Questions concerning your real property assessment should be directed to the Town Board of Assessors at Town Office 845-255-9388 Meetings by appointment, Mon.-Fri 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Questions concerning your county, town or sewer district tax bill should be directed to the Town Tax Collector at Town Office 845-255-9675. Questions concerning your school district tax bill should be directed to the respective School District: New Paltz Central School District 845-256-4071, Wallkill Central School District 845-895-3301 or Pine Bush Central School District 845-744-2241.

The town is divided into three school districts, namely New Paltz Central, Wallkill Central and Pine Bush Central School Districts. You may contact the town Assessors office (845-255-9388) to determine which school district your property is located in. Generally, the area of the town located north of US Route 44-55, the hamlet of Gardiner, the area along NY Route 208, Albany Post Road and McKinstry Road is located in the New Paltz Central School District. The area of the town located south of US Route 44-55 except as noted above is in the Wallkill Central School District. A very small section of the town along Tillson Lake Road near Rutsonville Road is in the Pine Bush Central School District.

You may be eligible for one or more exemptions, which can help reduce your real property taxes. Exemptions include the STAR exemption for residential property, Veteran’s exemption, Agricultural exemptions, Forest Land exemption, Clergy exemption, Solar Wind exemption, etc. A complete list and descriptions can be found at the NYS Office of Real Property Services website or contact the town Board of Assessors.

No. The town assessor helps determine your share of the total taxes. The amount of taxes raised by the town is determined by the amount of anticipated annual expenses less anticipated revenue sources (i.e. state aid, etc.). The town’s operating budget is determined annually by the Town Board. The budget process begins in late September each year, with the annual public hearing on the town budget typically held in early November. The budget is approved by the town board and tax bills are computed by the county. Combined county and town tax bills are mailed on or about January 1st. The amount of your tax bill represents your proportional share of the expenses based on your real property assessment.

The first step is to determine the market value of each property in the community. Market value is the price most people would pay for a property in its current condition. The town assessors maintain a detailed data base of land and improvements in the town. They periodically visit properties to check for any change that may affect the value of the property. Once the assessor estimates the market value of a property, its assessment is calculated. New York State law provides that all property within a municipality be assessed at a uniform percent of market value. In Gardiner, the level of assessment is intended to be 100 percent of market value based on 1997 market values.

Everyone pays his or her fair share of taxes as long as every property in a locality is assessed at the same percent of value. Simply, the person who owns a property assessed at $500,000 will pay twice the town tax of a person who owns a property assessed at $250,000. Other factors, such as the equalization rate, may affect the amount of county and school district taxes paid by comparable owners in different towns

According to information published by the Ulster County Real Property Tax Service Agency for 2002, town General Taxes account for approximately 4.8% of the total property tax you will pay this year. Town Highway Taxes will be 6.8%. The Ulster County tax is 14.0%. The biggest portion your real property tax (approximately 74%) is paid to the local school districts. These estimates do not include taxes paid to local fire districts, sewer districts or other special improvement districts which may be included in your town tax bill.

The town of Gardiner historically has enjoyed one of the lowest town tax rates in Ulster County due primarily to lower levels of public spending and debt. For the current year, the town General Tax Rate was $1.39 per thousand assessed value and the town Highway Tax Rate was $1.85 per thousand. For comparative purposes with other towns in the county at various assessment levels, this translates to equalized rates of $1.16 and $1.54 respectively.

Of the 19 other towns in Ulster County on an equalized basis, only the town of Marbletown (Stone Ridge, NY) had lower town tax rates. By contrast, the town of New Paltz had an equalized town General Tax Rate of $6.70 and town Highway Tax Rate of $2.08 per thousand of assessed value (equalized). This is due generally to a larger expense budget and a number of tax-exempt properties in New Paltz. A complete list of town tax rates, county tax rates, school tax rates and analysis is available at the Ulster County real property website.

Contact the town Board of Assessors to review your data file. Be prepared with information about the area (square feet) of your house or building, the acreage of your land, recent changes in the condition of the property which may affect the fair market value, etc. The assessors will review your case and may also refer you to comparable properties for comparison purposes.

