for young adults with special needs, and partner with the high school special education program and vocational training programs like CAREERS and Mid-Hudson ARC.
This would instantly transform our Hamlet library into a multi-use gathering space for all of our residents, young people in particular, and serve the community in multiple ways.
Of course the one hurdle is funding. We have reached out to the town, and I am grateful for councilman Robert Kearns for hosting his regular “Connect with Kearns” events there and giving us the chance to show him the space and our vision for it.
Councilman Kearns was attentive and even offered some great ideas of his own, and offered to move the discussion forward.
Myself and Reed Library director Denise Martens also attended a grant presentation by the Town of Carmel where we got to speak with the town’s grant writer, who also showed enthusiasm for the proposal and noted that these are the types of things likely to get funded.
As we move through this process we will keep you updated. To show your support for this project, or if you have ideas of your own for creating a community space here in Carmel Hamlet, please reach out and lets chat!