At last Tuesday’s workshop on the paving of South Mountain Pass, a gentleman stood up and read a quote from a statement made by Town Supervisor Richard Shea some time ago. It was a statement concerning the beauty of Philipstown and what a paradise he felt it was and how wonderful it is to live here.

Well, my little part of paradise is about to be buried under asphalt. The board voted unanimously at that workshop to pave one quarter of South Mountain Pass. I happen to live on the part of the road to be paved. This road, which dates back to the time of the Revolutionary War, is now going to be partially paved. Causing more and faster traffic, I believe, while losing one quarter of its history.

The cost of the work being done has escalated from a $5,000 in-house project to a nearly half-million-dollar project, including the cost of paving, and now the very drains installed in the last few weeks are unbelievably being pulled up and raised because they were not installed at the right heights! I say “unbelievably” because you couldn’t make this up if you were writing a movie!

Of course we were told that these drains were originally installed at a height for paving and that was why the road now needed be paved — “to protect our investment” in those incorrectly installed drains.

But someone has apparently made a huge mistake and installed those very drains at the wrong height, now adding even more dollars to the project, as they are being pulled up and reset. Confused? So am I! So are we all who live on this road!

So, let’s see, not really listening to residents of the road, lack of transparency in the process, escalated costs, construction mistakes each taken alone would be bad enough, but add them all up — and what have you got — a majority of South Mountain Pass residents and other town residents who have been following all of this who are very concerned, very frustrated and very confused with our town government and road department.

And — the outcome — unfortunately for me — my little bit of paradise being taken away as a result of this debacle!

Joyce Blum
Garrison

Behind The Story

Type: Opinion

Opinion: Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.

This piece is by a contributor to The Current who is not on staff. Typically this is because it is a letter to the editor or a guest column.