If you are not satisfied with the ruling by the Board of Assessment Review, you can file a small claims assessment review in Justice Court if your property is a 1, 2 or 3-family residence or a small, vacant lot. Commercial and large acreage properties require filing a legal action in state Supreme Court, as do cooperatives, condominiums, apartments and any buildings with a non-residential use.

Bills for county/town real property taxes are mailed during the first week of January. Property taxes can be paid in-person at Town Offices, Monday-Friday during regular office hours; by US Postal Service (Tax Collector, P.O. Box 1, Gardiner, NY 12525) or by other delivery service (Tax Collector, Town Offices, 135 Main St., Gardiner, NY 12525). All payments must be accompanied by a copy of the tax bill. Do not mail cash payments. Checks accepted subject to collection and returned check charges. Make checks payable to Tax Collector, Town of Gardiner.

School districts are responsible for mailing school district property tax bills during the month of September.

The Section-Block-Lot (SBL) number refers to the tax maps maintained by the Ulster County Real Property Tax Service Agency. These maps depict the location and approximate size of each parcel of property listed on the assessment rolls of the town of Gardiner. The map sheet number is the Section, which is further divided into Blocks and individual Lots (i.e. SBL 93.68-1-29 = Section 93.68, Block 1, Lot 29 is a 0.50 acre parcel located on Murphy Lane). The SBL tax map number is being increasingly used as a general reference identifier for taxes, building permits, zoning permits, etc.

No. The town tax collector is not authorized to accept any property tax payments without a copy of the property tax bill (mailed in January, 2003). The tax collector has no way of predicting your 2003 property tax bill.

Download Building Permit Application by clicking here...

If you are unable to download and print the form above, you can obtain building permit applications, town driveway permit applications and related information from the Building Inspector’s office at the Town Offices at 135 Main Street in Gardiner.

The town building inspector is a part-time town official. Most of his day is devoted to inspecting building construction. The best time to reach him is generally in the early morning (8:00-9:00 a.m) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Office appointments should be made beforehand whenever possible by calling 255-9675.

Please remember that the building inspector is not available afternoons or weekends. However, the Building Department secretary is available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily to accept building permit applications and schedule appointments and inspections. The building department secretary is Deputy Town Clerk Jewell Turner at 255-9675 ext. 103.

Contact the Town Clerk to obtain a dog license. All dogs who reside in the town of Gardiner must have a license issued by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and a current rabies vaccination. Please contact the Town Clerk (255-9675) if you wish to adopt a stray dog currently held by the town Animal Control Officer.

Download a Voter Registration form by clicking here...

You can also download an application form by clicking the link above.

For national, state, county and town elections, the town is divided into four districts bounded by the Wallkill River and US Route 44-55.

The New Paltz, Wallkill and Pine Bush Central School Districts have annual elections for school board and budget propositions. These elections are held at the respective schools.

The town of Gardiner is divided into two Fire Districts, each with a volunteer fire department which provides fire protection, rescue and emergency ambulance service. In an emergency, dial “911”. The Ulster County 911 operator will dispatch the appropriate department based on your street location.

Generally, the Gardiner Fire District (Gardiner Fire Department) includes all areas of the town of Gardiner except an area in the southwesterly section of the town protected by the Shawangunk Valley Fire District (Shawangunk Valley Fire Department). Streets and roads in the Shawangunk Valley Fire District include: Burnt Meadow Road, Stella Drive, Bruynswick Road south of Shaft Road, South Mountain Road, Black Hawk Trail, Beecher Hill Road, Lake Road, Tillson Lake Road, Aumick Road, Campfire Road, Camp Ridge Road, Sheldon Road and the Tillson Lake area.

No. In an emergency, dial 911. The town relies on the New York State Police and the Ulster County Sheriff for police protection. The New York State Police (Troopers) have a satellite sub-station located in the hamlet of Gardiner at the Gardiner Fire Department.

