VALATIE–Work to create paved shoulders for pedestrians along State Farm Road will start in July, according to county Superintendent of Highways Bernie Kelleher. He told the Kinderhook Town Board about the plan at the board’s regular meeting Monday, June 5.
Kinderhook town Highway Superintendent John Ruchel, who was also present, said that working with the county would save the town money. The whole project should cost about $80,000, according to Mr. Kelleher.
Mr. Ruchel said that about 4,000 cars drive on State Farm Road every day and 60 school buses use it. He said the road is the “busiest we have in town.” The paving, which will be 3-feet wide on either side of the street, will start at the intersection with county Route 28 and go to the state Route 9/9H traffic circle.
Mr. Kelleher said that paving the roadside, which now has only gravel, will give “people a place to walk.” He said right now the road is used by the Ichabod Crane cross country teams, bicyclists and walkers. “It needs to be done,” he said.
Supervisor Pat Grattan said at the meeting, “It’s an exciting project that is a long time coming.” He stressed that the county does not charge for labor so the cost will be in materials and will come from the town’s highway improvement budget.
“We have shared services agreement with all the towns in the county,” said Mr. Kelleher of the work.
Councilwoman Patsy Leader asked about paving around the utility poles along the road. Mr. Kelleher said that the project does not call for moving any poles, so those sections “might get 2-and-a-half feet” of paving.
Work should start in July, when school is out. Mr. Kelleher said that, weather permitting, it should be a two-day project.
Also at the meeting:
• Town Attorney Andy Howard plans to meet with residents of Wildflower Road, a private dirt road, on Saturday, June 10 to answer their questions about moving forward with a plan to pave the road at the property owners’ expense. Once it is paved it can become a town road and the town will maintain it. Mr. Grattan said the board does not plan to vote on moving forward with a paving project on the road at that meeting
• The board heard a report from the town Trails Committee about a trail that would go through the Village of Valatie to Ichabod Crane School campus, and eventually meet up with a trail to Lindenwald. Committee members said the plan is moving forward, and that the state many negotiate with National Grid to finish the trail along land owned by the utility company
•The town plans to send the updated solar panel zoning laws to the town and county planning boards for review. Mr. Grattan said the town will most likely hold a public hearing and make final changes to the zoning laws in August.
The next board meeting will be Monday, July 10. Normally the board meets on the first Monday of the month but the board moved the date of the July meeting due to the July 4 holiday.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com