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To see its future, Monroe looks back

| 10 Apr 2012 | 12:09
    To see its future, Monroe looks back
    Photo courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society. This aerial photo of downtown Monroe sometime circa 1960s. Among the properties that can be identified are Village Hall on Stage Road, Monroe Free Library and the old movie theater on Mill Pond Parkway. Notice the train tracks. Notice the traffic flow and parking.
    Photo courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society. This aerial photo of downtown Monroe sometime circa 1960s. Among the properties that can be identified are Village Hall on Stage Road, Monroe Free Library and the old movie theater on Mill Pond Parkway. Notice the train tracks. Notice the traffic flow and parking.
    Photo courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society This aerial photograph, circa 1960s, shows the ball fields of Smith's Clove Park in the cente and the Mill Ponds stretching across the length of the photo three-quarters of the way up the photo between Mill Pond Parkway and Route 17M.
    Photo courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society This aerial photograph, circa 1960s, shows the ball fields of Smith's Clove Park in the cente and the Mill Ponds stretching across the length of the photo three-quarters of the way up the photo between Mill Pond Parkway and Route 17M.
    Photo courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society In 1965, Citizens Bank of Monroe celebrated its 50th anniversary. In it's commemorative brochure, bank officials took note of the the financial institutions's first drive through. "A growing community requires additional facility, including the convenience of drive-in banking," reads the promotional materail. "We introduced this to Monroe on August 1, 1960 with the opening of our first branch office on Route 17M."
    Photo courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society In 1965, Citizens Bank of Monroe celebrated its 50th anniversary. In it's commemorative brochure, bank officials took note of the the financial institutions's first drive through. "A growing community requires additional facility, including the convenience of drive-in banking," reads the promotional materail. "We introduced this to Monroe on August 1, 1960 with the opening of our first branch office on Route 17M."
    Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society For many years, the Highland Telephone Company was one of the critical economic forces within Monroe and throughout Orange County. Dial Tones was the utility's monthly publication, used to inform employees and customers of the latest advance in communications. In November 1961, Dial Tones informed HiTelCo customers of the advantages of individual phone numbers. The three-digit area code - 914 back then - also was explained.
    Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society For many years, the Highland Telephone Company was one of the critical economic forces within Monroe and throughout Orange County. Dial Tones was the utility's monthly publication, used to inform employees and customers of the latest advance in communications. In November 1961, Dial Tones informed HiTelCo customers of the advantages of individual phone numbers. The three-digit area code - 914 back then - also was explained.
    Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society Samuel Nelson's Department Store, 16 Lake St. in Monroe, circa 1948. The store passed to his son and daughters following his death in 1944. His grandson, Robert Nelson, operated the store until 1972 when he sold the business.
    Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society Samuel Nelson's Department Store, 16 Lake St. in Monroe, circa 1948. The store passed to his son and daughters following his death in 1944. His grandson, Robert Nelson, operated the store until 1972 when he sold the business.
    Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society Before Metro North and the MTA, there was the Erie Railroad. According to this schedule from April 24, 1960, a commuter could catch the train in Monroe at 6:25 a.m. or in Harriman four minutes later and arrive at the Barclay Street ferry in New York City by 8:10 a.m. "Parlor, Pullman and Dining Car Service" was available on many of the routes.
    Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society Before Metro North and the MTA, there was the Erie Railroad. According to this schedule from April 24, 1960, a commuter could catch the train in Monroe at 6:25 a.m. or in Harriman four minutes later and arrive at the Barclay Street ferry in New York City by 8:10 a.m. "Parlor, Pullman and Dining Car Service" was available on many of the routes.

MONROE — The consulting engineer hired by the Village of Monroe to craft its 1960 comprehensive plan described a summer resort community of no more than 3,000 people that “will continue to draw thousands of vacationers” to the Lakes Region of southern Orange County.

The engineer, T.T. McCrosky, referred to Route 17 and the New York State Thruway as “Superhighways.”

McCrosky also viewed parking as the principal obstacle to the success of downtown. Fifty-two years later, parking is viewed as a primary deterrent to redevelopment of the downtown.

Old records, reports and plans don’t always give you the complete picture. The can be like snap shots of a sun set; a moment frozen in time.

Back then, there was no way to predict the creation of the Village of Kiryas Joel. Nor the development of Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in nearby Central Valley. Or the housing boom that surged through the area.

But those reports do take you back, offering the details, recommendations and best guesses from earlier generations.

They remain important to review; a community must know where it’s been in order to make some sense of its future.

More than 50 years after that McCrosky’s report was completed, the Village of Monroe has started the process of updating its comprehensive plan by appointing a steering committee and hiring the Turner Miller Group, a Suffern-based planning organization.

The steering committee’s first public session on a plan that will shape the village for years to come takes place next Thursday, April 19.

Half a century ago “There aren’t a lot of details in the 1960 plan,” Maximilian A. Stach, principal planner for the Turner Miller Group,” wrote in an e-mail exchange with The Photo News.“ It is only 26 pages. The majority of the study is a population projection of 4,000 to 4,500 people by 1970 and a parking study.

“Some interesting conclusions and recommendations in the plan,” Stach noted, including:

“Peak parking demand is confined to the summer resort season, which runs for some ten weeks.”

“The future of the Lake Street business district is directly dependent upon its ability to compete with the new shopping center (A&P – now ShopRite) developing to its north.”

“It is necessary that Lake Street (downtown) now be provided with appropriate off-street parking facilities in order to maintain a healthy competitive balance.”

McCrosky recommended that the village provide a large parking lot north of Lake Street (where the village recently established the Park & Ride) and to and purchase and expand the leased municipal lot behind Village Hall (a notion which is still on the table).

The plan cited the “great magnitude” of the cost of installing sewers and recommended that all non-developed areas of the village be rezoned to large-lot single-family residential and prohibit extension of sewers into fringe areas of the village or unincorporated Town. The plan reasoned that this will allow the “proposed” sewer treatment plant to be sized to only serve existing “built-up” areas of the village.

“Efforts should be made to restrict the number of curb-cuts and abutting property accesses on to (Route 17M).”

The plan called for only wholesale and retail uses that would not compete with downtown to be built along North Main Street, between Stage Road and Freeland Street and in the vicinity of James Road. The Stop&Shop/K-Mart mall was not even envisioned.

Today, the Village of Monroe is home to more than 8,300 people.

- Bob Quinn