The nearest State Police office (691-2922) is located on Route NY299 in Highland, NY, approximately 4 miles east of the New Paltz Thruway exit. The Ulster County Sheriff office (338-3640) and county jail is located at Golden Hill Drive in Kingston, NY. The town of Gardiner may employ part-time constables and parking enforcement officers for traffic-control duties and court officers for the town Justice Court.

In an emergency, call 911. Emergency first aid, rescue and ambulance service is provided by local volunteer fire departments. Fire department EMTs may request assistance from commercial paramedic and intensive-care ambulance services in critical cases.

For general (non-emergency) ambulance service, contact a commercial ambulance service listed in the Yellow Pages under “Ambulance Service”.

The town of Gardiner relies on volunteer fire departments for fire protection. The Gardiner Fire Department and Shawangunk Valley Fire Department do not maintain personnel in the respective fire stations. Volunteers respond to alarms from their home or work locations. Although volunteer firefighters are equipped with radio pagers, the departments also use siren signals to notify volunteers of an alarm.

These siren signals can also be activated in case of a town-wide or county-wide emergencies or disasters.

In New York State, a flashing blue light indicates a volunteer firefighter responding to an alarm. In the Gardiner area, flashing blue lights may also be used by members of the fire department emergency first aid and rescue squads. A flashing green light indicates a member of an independent volunteer ambulance squad in a neighboring community.

Although it is not mandatory to yield the right-of-way to a vehicle with a flashing blue light, it is a common courtesy extended to our local volunteer firefighters.

The library's mailing address is:
The Gardiner Library
5 Station Square, P.O. Box 223
Gardiner, NY 12525
 

You can email the library director by clicking the link at the top of the Library's department page.

The standard lending period is three (3) weeks for library books, CD’s, Audio Books and periodiocals. The lending period for videotapes is only one (1) day with a one (1) day extension possible by contacting the librarian.

As of June, 2002, the latest inventory showed the Library had total holdings of more than 15,200 items, including books, videos, audio tapes and compact discs.

Yes. It resembles a red city mailbox located near the front door at 5 Station Square in the hamlet of Gardiner. All materials may be returned to the drop-box.

Yes. The Gardiner Library is a member of the Ramapo-Catskill Library System with about 50 other community libraries with resources of more than 3,000,000 items. Books ordered through the RCLS system typically arrive at the Gardiner Library within five (5) business days.

Starting in April, 2002, the Gardiner Library also participates in the “VDX” on-line Inter-library loan service. This library network includes the Mid-Hudson Library System, the New York State Library and more than a dozen college and technical school libraries.

Gardiner residents can become members of the Gardiner Library at no charge. A simple registration application (name, address, telephone) is all that is required.

The Gardiner Library has one of the largest selections of books on tape of any community library in this area. In addition to its collection of unabridged cassette tapes, the Library is also starting a books-on-CD collection.

Yes. If you would like to underwrite the cost of specific book or audio tape, please contact the Library Director, Peg Lotvin at 255-1255.

Gardnertown is a neighborhood in Orange County located approximately 15 miles south of Gardiner where the Town of Newburgh town hall is located. The Town of Gardiner is a municipality covering 45 square miles in southern Ulster County. The town offices are located in the hamlet of Gardiner. A hamlet is an unincorporated village.

The town of Gardiner is located in southern Ulster County, approximately 15 miles from the cities of Kingston, Poughkeepsie and Newburgh and approximately 75 miles north of New York City. The town covers an area of 45 square miles (28,600 acres). It is bisected by highway Route US44-NY55 (east-west) and the Wallkill River (north-south).

The church cemetery of St. Charles Borromeo R.C. Church (1882) is located at Ireland Corners. The church cemetery of the Shawangunk Reformed (Protestant) Church is located on Hoagerburgh Rd. in the town of Shawangunk. The New Paltz Rural Cemetery is located on Plains Rd. in the town of New Paltz. The Gardiner Reformed (Protestant) Church (1892) does not maintain a cemetery.

Via automobile from New York City, Westchester, Rockland Counties: Take the New York State Thruway (I-87) north to Exit 17 (Newburgh), then take Route NY300 north ten (10) miles to a traffic light at Route NY208 (Wallkill), turn right, take Route NY208 north six (6) miles to a traffic light at Route US44-NY55 (Ireland Corners), turn left, take Route US44-NY55 west one (1) mile to the hamlet of Gardiner. Town hall is on your left as you enter the hamlet of Gardiner.

