LEGISLATURE STUFF - In the Way of Flood Waters

CATSKILL - If there is a piece of property that would be suitable for a rather large highway department garage in the town of Ashland, Greene County highway superintendent Scott Templeton would like to know about it.

Templeton recently gave his usual monthly report to the county legislature, giving updates on several projects involving culverts and bridges, etc.

Lawmakers listened with rapt attention, knowing that citizens are pretty persnickety about roadways, ease of travel and, in particular, detours whenever and wherever work is being done.

Details were also given on the summer paving season but prior to that, a resolution was passed related to county highway garage #3, situated in Ashland, along State Route 23.

Money has been made available for a feasibility study on moving the facility which is smack dab in the middle of the Bataviakill flood plain.

The resolution states that a Catskill Watershed Corporation 'Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program” has approved the dollars for reasons dating back to Tropical Storm Irene and beyond.

Irene’s flooding blasted the mountaintop, leading to the writing of various Local Flood Analysis reports in affected municipalities and the county.

There is a “flood mitigation overview” offered on the Catskill Watershed Corporation website stating that the, “CWC is a key player in a suite of programs intended to improve the flood resilience of local communities.

“In recent years, multiple flood events in the New York City Watershed West of the Hudson River have prompted emergency response programs to repair roads and other infrastructure, remove stream debris and assist homeowners and businesses in the weeks and months immediately following a natural disaster,” the website states.

“The long term goal of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program is to supplement existing sources of funding for structural and nonstructural projects to improve the flood resilience of communities located within the boundaries of the New York City water-supply watershed, west of the Hudson River,” the website states.

“Repeated flood damage endangers residents and degrades regional water quality, and challenges Watershed communities in their efforts to achieve economic stability and sustainability,” the website states.

CWC works with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and county-based Soil and Water Conservation Districts to “help property owners prepare for the next flood,” the website states.

“Projects supported by this Program will assist in preventing and mitigating flooding impacts,” the website states, with the county highway building in Ashland fitting that description to a T.

Lawmakers approved hiring LaBella Associates for engineering services, paying the Latham-headquartered firm $9,900, channeled through the Catskill Watershed Program.

Templeton, in a followup phone interview said, “the DEP wants our salt barn and other facilities out of there, out of the flood plain.”

The county currently owns the land and infrastructure along with a dozen plow trucks, a few pickups and other equipment and materials onsite.

DEP also reportedly wants the facility to stay in Ashland although that may be easier said than done, depending upon there being the right spot.

“The first stage is to find out if suitable land is even available,” Templeton said, noting the involved parties, if none is found in the ensuing weeks,  shall cross that logistical bridge when they come to it.

Greene County highway garage #3 primarily services the towns of Ashland and Windham, as well as parts of Prattsville and Jewett.

In terms of the paving season, Templeton said roughly 30 miles of roadway is being either blacktopped, moto-paved, micro-paved or chip-sealed, depending upon current conditions.

“We’re dealing with outside contractors doing multiple jobs and everybody wanting their job finished yesterday, but we’re on course for a very good year,” Templeton said.

Those pavings include:

—Town of Ashland (County Route 19 from Steinmetz Road to County Route 10 (1.21 miles);

—Town of Hunter, County Route 23C from State Route 23A to Cranberry Drive (0.86 miles);

—Town of Jewett, County Route 23C from County Route 78 to County Route 40 (3 miles);

—Town of Jewett, County Route 23C from Natty Bumpus Road to State Route 296 (0.61 miles).