THOMPSON — To spur on new growth in the Village of Monticello, the Town of Thompson passed a resolution—that they hope—will attract new business.

After holding a public hearing, the Town of Thompson passed a resolution that will provide tax breaks for new businesses in the Village of Monticello.

Broadway was once a significant promenade for shopping in the county, but with the decline in tourism in Borscht Belt hotels, storefronts in the Village of Monticello have remained vacant for many years.

The board voted to enact Section 485-a of the Real Property Tax Law of the State of New York otherwise knows as “residential-commercial urban exemption,” that the town hopes will aid in growth.

“This is an initiative to get people to invest in Monticello and Broadway,” said Thompson Town Supervisor Bill Rieber Jr.

New businesses coming into the village that convert a location to mixed-use commercial can apply for the exemption.

“You would have apartments upstairs and businesses downstairs,” said Rieber.

According to the New York State law, this law can be used for non-residential property that has been converted to a mix of residential and commercial uses.

As a matter of fact, the new owners would have to spend more than $100,000 to qualify for the benefit.

The exemption would last for 12 years with the first eight years being 100 percent exempt from property tax.

Afterward, there will be a 20 percent decrease each year until the exemption ends in 12 years.

According to Rieber, the Monticello school districts and the Village of Monticello would need to opt-in.

Unsafe Buildings

The town is moving forward with demolishing properties that have been deemed unsafe.

In March of this year, the town deemed nine properties across the Town of Thompson that were unsafe. Since then, many of the owners have made some contact with the town or are in the various stages of demolition.

At the most recent town board meeting the properties discussed included 262 Glen Wild Road in Rock Hill, at structure on Wolf Lake Road in Rock Hill and a structure a 410 Glen Wild Road in Glen Wild. Yet the property had yet to respond to the town's request to mediate the unsafe status of their property.

The town will go out to bid for contracts in July for demolition, and the properties will be one step closer to being demolished.

Rieber stated that the owner would be responsible for all fees and cost for demolition.

“I want them down,” said Rieber. “The public has been dealing with this for umpteen years. We are targeting the worst of the worst. These things have been an eyesore and have ignored all violations.”