CALLICOON  — The hamlet of Callicoon is abuzz with visitors and residents.

From big attractions like the Callicoon Theater and the Farmers Market on Sunday, Callicoon plays host to thousands of visitors weekly.

On Sunday, June 9 there wasn’t an empty place to even stand along Main St., as the historic hamlet welcomed the 28th Annual Callicoon Tractor Parade to town, complete with 2,000 visitors and 251 tractors.

Couple that with a growing list of restaurants, a vibrant retail market and several boutique hotels, and Callicoon is earmarked for success.

Parking is tight

One challenge this booming little hamlet along the shores of the Delaware River has is finding enough parking for all its residents, workers, and visitors.

Years ago, the Town of Delaware leased land from the railroad and built a 50-car lot in the middle of town to help the situation and there is also parking along both Upper and Lower Main Streets and along Audley Dorrer Drive, which hosts the Farmers Market.

In the coming months, however, some 10-15 spaces will be lost as the Callicoon Depot Inc., the lead agency in the rehabilitation of the Callicoon Depot, moves forward with its project.

“A grant was secured several years ago to build a visitor center [at the Depot],”  said Darko Hreljanovic, President of Callicoon Depot, Inc. “[Because people] don’t see anything [happening] they don’t think anything is going on.”

Hreljanovic pointed out that the railroad still maintains ownership of the property and the CDI is just a lessee.

“We had certain conditions we agreed to,” Hreljanovic said. “More importantly, it isn’t a municipal parking lot, per se.

“The Depot is now a community resource to enhance the community,” he said. “As we develop the depot, that area [where cars are currently parking] will become more accessible to people and less and less accessible to vehicles.

“We plan on creating a plaza – like a town square,” he said. “We have been liberal in allowing people to park there but we are strategically thinking about limiting vehicle access.” 

Hreljanovic pointed out that there are several reasons to limit parking in the area, including safety to pedestrians, damage to the station and abiding by the lease with the railroad.

“We wanted to make the general public aware that it is private,” he said. “Eventually there will be no parking there – just an emergency plan and possibly 4 or 5 spaces along the side of the depot, including 1 or 2 for ADA.”

The right of way access will be one-way, he noted.

What’s next

A Town Hall meeting is now tentatively scheduled for July 9, according to Hreljanovic.

That is when the committee will update the community on its plans.

Currently the CDI has set aside the last Saturday of every month as a Community Open House series.

The open houses start at 11 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. and include depot tours, an information booth and monthly activities.

“The stage has also been built,” he said.

Hreljanovic said the committee now has a conceptual drawing and cost estimates for the first phase of construction, which will include the visitors center, common space and offices.

After the information is reconciled with the grant, Hreljanovic said an architect will be brought in to review the plans and then “it’s out to bid.

“We hope to be ready to go by the end of the year,” he said. “People are realizing the depot is an asset [to the community],” he said. “Everyone is welcome to come to our town hall meetings.

“We are open minded and trying to gather ideas,” he said. “Callicoon has a parking problem which needs to be solved holistically.”