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Philipstown Board Discusses Moffat Road Repairs with Residents
Safety and aesthetics considered
by Mike Turton
It would be difficult to argue that Putnam County's rural roads are not a wonderful local resource, one that is extremely pleasing to the eye. It would be at least as difficult to suggest that all roads should not be safe for those who travel them - whether on your way home from work or simply out on a weekend excursion. It might be even more challenging to suggest to Roger Chirico, Superintendent of Highways for the Town of Philipstown, that maintaining roads is not a very expensive enterprise.
On July 18, the Philipstown Town Board met with residents of Moffat Road to discuss proposed repairs to the road - and to find a way balance the need for public safety with the desire to conserve aesthetics - while also keeping cost effectiveness in mind.
In 2006 Moffat Road was put on a list of roads that the Town identified as unsafe and in need of repair. The road was actually closed for several weeks. Funds were budgeted. Subsequently, washouts along the road made the need for improvements even more clear. An engineer's report was completed and made recommendations that included improving sight lines, widening sections of the road and installing new guide rails.
A handful of residents who live on the road attended last week's meeting with the Town Board to support revisions to that original design. Bill O'Neill acted as spokesperson before the Board, stating, "We want to conserve our area - preserve its beauty and character. There will be aesthetic degradation of the road and environment if the guardrails are included. We've come here to find a way to move forward - and I think we're there." The group had met previously with Highway Superintendent Chirico to discuss the project in detail and to work out possible changes to the design.
As a result of those discussions, aspects of the design have been revised. Raised, machine-placed stone will take the place of the galvanized steel guide rails commonly used along many roads. Chirico listed several advantages to using stone. Cost will be reduced, in part because the Town already has a supply of stone on hand and in part due to the higher cost of steel. Using stone will also require taking less land to complete the project. Fewer trees will have to be removed. And, stone will also provide a more rustic and aesthetically pleasing appearance than the galvanized metal rails.
While the boulders will help prevent cars from going off the road and down the steep embankment, stone may not be ideal in terms of safety. "Metal guide rails are meant to give" Chirico stated. "Boulders do not give" he added.
Philipstown Supervisor Bill Mazucca didn't miss the point. "You know where we're headed on this," he said. "If someone gets hurt we're going to be sued because the engineer recommended guide rails." The building code makes no distinction between the use of stone or steel guide rails.
Residents had also raised concerns over the use of blasting on the project, citing possible damage to pools and wells. Chirico indicated that seismographic data is used to determine how strong a blast is required, minimizing the risk of damage. "We may be able to hammer some stone off the top of the road but I can't guarantee we won't have to blast" Chirico stated. Shaving down the road's surface is needed in some sections in order to improve sight lines. "Hammering" equipment used to do that costs about $1800 a day. "I don't want to blast - but we have to be cost effective" he added.
Chirico said he will ask the engineering firm of Badey and Watson to redraw the project design one more time but he was clearly saying it would be the last such revision. "Changing the design isn't cheap!" he pointed out.
The project will cost an estimated $160,000. Chrico indicated that work could begin this winter, including removal of some stone and trees. But with the heavy workload that the Highway Department still faces as a result of the severe storm that hit the area in April, the project won't get going in earnest until later next year.
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