Proposed store could be 'Just For You'

PINE PLAINS — Two aspiring entrepreneurs attended the Nov. 17 Town Board meeting to publicly present their business plan to town Supervisor Gregg Pulver and the rest of his board.

“We’ve been toying with this idea,� said Celia Shook, who added the name of the shop is to be “Just For You,� and it will be set up as a women’s boutique. “There’s nothing in Pine Plains for women. There’s no new products like Avon or women’s accessories.�

Shook, along with her partner, Joan Syler, expressed interest in taking over part of the old library building on Route 82. In particular, they are interested in the part of the building that was once the children’s section.

“The children’s library space actually has three doors, so we could have three little shops in there,� she said, half-jokingly. “I know we have to go through a lot to get [to that point where we’re actually operating a business in the space in the first place].�

“Lucille wants to know before going through the whole process if it’s worth pursuing,� Pulver said to the rest of his board. Meanwhile, the town is deciding whether to sell the former library building, whether to keep it, and if so, if it should be used for municipal purposes or rented out for commercial use. “It would benefit us having somebody in the building.�

Attorney to the Town Warren Replansky said he wants to first “check out� the legality of renting out the space. He said most likely the caveat will be that as long as the town gets fair market value for the property it should be OK to lease.

“I’ll give you a report — a short memo [on the law],� he told the board.

Later in the discussion the value of the property was readdressed.

Replansky advised Pulver to talk to at least two brokers and to get their opinions recorded in writing.

The board also agreed that the cost of the building’s utilities should be figured out before setting any rental prices.

There were some other issues related to the building’s condition that arose. Pulver spoke of the furnace, which he said is a couple of years old. The fuel tank is full as of September, as well.  He did report that someone in the building reported seeing “a bunch of sparksâ€� recently, which is why the supervisor said he will be walking through the building himself to check it out.

Lastly, the supervisor said that he has been approached by “a couple of other businesses interested in just renting window space,� which runs almost the complete width of the storefront. Board members said between that news and the presentation from Shook and Syler, they were encouraged about the property’s potential.

“I would rather see it rented instead of empty,� said Councilwoman Dorean Gardner. “And it’s a new business. The town can stand a new business.�

Before the end of the discussion, Pulver turned to the two women who raised the issue in the first place and gave an optimistic timeline.

“We will try to get you  going for the holiday season,â€� he said.

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