The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is Stewart International Airport , Newburgh, NY (16 miles). Air passenger service provided by Delta, USAir, American, and regional service.

We enjoy a moderate climate at Latitude 41°-42’ North, Longitude 074°-12’ West. Our summers can be hot (average maximum temperature in July 79°F) and sometimes humid. The fall scenery is very colorful with a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees in the valley and along the Shawangunk ridgeline. Our winters can be cold (average minimum temperature in January 16°F) with light to moderate snow expected during December-February. Our spring weather is usually a good mix of sun and rain with occasional severe thunderstorms. The average annual rainfall (incl. snow) is about 44 inches.

The Gardiner Library offers two (2) computer terminals with Internet access during regular Library hours on a first-come, first-served basis. Users are reminded that the terminal is a shared resource. Library staff may limit use to insure accessibility.

The Gardiner Library offers residents an outgoing/incoming FAX service during regular Library hours. Fee for outgoing FAX is $ 2 first page, $1 each additional page. There is no charge for incoming FAX. The incoming FAX number is (845) 255-1265. Contact the Library at (845) 255-1255.

The town of Gardiner is part of three (3) different Zip Codes: The hamlet of Gardiner and a large portion of the area south of Route US44-NY55 are served by the US Post Office at Gardiner, NY 12525 (revised tel) 255-7257. The portion of the town located north of Route US44-NY55 is served by the US Post Office at New Paltz, NY 12561 (revised tel) 255-5479. A portion of the southerly and southwesterly portion of the town is served by the US Post Office at Wallkill, NY 12589 (revised tel) 895-1064.  General questions regarding postage, zip codes, etc. can be answered at 800-275-8777 or at http://www.usps.com/.

The town of Gardiner is in Area code (845) and includes portions of two telephone exchanges, namely New Paltz exchange (255 or 256) and Wallkill exchange (895).

Area colleges include:

UPS (Staffed) Shipping Centers are located at:

Shopping malls are located in Poughkeepsie (Galleria Mall, South Hills Mall), Kingston (Hudson Valley Mall), Middletown (Galleria), and Newburgh (Newburgh Mall)

Majestic Memorial Park in the hamlet of Gardiner is named for George Majestic, who served as town Supervisor from 1958 until his death in 1975. He played a major role in the acquisition of the property and construction of the initial improvements. The property was formerly part of a small dairy farm owned by the Thomas Murphy family, who purchased the farm from the Phillip Donahue family.

The use of the picnic pavilion at Majestic Memorial Park can be reserved by any town resident for one day per year on a first come-first served basis. The reservation requires a formal written contract with the Town with a hold harmless provision which must be filed with the Town Clerk prior to the use. Applications are available from the Town Clerk.

In addition, a minimum donation of $50 is required for groups 25-50, $75 for groups 50-100, and $150 for groups 100-150 persons to cover maintenance costs. Any donation in excess of the above is earmarked for capital improvements. Please contact the Town Clerk at 255-9675.

The park is a public commons. It is open daily from 8 a.m. until ½ -hour after sunset. Due to previous vandalism, the public restrooms may be closed except during scheduled events. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. No motor vehicles, including motorcycles or ATVs, are allowed inside the park area except for delivery and maintenance. No vehicles or horses are allowed on the ball field. No pets are allowed in the park. No swimming or wading is allowed in the ponds. No firearms, drugs or alcoholic beverages are allowed in the park area. Please leave the area as clean as you found it and help us maintain the park.

Majestic Memorial Park is a 26-acre town park named for former Town Supervisor George Majestic. It includes a softball field, picnic pavilion, fishing pond, handball court, hiking trail and toddler playground. The park is open daily from dawn to dusk. Use of the softball field during the months May-July is often reserved for local softball leagues. Use of the picnic pavilion may be reserved by town residents (see above).

