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But now the village hall won’t have to contend with future power issues.
On Wednesday local officials unveiled a new standby generator at Airmont Village Hall on Cherry Lane Road. The 50 kilowatt Kohler generator runs on natural gas and can power the entire building in the event of a weather emergency or power outage.
“They said what they needed was a generator to make sure that when the power does go out that residents could come here on a hot day like today to cool off in air conditioning” or in the winter months to warm up, State Sen. David Carlucci said.
Funds for the generator were secured by Carlucci through a grant that covered 80 percent of the project costs, up to $50,000. The bid was won by Valentine Electric of Blauvelt, owned by Orangetown Councilman Paul Valentine. The cost of the generator and it’s installation came in at $46,000, under budget.
Airmont Mayor Phil Gigante, Bracco, Carlucci, and Valentine were all on hand Wednesday to show the new generator off. Bracco explained the generator served a real purpose in the village.
“Cars, accidents, a fire, there’s a lot of things that take place other than storms” that can affect the power supply to village hall, Bracco said. Village hall could potentially function as a heating/cooling station if power is out in the future, once the logistics are worked out.
The installation of standby generators may be a trend in the future; it makes sense to install these at village halls and community centers where they serve a need, Carlucci said.
Carlucci expects the next villages in Ramapo to get a standby generator will be Sloatsburg and Wesley Hills, where they’re being planned.
“It’s a real asset,” Valentine said of the generator.
Also part of the project was the relocation of an antique cupula from the old Airmont School to make room for the generator. The cupula was placed a short distance away on a foundation completed as an Eagle Scout project.
Valentine Electric provided the crane and labor for the move at no additional cost.
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