Parksville sees progress despite challenges

Group works to promote change

By Manor Ink Staff

Parksville, NY – The Parksville Priorities group continues to meet regularly to discuss progress and challenges as the hamlet undergoes changes. A couple of properties on Main Street have seen some renovations, and the two commercial buildings, formerly Fiddle’s Dari-King and Charlie’s Pizza, at the intersection of Cooley Road and Old Rte. 17 seem to be nearing completion. However, of concern to the group is the lack of any progress toward rehabilitating – or even maintaining – what remains of the old Best Western Paramount Hotel on Tanzman Road.

A zoning change request

Frank DeMayo, Liberty Town supervisor, advised Parksville Priorities that a representative of the family that owns the Paramount property recently appeared before the Liberty Town Board and proposed rezoning the property to permit construction of high-density residential housing. The owner’s request was firmly rebuffed, as the board said it would not consider any zoning changes without first seeing the site cleaned up and a definitive plan.

DeMayo also noted that any development would face many environmental and other hurdles. He did express a fear that the owner might decide to simply stop paying taxes, abandon the site and saddle the county or town with the headache and cost of clean-up.

Other changes in town

On Main Street, the closing of Cabernet Frank’s was a blow to the hamlet’s vitality. Both that property and the long dormant Dead End Café are now for sale. On a more positive note, a new Dove Trail historical marker has been placed in front of the former Methodist Church on Short Avenue. Grants await plans for development at the former pharmacy at one end of Main Street and the Parksville Arts Center, the former Tefereth Israel Anshei Synagogue, at the other end of the street.

More events are taking place this summer at New Memories, the arts collective on Parksville Road, and next door, the restaurant-in-a-bus DoubleUp Catskills has installed a dog park for their four-legged friends.

The B’Kawk Festival returns on Aug. 16 with music, vendors, games and food, as well as general merriment of all descriptions – see a related story here.