Why I feel it is important to take action
By Richard Shea
Philipstown has approximately 30 miles of dirt roads and 30 miles of paved roads. These roads traverse some of the most challenging terrain in Putnam County if not New York state. Most towns and counties in New York state have done away with dirt roads including many upstate communities. Here in Philipstown we recognize that they are part of our heritage while at the same time realizing the demands of modern travel and schedules.
When I was younger Philipstown was a much different place. Many families owned only one car and home deliveries were uncommon, unless we were talking about milk. In the summer many of the dirt roads had a strip of grass growing down the middle. The volume of traffic and the expectations were both much lower. At that time commuting by train was an anomaly.
Today things are quite a bit different. The number of trips per day on all our roads has increased exponentially. The size of the vehicles traveling the roads has also increased, with large delivery trucks crisscrossing every road in town. These things, combined with a noticeable change in weather patterns, have put a strain not only on the roads but the budgets needed to maintain them.
Whenever the subject of paving a section of dirt road is brought to the Town Board one thing is guaranteed: a lot of emotion will also come with it. Locally this is the third rail of politics and makes for some very interesting meetings. Many times these discussions result in no action. This cannot be the case when it comes to the discussion of the small section of hill on South Mountain Pass. I have watched the hill on the 9D side of the pass wash out so many times I have lost count. There have been times when the road has disappeared in its entirety — this despite our best efforts at maintaining the road.
When we talk about dirt roads what we are really discussing is a mixture of aggregates known as item 4. This is a material that is approved for road building. We must now truck the material in from Orange County. This requires many trips using large diesel-powered trucks. It is then spread and graded using large diesel-powered machines.
My point is that we are burning lots of dirty fossil fuel in large expensive vehicles. Once in place, chemicals are added in the form of hardeners and dust control. Many times after heavy rains all this material washes into the adjoining streams not only polluting them with turbidity but filling them up with the combination of dirt and chemicals. This is unacceptable.
Despite all the different ideas that have been tried, from open drainage with large stones to cutoffs to underground piping, eventually the result has often been the same: large quantities of material winding up in the streams.
I will finish with this. Many years ago my mentor Jim Rod of Audubon said that the biggest threat to the brooks and streams was the dirt coming off the roads. Everyone has seen streams that are clogged with road material and the harsh results. During my tenure on the Town Board over the past 14 years we have paved very little, probably less than one mile. The project at South Mountain Pass represents less than 1/3 of a mile. This section of road averages between 10 and 14 percent grade and has been a perennial if not monthly problem.
There have been many claims that there are solutions to the issues. To date many have been tried and none have been successful. This does not mean that we will stop trying to find solutions or that we will be embarking on a program of large-scale paving of all dirt roads. No one wants to see that and it is not necessary. What we do need are solutions to the areas that are the most challenging. To that end we are actively seeking alternatives and will continue.
As for the small section of hill on the South Mountain Pass I am in favor of action. With an investment of over $250,000 dollars in drainage I feel that it is in the best interest of taxpayers and the environment to secure the road by paving that limited section as soon as possible.
Richard Shea is Philipstown supervisor.
This is an extremely cogent and compelling argument, and I am convinced. The blight on the environment alone is reason enough to take the action Richard suggests.
I remember discussing dirt roads with Jim Rod almost 20 years ago, when I first met him during an interview to become a potential member of the Philipstown Conservation Advisory Committee. At the time, his greatest lament was that no one was focusing on keeping material from running off of our Town’s dirt roads and entering streams and other water bodies. The blame was not specifically placed on the existence of our dirt roads as suggested by Richard Shea, Town Supervisor. I understand the ecological concerns that are now being brought up, but I am particularly troubled with the process that appears to be taking place in regard to the proposed drainage and paving project at both the Highway Department (HD) and Town Board (TB) levels. I question the rush to vote on this project; what am I missing? Let us look at the bigger picture. Approximately 51% of our nation’s roads are unpaved. Many of these roads handle significant daily traffic and high axel loads including industrial usage for mining, petroleum production, and forestry, not to mention residential traffic. There is a science to the sound economic and environmental management of unpaved roads. Philipstown does not adhere to these best practices. The apparent problem is not that South Mountain Pass is unpaved and steep, but rather that we are now facing several decades of gross mismanagement by the (HD) under two different Highway Superintendents and several TBs. During this period none of the TBs has ever bothered to thoroughly… Read more »
Mr. Galler’s suggestion that the office of Highway Superintendent become an appointed, rather than an elected office is interesting. This would require a permissive referendum, which I believe could be initiated via petition by local residents.
