First Phase Of Woods Brook Project Approved
By Doug La Rocque
The very first step in the overall Woods Brook Flood Mitigation Project is to slow down the flow of the brook as it enters the Village of Hoosick Falls, with a number of modifications and improvements upstream. At a special Village Board meeting on Monday, October 29, Ryan Weitz of the engineering firm Barton & Loguidice detailed the plan. During the meeting the Board authorized Mayor Rob Allen to sign an Agreement/Scope of Services with Barton & Longuidice. The work will be done under a $900,000 Community Development Block Grant, obtained in conjunction with the Town of Hoosick.
In the budget presented by Barton & Loguidice, the first phase involves what are labeled as soft costs, such as mapping, design, permitting and construction administration. This will use up $162,000, with the remaining $738,000 to be used for general site work and improvements, including modifications to the Johnson Hill Road culvert inlet. Further work will include looking into diverting the brook before it flows into the Village, and modifications within the village itself. The total cost of all the proposed work could run eight to nine million dollars, but Barton & Loguidice believes the Village may be able to get more grants for some of that work.
Don’t Buy the Pump Yet
The final figures are in on the Snow Street Water Main Project, and it appears to have come in about $35,000 under the total grant monies allotted for it. The remaining concern is the aging pump station that sometimes is not up to pushing the water uphill as it should. Mayor Allen wants to apply the remaining monies, along with some budget savings that could be realized by a replacement unit, to pay for a new pump. He feels it can be done without the village taking on any debt. The hangup is the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), which claims to have not yet received paid copies of all the bills, and appears to be questioning whether the remaining monies can indeed be applied to the new pumping station. DASNY is the state agency charged with administering most NYS grants. The board found this perplexing, as the pump station was an additional part of the original approved application. Deputy Village Clerk Judy VanDerKar informed the Board she would resend DASNY copies of the bills in any format they wished, the very next morning. Since it was now unclear if and when DASNY would be releasing the grant money for the project, the Board decided to hold off on purchasing the new pump station equipment at this time.
Get Ready to Dig
The Board decided to go ahead with an extension of a sprinkler line under John Street for the BYTE Restaurant, which hopes to open a bed and breakfast above its eatery and gallery. The establishment already has a commercial water line, but a dedicated line for a sprinkler system is required when offering lodging. The work is tentatively slated to begin November 13, and will mean the closing of John Street with detours for about four days. The road will be re-opened each night. BYTE has agreed to pay 50 percent of the cost, with the Village paying for the rest, labeling the project as economic development.
The main reason the special meeting was called was to award bids for the demolition of three structures in the village deemed to be unsafe. Since only one bid was received, however, the Board decided to re-bid the work before awarding a contract.
Other Business
David Lovelace, the new administrator for the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation (CNR) on Danforth Street, was introduced to the village by CNR’s Board President Greg Laurin. Mr. Lovelace talked about the future plans, as well as the need to expand staff. Marianne Zwicklbauer discussed events centered around the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Wood Park, as well as possibly looking for donations of battery operated lights for the Christmas Trees placed about the village. The Board also approved a request by the UNIHOG Restaurant to use Wood Park on Saturday, November 10, for what they are calling a Cold Weather Classic. The approval is conditional upon UNIHOG acquiring the needed insurance riders.