Chester seeks $225,000 grant for sidewalk improvements, rejects tower sale

Chester moved to tap Orange County for up to $225,000 to repair sidewalks, a practical request aimed at a basic piece of village infrastructure that shapes how residents get to schools, local businesses and public buildings.

The Village of Chester Board of Trustees voted at its May 11 meeting to apply for the annual Community Development Block Grant program, and held a public hearing on the request before taking action. No one spoke from the public. The grant would come through Orange County’s HUD-funded CDBG program, which the county says is intended to improve public facilities and infrastructure for low- and moderate-income residents. Orange County expects to distribute about $1 million in CDBG money through its FY 2026 Urban County Consortium, which includes nearly all county municipalities, excluding Newburgh, Middletown, Port Jervis, Kiryas Joel and Palm Tree.

For Chester, the request was not just a budget line. It was a chance to secure outside money for work the village likely could not easily absorb on its own. If the grant is not awarded, the village would be left without that up to $225,000 source for the sidewalk project. Chester has used the same program before, including $375,000 in CDBG funding for sewer infiltration and inflow improvements in 2022.

The board also faced a much larger financial choice and rejected it unanimously: whether to sell the 99-year lease on a T-Mobile cell tower. Officials were offered more than $1 million up front, but declined to give up decades of future lease revenue. The decision underscored a familiar local tradeoff, short-term cash versus a steadier income stream over time.

The meeting also covered day-to-day village business. Chief McGuire announced new e-bike rules, including a minimum rider age of 16, a ban on riding on sidewalks and a 30 mph road-use limit. The mayor swore in a new police officer, Jake Harford, and the board approved a $750,000 Byrne JAG grant application for police equipment. Trustees also appointed Kalilah Anderson as court clerk effective June 1 and rehired summer clerk Jaciel Foss. Trustee Anthony Laspina was absent.

Chester’s sidewalk request fits into a broader local pattern. The Town of Chester has already secured support for sidewalk work in Sugar Loaf, where a $400,000 state grant and $40,000 in town money were set aside for a sidewalk and raised crosswalk project planned for May and June 2025. In Chester village, the board’s latest vote put pedestrian repairs, public safety, and long-term finances on the same agenda.