Scheduled to discuss construction, mitigation
The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail postponed a meeting with the Cold Spring Village Board scheduled for Wednesday (Dec. 18).
HHFT officials were scheduled to respond to questions from village officials sent in a Dec. 11 memo about the construction of the proposed 7.5-mile trail between Cold Spring and Beacon and mitigating its impact on the village.
In a Monday (Dec. 16) letter to the village, Executive Director Amy Kacala said that after public comment is complete for the recently released state Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS), “we will have a comprehensive understanding of all municipal, agency and individual feedback, and the lead agency will share any additional studies, mitigation measures, or interventions necessary to address potential impacts of the Fjord Trail on the environment and/or project area communities.”
Kacala said that in light of the topics raised in the memo, “it would be premature to answer most of the questions as they pertain to local mitigations and associated budgets and costs.” The meeting with village officials should be postponed until after the environmental review process is complete, she said.
Foley responded: “This is an unfortunate decision, and a lost opportunity for the community as well as HHFT…. Other than funding questions, nothing is new. The trustees and the public would have benefited from hearing your clarification on construction and your thinking on potential infrastructure investments in the village.
“Your responses surely would have informed the public as they are reviewing the DGEIS; I don’t see how your in-person discussion would jeopardize that process or its outcomes. The board can discuss how to incorporate these questions into the village’s DGEIS response.”
At its workshop on Wednesday, the board voted 3-2 to hire Ted Fink of Greenplan, a land-use consulting firm based in Rhinebeck, for up to $8,000 to assist the village with its response to the DGEIS. Trustees Eliza Starbuck and Aaron Freimark voted “no.”
Starbuck questioned the cost and said that, because she has a background in land-use planning, Foley could review the DGEIS. “I don’t support spending $8,000 or more on something that is not a project we have control over,” she said.
Foley thanked Starbuck for her “vote of confidence” but said she didn’t think the village could do the review without help. “It’s a giant document,” she said, noting that Greenplan would consult with environmental planners and traffic engineers.
Freimark said on Thursday (Dec. 19) that he voted no because he felt it wasn’t appropriate for the board to modify Greenplan’s proposal (its bid was $8,500) without input from Fink. He also questioned the spending midway through the fiscal year.
“We have expected revenue from short-term rentals and parking, but there are still many unknowns,” he said. “We shouldn’t be so quick to spend an expected surplus.”
In other business….
■ The emergency order for mandatory water conservation measures is no longer in effect; village reservoirs are now at 82 percent of capacity.
■ The board approved renewed participation in the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Cancer Benefit Program for members of the Cold Spring Fire Co., at a rate of $146.89 per firefighter.
■ An intermunicipal agreement with Philipstown was approved, extending the food scrap recycling program on a trial basis through May 31. The program, which includes drop-off sites on Kemble Avenue and Lane Gate Road, will be considered as part of 2025-26 village budget discussions.
■ After its public meeting on Dec. 18, the board went into an executive session for updates on future investigations and a criminal prosecution, collective bargaining negotiations, and pending litigation.
This is appalling.
Here’s your headline: “Fjord to Village: Drop Dead.”