Carlisle to celebrate new home

10/14/2009

By Jim Poole

Carlisle’s government is getting a new home starting this Saturday.
Town officials, joined by county, state and federal representatives, will cut the ribbon on Carlisle’s new town hall at 3pm.
Then, the public can get a look at the new 4,300-square-foot-building on Crommie Road at an open house that lasts till 6pm.
The ribbon-cutting ends a 10-year process of Carlisle trying to get a new town hall and move records and offices from different locations to one setting.
Carlisle purchased the property in 1999 and drilled a well, planted trees and put in a stone driveway.
In late 2006, the town reached an out-of-court settlement with Tennessee Gas that allowed Carlisle to retain $1.8 million it had set aside in a lawsuit over property assessments.
Having that money allowed the town to proceed with the building, which cost $633,700, Supervisor Larry Bradt said.
Scott Barton of Cobleskill was the architect, and J. Luk Construction of Schenectady was the general contractor.
“I think overall it was a pretty good price,” Mr. Bradt said. “This building pretty much covers everything.”
The town hall has offices for the supervisor and town clerk, judges’ chambers, space for the code enforcement officer and historians, two meeting rooms and a room for the planning board. It also has space available for the dog-control officer and part-time assessor.
The building also features natural gas heat, heavy insulation, fire alarms, a vault for records and shingles with a lifespan of 45 years. It is also handicapped-accessible.
Mr. Bradt praised town employees for doing the seeding and landscaping, clerk of the works Matt Fagnani and Justice Karen Sisson for securing a $30,000 grant that went towards interior work and purchasing furniture.
“They all saved us thousands of dollars,” Mr. Bradt said.
On hand for Saturday’s ribbon-cutting will be Congressman Paul Tonko, state Senator Jim Seward, and Assemblyman Pete Lopez.
The Grosvenors Corners Methodist Church will serve food, and tents will be up for visitors’ comfort.