Showing their true commitment to preserving open space, Malta officials tramped through snow and ice Saturday morning, Jan. 5, to tour a homestead, barn, garage and 20-plus acres of property at 584 Eastline Road that recently transferred full ownership to the town.
The picturesque property, overlooking rolling hills and horse farms, includes a well-preserved red barn, complete with wooden ladders and stalls, built in the 1920s.
Standing inside the vacant but still heated house, decorated in 1960s orange carpeting and featuring florescent lights, officials brainstormed ideas for renting the house and opening the land for informal sporting and recreational uses.
A little history
Formerly owned by the Michalko family, the property was purchased by the town in 2006 with $215,500 in Malta open space funds, as well as $84,500 in grant monies from Saratoga County. The last member of the Michalko family living on the premises passed away in November, leaving the site vacant and leaving the town as the legal owner.
Town officials had the property reviewed by engineers, who issued a report showing of the approximately 20 acres, 13 are classified as wetlands and have restricted uses under state Department of Environmental Conservation laws for buffers.
The 1924 home is a two-story, wood frame building with three bedrooms and one bathroom, amassing about 1,300 square-feet. The last time the home was remodeled was in the 1960s. The house is heated with oil and the stove is operated by propane tank. The basement is a partial, unfinished basement. A check of the paint, to see if it contains lead, hasn’t yet been done. The town historian will visit the site to make an official decision on the historic significance of the structure since it is more than 50 years old.
Engineers also checked the roofing shingles for asbestos, which were used regularly in materials from the 1930s until the 1970s, after which they were banned. In their written report to the town board, the inspectors said asbestos products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, dilled, or cut, but damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard. State permits are required by contractors to remove any asbestos siding, and the work must be done only by a professional trained in methods for safely handling the material.
A potential for recreation
Town parks and recreation Director Audrey Ball told council members that while baseball teams are constantly clamoring for more fields, creating official baseball diamonds would require significant work grading the land, building a pitching mound and grooming the lawn.
To me, ball fields and open space still conflict, and we need to do the right thing in the right location, said Ball. `There’s a high demand for baseball fields prior to opening day, but the use tends to dwindle after that, and there are lots of traffic and parking issues, because every parent drives their own car to the games.`
Ball said she recommended the council seek options that would not alter the land and watershed areas.
`Lacrosse and soccer teams, for example, just need open fields, and when they use fields, they clean up, fill in the holes, and you never know they were there,` said Ball.
Supervisor Paul Sausville suggested the town set up portable pitching mounds and a backstop.
`For a few thousand dollars, we could put out backstops, mow the fields, and offer it for use on a first-come, first-served basis,` said Sausville.
Can the buildings stay?
Council members agreed it’s the land, not the house that’s the best asset on the property.
`This is a beautiful area, and a true open space,` said Ball. `This would make a great pocket park, linking to Meadow View and Century Farms. It’s also very important to preserve the barn. There’s lots of focus right now statewide on keeping barns in rural landscapes.`
Ball said a barn restoration program was created in 2000 by the state Legislature to help preserve historic barns and protect agricultural points of interest across the state.
`There are many state resources available such as matching grants and information for maintaining and adapting new uses of old barns,` said Ball.
As for the house, town officials are considering renting the space temporarily, while looking at tearing the house down eventually to access more land. Ball said the utilities had been transferred to the town in November, and if the board decided not to rent the house, pending demolition, everything should be turned off to discontinue the power bills.
`Also, if you decide to save the home, future and more comprehensive assessments will be easier when the property is more accessible in the spring,` said Ball.
Council members said they hope to spread the word that they want to obtain more land like the Michalko site.
`Residents need to know about this purchase and dedication as open space, because subdivisions won’t come in here,` said town council member Sue Nolen. `This is the most economical way to keep our town rural.`
The property is now posted against hunting, but as town parkland, is open for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, with anyone undertaking sports there assuming their own risk inherent to the specific sport. “
