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Putnam Valley Groups Seek Answers from Legislature on Peekskill Hollow Road Project
Watershed Agreement Celebrates 10th Anniversary and Possible Re-Negotiation
by Margaret Sternberg
Several people from Friends of the Peekskill Hollow Road and the Putnam Valley Residents Coalition attended the February 20, 2007 meeting of the Physical Services Committee in order to hear the monthly update on the Peekskill Hollow Road Project as well as to receive clarification regarding its scope and when it will begin.
Commissioner of Highways Harold Gary said the project involves "the reconstruction and rehabilitation of bridges and roads from Mill Street to the intersection of Oscawana Lake Road and Peekskill Hollow Road." The project's scope includes "the reconstruction of turning lanes at the [high] school [and] rehab of two bridges, the bridge approximately .5 mile southwest of the school and the one at the corner of Peekskill Hollow Road and Oscawana Lake Road."
Commissioner Gary said that in order to bring the work up to the standards presented to the public at the informational hearing, the job would involve changing the bridge at the intersection and making turning lanes on both Oscawana Lake and Peekskill Hollow Roads, "saving the shopping district…[because we] are taking that gas station." Mr. Gary added that the taking of the gas station involved the SEQRA process, which could delay the proceedings, but he said he did not expect that to be the case.
The project's plan is now at the Department of Transportation for review and Mr. Gary said he expects the review to be finished shortly. Based upon that, he thought the bidding process would begin in late summer and that "we possibly could say that the road will be under construction by the end of 2007, but I think we can very safely say that construction will begin at the corner of Oscawana Lake and Peekskill Hollow Road in the spring of 2008."
Commissioner Gary noted that "absolutely nothing" could be changed from the informational meeting without the County having to go through the entire process again and the construction would be delayed.
In a segue to the discussion, committee Chair Vinnie Tamagna asked that a report be updated on the condition of each bridge in the County, rating each by its need for repairs. Tamagna also asked that the amount of money in the Capital Budget be reported as well as what has been spent over the past five years so that the committee could plan for bridge renovations in a more detailed way.
The committee also heard from Watershed Information Coordinator Ed Barnett concerning the ten-year re-negotiations on the Memorandum of Agreement on East of Hudson funds. Barnett said he thought that anything in the agreement was "up for discussion." Barnett also said that NYC was proposing ideas concerning the reservoirs that might lead to potential discussions on additional funds for open space acquisition.
Legislator Tony Hay requested Barnett ask that NYC provide three sewage plants, for commercial development only, for each town in the watershed. Hay said there was a track record for the one plant that was operational and that the County had been promised two others. Chairman Tamagna suggested Philipstown be included despite being outside the watershed because of its need for a commercial tax base. Tamagna said that going forward he will be "actively engaged" in the negotiations.
In another of the meeting's discussions, John Norris of Clark Patterson Associates came before the committee to explain the services his firm could provide the County in their space planning project. In a 20-minute presentation Norris presented other County projects as references, outlined a number of nuances involved in space planning as well as provided some suggestions and direction the legislators could take in terms of defining as precisely as possible the various departments' space requirements. Vacant space will be created in the county office building when court personnel move to the new county courthouse in the fall.
Chairman Tamagna, obliquely referring to the cost of hiring an outside consultant instead of using a committee of county employees convened by County Executive Bob Bondi for the same purpose, said that "with 40 departments, we are able to best serve the people of Putnam County by best utilizing this space in the smartest way possible."
In other business, the committee noted several "FYI" items and approved a grant agreement on the bikeway design project. The March meeting of the Physical Services Committee will be posted on the PCN&R's website as soon as it becomes available.
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