HARDWICK – Kristine McAllister, owner of the property hosting the Hardwick branch of the United States Post Office (USPS) at 52 Mill St., received approval from the Hardwick Select Board for a $28,500 loan.
courtesy Hardwick Mill and Main Street Scoping Study
The 10-year loan, at 4% interest, from the town’s revolving loan fund, will cover work on the building and parking lot, to include reconfiguration of the lot’s entrance from Mill St.
McAllister. The loan will be collateralized by the real estate at 52 Mill St., said the town office.
“As owner of the building I am trying to improve it, with painting and repairs, and I’m planning on doing the interior floors and the parking lot,” said McAllister. She had planned to do the work at the beginning of April, but said she delayed it with the swinging bridge project underway.
“I have delayed it as redoing the driveway will limit parking, which we don’t already have [enough of] in town and we definitely don’t need the traffic backed up anymore than it already is. Additionally, I don’t want to redo the driveway with the exit staying the same and then have the town tear it up if the driveway being relocated is approved by the postal service.”
McAllister’s lease of the building to the USPS requires approval from them to proceed with the work.
The driveway’s relocation is a recommendation of the Hardwick Mill and Main Street Scoping Study, adopted by the Hardwick Select Board on April 9. The recommendation, added in the moderate treatment package, suggests shifting “the Post Office driveway farther from the Mill Street and Main Street intersection would improve sight lines and extend space between driveway turning movements and existing on-street parking.”
McAllister said she’d be using the loan for the work. “I will be using it to dig up and replace the pavement and repair the drainage system at the PO, which will be done on a Saturday afternoon thru Sunday so we don’t disturb the transportation of mail.”
She said she was happy to be getting ready to move forward with the work, which will improve safety as USPS customers enter and leave the driveway, where there have been several accidents. “I’m the one who proposed the relocation of the driveway so it’s already in the proposed Mill Street project,” she said.
The town revolving loan fund currently has four outstanding loans: Tobin Porter-Brown at Front Seat Coffee took out a $71,000 in June 2924 that has a balance of just over $58,000, maturing in June 2034. Danny Hale with Hale Transport has a loan taken out in October 2025 for $50,000, maturing in 2035, which was 48 days past due last month.
Two other businesses with loans are no longer in operation, but continue to make payments after liquidating their equipment, said the town manager’s office. Myles and Katie Tandy with Keg of Glory took out a $40,000 loan in April 2021 that has a balance due of $5,655 and matures in April 2031.
Karen Whitcomb, owner of Vittles Kaef took out a loan for $12,500 in May 2925 with a present value of $10,391 that matures in May of 2030.
The purpose of the Hardwick Revolving Loan Fund is to assist in economic development and job creation and retention in the Town of Hardwick. The Revolving Loan Fund is also used to assist in downtown façade improvements and ADA compliance in the Town of Hardwick’s Designated Village Center.