From Minnewaska, Benton Corners, Ganahgote, take Route US44-NY55 east across the Wallkill River bridge toward the hamlet of Gardiner, go up a steep hill into the hamlet, at the top of the hill turn right (south) on Murphy Lane, go approximately 1,000 feet to the park gate, turn left into the parking lot.

In addition to 26-acre Majestic Park, the town has a number of other parklands namely: (a) one-acre river access on Old Ford Road, (b) 6-acre river access on Sandhill Road, (c) 14-acre wildlife area near Halcyon Road, (d) 5-acre stream corridor at Spellman Drive, (e) 8-acre wildlife/stream area at Ramah Lane and (f) a 1-acre wildlife area on Guilford Road. In addition to these dedicated park areas, the town also has (g) a ball field at Town Hall, (h) 20-acres undeveloped property at the Sewer Plant and (i) 87-acres undeveloped property adjacent to the town landfill site which may be used for future recreational facilities.

The Shawangunk Kill Recreational River was designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 1996 to protect the ecosystem of the Shawangunk Kill (river) in the towns of Gardiner and Shawangunk. Special land-use regulations affect properties in a corridor running southwesterly from the confluence with the Wallkill River at Ganahgote to the town of Shawangunk. The corridor varies in width from 400 feet to half a mile. Contact the regional DEC office for specific information.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is only limited public access to this watercourse. NO PUBLIC LANDS OR FACILITIES are associated with the recreational river.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve, including Lake Minnewaska, Lake Awosting and Peters Kill Climbing Area, is located along the northwesterly boundary of the town of Gardiner in the Shawangunk (Shon-gum) Mountains. It covers an area of 9,000 acres of beautiful, rugged mountain landscape. This park has been recognized as one of the 75 great places in the Western Hemisphere with 50 miles of carriageways and many miles of footpaths. Minnewaska is also the only state park that offers rock climbing. It also offers walking, hiking, biking, swimming, scuba diving and cross-country skiing. The park is administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. Contact Minnewaska State Park (845) 255-0752.

To reach the Park via automobile: From the hamlet of Gardiner, take Route US44-NY55 west approximately 9 miles to the top of the second mountain ridgeline. The entrance to the Peters Kill Climbing Area is on your right. The Main Park Entrance to Lake Minnewaska is one (1) mile further west on your left. During summer months, a supplemental parking area for Lake Awosting is located 800 feet beyond the main entrance on your left. The entrance to Jenny Lane is 0.6 mile beyond the main entrance on your right.

The Mohonk Preserve is one of the state’s largest private nature preserves located along the northwesterly boundary of the town of Gardiner in the Shawangunk (Shon-gum) Mountains. It covers an area of 6,400 acres of beautiful, rugged mountain landscape traversed by carriageways and footpaths. It offers walking, hiking, biking, rock-climbing and cross-country skiing during the winter. Contact the Mohonk Preserve, Inc. (845) 255-0919.

From the hamlet of Gardiner, take Route US44-NY55 west approximately 5 miles to the intersection with Route NY299 near the foot of the Shawangunk cliffs, continue on US44-NY55 for approximately 0.5 mile to the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center Parking Area on your right or continue another 0.5 mile, under the steel overpass, to the Visitor Parking Area on your right.

The Ulster County Pool is located on Libertyville Road (Country Route #7) adjacent to the Ulster County Fairgrounds.

To reach the pool from the Town Hall, go west on Route US44-NY55 approximately 1.5 miles to flashing traffic light at Albany Post Road (County Route #9), turn right onto Albany Post Road, go north on Albany Post Road approximately 3.5 miles, through the intersection, continue north on Libertyville Road (County Route # 7 ) approximately 1 mile, the county pool is on your right.

The Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge is located at the former Galeville US Army Training Area in the town of Shawangunk approximately 1 mile south of the town boundary. To reach the SGNWR from the Town Hall, go west on Route US44-NY55 approximately 1.5 miles to flashing traffic light at Albany Post Road (County Route #9), turn left onto Albany Post Road, go south on Albany Post Road approximately 4.5 miles, turn right onto Long Lane (County Route #18A), go west approximately 1.5 miles (passing entrance to adjacent Town of Shawangunk park entrance) to Hoagerburgh Road (County Route #18), turn left on County Route #18 and go south approximately 0.5 miles. The entrance will be on your left. Visit http://shawangunk.fws.gov/index.htm for more information.