According to NY State law, however, subsequent to a successful referendum, a five-year contract would have to be established with another municipality to provide maintenance, after which period an appointed Highway Superintendent could take the position.
Specifically, quoting NYS Town Law Section 20(1)(k), “Town Officers”:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local law to the contrary, every town which has a contract in force and effect with another municipality for the municipality to provide highway, road and street maintenance and repair for a period of not less than five years may adopt a local law, subject to permissive referendum as provided by article seven of this chapter, not later than July fifteenth of the year prior to which the term of office of the current elected town superintendent of highways shall expire, that the office of the town superintendent of highways shall be abolished. A town which thereafter terminates such a contract shall re-establish the position of town superintendent of highways by local law as an appointive office.”
Thank you, Richard, for your informative article. As a resident of the South Mountain Pass area for 17+ years, I am concerned about this project for several reasons. With all due respect, I differ with some of your assertions, and have some observations and questions, including the following: 1. Re: amount of road to be paved: In this article, you say that the project at South Mountain Pass (SMP) represents “less than 1/3 of a mile.” However, at the meeting last Wednesday night (June 3), you said the project is 2,600 feet—which is ½ of a mile or 25% of SMP. Ronald Gainer, Philipstown’s consulting engineer is quoted in the Philipstown.info paper as saying at that time, that “only about 2,600 feet of road would be paved.” This discrepancy is important, especially as it has been difficult to find out information about the length of road to be paved, and the amount of expense involved. (“Only about” seems to leave room for a larger amount.) What is the actual amount of road that will be paved? 2. Re: number of times the road has washed out: You say that the area of the road projected for paving has washed out innumerable times, and imply that the road has disappeared in its entirety many times. I remember seeing the road washed out only once—during Hurricane Floyd almost 16 years ago when there was no drainage system in place. After that, drainage pipes were installed. However, my neighbors tell me that the… Read more »
Mr. Shea’s article is a step in the right direction. However, there is still a great deal of back-bending to appease the small minority of taxpayers who insist on disrupting the lives of the majority who finance and use these public roads. If the people commenting here want to do without running water, electricity and paving they are free to live in whatever fashion they choose on their own property. The town officials are under no obligation to inflict the lifestyle choice of a vocal few on an entire community that comprises thousands of travelers who are forced to pay for and use the dirt roads in question.
Pardon me, but Garrison and Cold Spring have had these same dirt roads for a couple hundred years, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone who chooses to locate themselves there that there will be issues with … where they chose to live. Part of dirt roads’ appeal is that “thousands,” as you say, of people are free to choose more expeditious routes if they find the local history here to be outdated. There is Fishkill etc. with no dirt roads. Lots of other options.
All points above are well taken, great conversation.
Any one responsible for, or interested in dirt roads should download the following Manual produced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency:
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE MAINTENANCE FOR DIRT AND GRAVEL ROADS.
The Manual is available at:
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/sensitive.cfm
The Introduction (Chapter 1) is 10 pages; the entire Manual is 360 pages. In addition to Chapter 1, interested persons might like what they find in the 11 page Appendix 7, containing photos and diagrams of several remediation projects. All documents are in .pdf format, available at the above link.
This should be required reading for all Town Board members and Highway Dept. management.
POOR COMMUNICATION LEADS TO FRUSTRATION AND BAD DECISION MAKING Right now, the debate and discussion about South Mountain Pass are neither about paving nor drainage. It is about proper process … the essential ingredient of good government. That has broken down in the handling of this matter, and we do not know or understand why. At the Town Budget Workshop meeting on October 15, 2015, others and I heard the Town Supervisor specifically state that there were three highway department priorities for 2015 – Manitou Station Road, Indian Brook Road culvert and the Avery Road bridge near Indian Brook Road. South Mountain Pass was not a priority. It was also stated that there would be no major paving projects in the budget. Approximately $5,000 was included in the adopted budget for drainage along South Mountain Pass, with the work to be performed in-house by highway department personnel. Without any public participation, without consultation with area residents, without outreach to the Old Road Society, at a workshop on March 25, 2015, the Board awarded a contract to Sun-Up Enterprises for $129,876.00 for the construction of 600 feet of drainage work. A video taken at the meeting caught the first discussion that major paving was contemplated. At the Town Board meeting on April 9, the Supervisor noted the recently awarded contract and stated we should go “all the way” and also consider “paving that hill.” We appreciate that Councilmember Montgomery cautioned there should be “plenty of public notice.” After the meeting on… Read more »