The Village of Thomaston is starting a native plant pilot program spearheaded by a local resident to beautify village hall and reintroduce native and sustainable landscaping.
The village’s board of trustees unanimously approved the program on Monday, March 11, after hearing Sara Blumenstein’s pitch.
Blumenstein, a Thomaston resident, proposed beautifying the village hall by the entrance to the visitor’s parking lot with native plants.
“Even though it seems like a small space, getting it all going is going to take some work,” Blumenstein said.
Blumenstein said she has worked with ReWild Long Island, a local organization that promotes sustainable landscaping with native plantings. She said native plants are beneficial to the environment as they typically require fewer resources to maintain and thrive while promoting natural ecosystems.
She said the location of a nearby sprinkler would be sufficient to water the area and would not require further irrigation. She asked the village to turn on the sprinkler for half an hour to an hour every morning.
Also included in the plans is a bird bath with a solar panel to keep the water flowing.
Blumenstein offered to pay for the program, including the plants and tools, and she would devote her time to executing the project. She said she would also seek volunteers to help her.
Mayor Steven Weinberg said Blumenstein would work alongside the village’s Superintendent of Public Works William Mazurkiewicz.
In other news, a resident expressed concerns to the village board about his next-door neighbor allegedly using their home as an illegal Airbnb.
Weinberg said the village has been made aware of the issue and is supportive of the neighbor’s grievances about the impacts of this Airbnb.
The Village of Thomaston’s code prohibits the use of homes as an Airbnb, whether it’s the full house or a portion of it. But it’s difficult to enforce.
“It’s easy to pass a law. It’s very, very hard to enforce it,” Weinberg said. “That doesn’t mean we aren’t trying, and that doesn’t mean that we will not address changes in the law as necessary.”
Weinberg said a “few” homes have been flagged as Airbnbs in the village. The housing rental company has a way to report illegal Airbnbs, which can lead to their removal from the site, but Weinberg said it does not solve the issue as the rentals can still be re-listed.
He said the village is exploring its options to address the issue, including legal proceedings he could not discuss.
“We just can’t have this be an unaddressed problem,” Weinberg said.
