Schmitt is also proud to have played a direct role in shaping the overall vision of the town of Pawling. He holds dear the town’s long-standing values and agri-history, and remains laser-focused on efforts to ensure that the amenities treasured by the town’s residents are well-supported. He is also openly welcoming additional businesses to the mix to add to the overall town fabric. Overseeing a town that has so much to offer, Schmitt is busy looking at critical infrastructure priorities, hospitality, retail, and commercial expansion, as well as designing future growth to reflect walkability and interconnectedness to trails and parks adjacent to the downtown core. The residents who call this idyllic town home, as well as the multitude of visitors who make the trek into the downtown corridor to take in the local bakeries and delights, have at their fingertips a diverse town that is poised to enjoy economic expansion. WALKING THROUGH THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN “One of the biggest things for me is walkability. We have a sidewalk plan in place where properties are redeveloped and sidewalks in front of them. We have a master plan that will give us the ability to eventually connect all parts of Pawling by sidewalk; the town, the parks, and the schools,” Schmitt elaborates. Schmitt explains that the town’s goal is to be able to walk from the downtown area, and either continue to walk along the sidewalks, or take a bicycle up to Pawling’s 400-acre park and 50-acre lake, and then through to the schools and reconnect again. “We want to promote walking and people getting out more and destressing,” he summarizes. When residents do enter the main corridor, they are met with an array of local treasures that are mouthwatering and remain a tourist draw. “There is our bakery and restaurant, McKinney and Doyle, which has been here for quite some time and pulls people all the way from New York City.” “It is nothing short of fantastic,” he states. 61 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 PAWLING, NY
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