Locust Lawn and Terwilliger House Historic Site is located on Route NY32 approximately four (4) miles south of New Paltz, or approximately two (2) miles north of Modena

The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail follows the route of the former Wallkill Valley Railroad. It runs from New Paltz south approximately 7 miles to the hamlet of Gardiner and continues another 3 miles to Denniston Road. Automobile parking for the rail trail is permitted at the municipal lot on Farmers Turnpike located directly behind 135 Main Street (Rita’s Pizzeria).

The town Planning Board consists of seven (7) members appointed by the Town Board for staggered terms of seven (7) years. The Planning Board is authorized to review and approve realty subdivision plans and developments in accordance with the town Subdivision Regulations; review and recommend amendments to a town comprehensive “master” plan; review and approve site plans and special permits, or review and recommend to the Town Board action regarding site plans and special permits in accordance with the town Zoning Local Law; and review such other matters as may be referred to the Planning Board by the Town Board.

The board elects a Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary for one-year terms. The board employs a part-time clerk. The board may retain a professional planning consultant, professional engineer and special legal counsel to assist in the review of subdivision plans.

The town Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is composed of five (5) members appointed by the Town Board for staggered terms of five (5) years. The Zoning Board of Appeals is authorized to hear appeals from and review any order or decision made by the Zoning Enforcement Officer with respect to the town Zoning Local Law.

The Zoning Board of Appeals may also grant certain Special Permits (although most Special Permits are granted by either the Planning Board or the Town Board). The Board is also authorized to issue opinions and interpretations of the Zoning Law where the language of the statute is not clear.

The Zoning Local Law is a land-use regulation which defines permitted uses of land, minimum lot sizes, density and building setback distances, etc.

The Building Inspector also serves as the Zoning Enforcement Officer. If your planned use or lot design does not conform to Zoning, you may need to apply for a Use or Area Variance with the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The ZBA grants zoning variances where the literal enforcement of the provisions of the Zoning Local Law would result in unnecessary hardship and practical difficulties.

The board may grant an “area variance” where literal enforcement of the bulk requirements (dimensions and physical requirements) prevents reasonable use of the property or creates a particular hardship for the lot owner. These variances typically involve minor changes in dimensions or physical requirements for a particular lot or yard. The change granted by the variance is weighed against undesirable changes in the character of the neighborhood or any detrimental effect on nearby properties, including any adverse physical or environmental effects. The ZBA may impose conditions on any “use variance” or “area variance”.

The town Zoning Law designates certain areas of the town as either Hamlet Commercial Districts or Light Industrial Districts where business and industry are permitted by right. Some commercial uses may also require a Special Permit issued by either the Planning Board or the Town Board. Some other business uses may also be permitted outside the designated commercial districts (i.e. bed & breakfast) if a Special Permit is approved by the town. Certain professional or home occupations may also be permitted outside the designated commercial districts. The town does not issue so-called Business Licenses.

Based on the latest federal Census, the population of the town of Gardiner was 5,238 persons in 2000, with a median age of 37.7 years. There were 3,876 persons older than 18 years of age. As of 2000, there were 2,255 housing units in the town with 76% owner-occupied. The average household size was 3 persons. More census information is available at the Ulster County Planning Department Website.

As of September, 2003, the days and hours of operation are: Friday, Saturday, Monday (Tuesday following Monday holidays) and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The facility is closed for any state or national Friday or Monday holidays. In case of a Monday holiday, it is open on Tuesday.

The town of Gardiner does not provide municipal garbage collection or recycling pick-up.

Waste Management 845-338-8011
Independent Refuse Service 845-895-2935
Pine Bush Sanitation 845-744-5344
Roy’s Sanitation 845-895-2242

The town Recycling Center is located at the westerly end of Steve’s Lane approximately 1 mile north of the hamlet of Gardiner on Dusinberre Road near the Industrial Park.