The City of Kingston, NY

    Welcome to the City of Kingston, NY

    Kingston, dating to the arrival of the Dutch in 1652, is a vibrant city with rich history and architecture, was the state's first capital, and a thriving arts community. City Hall is in the heart of the community at 420 Broadway, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except July & August (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).  Come tour our historic City, with restaurants that are among the region's finest, and local shopping that promises unique finds.

    Historic Churches

    Kingston is home to many historic churches. The oldest church still standing is the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Kingston which was organized in 1659. Referred to as The Old Dutch Church, it is located in Uptown Kingston. Many of the city's historic churches populate Wurts street (6 in one block) among them Hudson Valley Wedding Chapel is a recently restored church built in 1867 and now a chapel hosting weddings. Another church in the Rondout is located at 72 Spring Street. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1849. The original church building at the corner of Hunter Street and Ravine Street burned to the ground in the late 1850s. The current church on Spring Street was built in 1874.

    Kingston, NY

    Kingston became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British on October 13, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga. In the 19th century, the city became an important transport hub after the discovery of natural cement in the region, and had both railroad and canal connections.

    Kingston, NY

    The town of Rondout, New York, now a part of the city of Kingston, became an important freight hub for the transportation of coal from Honesdale, Pennsylvania to New York City through the Delaware and Hudson Canal. This hub was later used to transport other goods, including bluestone. Kingston shaped and shipped most of the bluestone made to create the sidewalks of New York City.

     

    Contact Us

    City Hall Address:
    420 Broadway
    Kingston, New York
    12401

    Phone:
    (845) 331-0080
    Email:
    [email protected]

    Kingston News

    6/28/2023 - Executive Order- Affordable Housing

     

    EXECUTIVE ORDER

    Issued June 28th, 2023

    Whereas, the General Municipal Law empowers Mayors to implement temporary measures within a municipality to protect residents’ life, property, and wellbeing; and

     

    Whereas, consistent with that authority, I declared a State of Emergency in the City of Kingston on March 13, 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic; and

     

    Whereas, the detrimental impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic have disproportionately burdened low- and moderate-income renters within the City of Kingston, increasing housing insecurity for our local workforce and demands for municipal services; and

     

    Whereas, the statewide eviction moratorium expired on January 15, 2022; and

     

    Whereas, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, developed pursuant to § 96-6 of the City Charter, called for an expansion of affordable housing requirements, which the Common Council approved before the COVID-19 Pandemic created an impending eviction crisis within the City of Kingston; and

     

    Whereas, the City is in the process of completing a city-wide rezoning project, which soon will codify permanent affordable housing requirements; I hereby

     

    Declare, via emergency order, that, until the City completes the re-zoning, all applicants requesting site plan approval from the City of Kingston Planning Board for developments of between five (5) and nine (9) housing units must maintain at least one affordable housing unit, and all approved site plans for developments of ten (10) or more units must maintain at least 10% of the units as affordable; and I further

     

    Declare, that the Planning Board shall define “affordable housing” to mean units rented to households earning no more than 80% of the Area Mean Income, based on current Ulster County statistics that are subject to annual adjustments; and I further

     

    Declare, that the Planning Board shall define “affordable rent” to be mean rent that does not exceed 30% of an “affordable housing” household’s income; and I further

     

    Declare that the City of Kingston will verify compliance with these affordable housing requirements in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 332 of the Administrative Code.

     

    Sincerely,

    blue signature

     

    Steven T. Noble

    Mayor