What’s Happening With This Dutchess County Eyesore?

Plans to replace an ugly Poughkeepsie eyesore with a new business are in the works, but just when will it happen?

If you've driven around the Hudson Valley recently you've probably noticed an unsettling number of rundown buildings. The abandoned businesses are scattered throughout the region, some of them sitting there for decades with no occupant.

One such building has been bringing down property values on a busy stretch of Route 44 in Arlington. The former Poughkeepsie business is located at the intersection of Route 44 and Overocker Road.

Sitting behind a fenced-in barrier, the dilapidated building has been decaying before our eyes for several years. The faded yellow siding is falling off the front facade, overgrown weeds and trees are taking over the parking lot and pieces of the building are literally crumbling to dust. The property also has an abandoned multi-family dwelling and trailer that are in various stages of disrepair.

The good news is that there is a plan to tear down the old buildings and replace them with a new business. Unfortunately, that plan has been stalled since 2015.

There is a proposal submitted to the Town of Poughkeepsie Planning Board to demolish the existing structures on the site and construct a 3,400-square-foot gas station and convenience store. The gas station would include a canopy with pumps to service eight cars and improvements to the rest of the property. A New York State Environmental Quality Review was done seven years ago and a conditional site plan approval was granted. Since then, however, not much has happened.

The project has been added to the agenda of next week's planning board but appears to be slated for adjournment once again leaving residents wondering when and if this eyesore will ever finally disappear from their neighborhood.