By Michael Ryan
WINDHAM - There were no comments made when the Greene County Legislature held a public hearing on the replacement of the bridge connecting the hamlet of Maplecrest with the rest of the world.
Lawmakers hosted the required session on Monday night, continuing a process that may run into legal snags before coming to fruition.
County officials are hopeful that three necessary right-of-way acquisitions will go smoothly, including the former Morrow’s General Store and Maplecrest post office.
That historic structure, which rests at the juncture of county routes 40 and 56, must be removed in order to most effectively accomplish the project, according to engineers from Barton & Loguidice.
Engineers detailed the right-of-way acquisition procedure during the public hearing, explaining that the initial step will be a private visit by a property specialist to the involved landowners.
Those property owners also include the Catskill Mountain Foundation and the town of Windham, impacting various aspects of the job.
As part of the personal visit, the property specialist will welcome input from the landowner, gathering information from them that will lead to an appraisal being made on the site.
An offer will then be submitted to the landowner, based upon what the engineers termed “just compensation” for the right-of-way.
The price will be determined by fair market value which will be “nothing less than the highest appraisal amount,” engineers said.
It is hoped a simple transference of deed will follow, although the appraisal can be appealed by a landowner, potentially lengthening the process and delaying reconstruction.
County highway superintendent Scott Templeton appeared before the town of Windham a year ago, outlining the project that is expected to have a price tag in the vicinity of $2 million.
The county has concluded that Morrow’s Store, a quaint but antiquated structure, must be removed in order to facilitate the work.
While nothing is certain at this early stage, about how complex the required securing of various rights-of-way might unfold, it may be necessary for the county to turn to eminent domain.
It is rare for the county to resort to that complexity. Lawmakers, last month, approved a resolution mapping out the replacement which will include a realignment of the bridge and intersection and a switch of Stop signs.
Templeton anticipates that resolving all right-of-way issues will easily extend into 2025 with construction not beginning until 2026.
Once the job is completed, the intersection will be significantly changed, coming to a T where the two roads meet rather than the somewhat confusing twin curves currently in play.
As Route 40 comes down a rather steep incline from the town of Jewett, there will be a Stop sign before continuing onto Windham.
An existing, one-way Stop sign, where Route 56 begins and heads toward Big Hollow, will be gone, better indicating which road is which.
A major culvert relocation will occur on the upper end of Route 40. Pre-cast slabs will form the base of the new bridge that will have two, 10-foot wide travel lanes, measuring just under 30’ overall.
The resolution approved by lawmakers states that Greene County, “owns and is responsible for the maintenance and repair of CR 40 (Maplecrest Road) and CR 56, including the bridge that carries CR 40 over the Bataviakill Kill in the Town of Windham.
“The existing bridge was constructed in 1936 and consists of a single span superstructure with prestressed concrete voided slab units founded on cast-in-place concrete abutments,” exceeding its expected lifespan.
“A 2020 Biennial Inspection of the bridge resulted in a rating indicating that the structure is moderately deteriorated, and that major repairs or a complete replacement would be required in the near future.
“The streambed of the Bataviakill below the bridge is degrading due to the poor alignment of the existing bridge abutments and stream channel.
“The alignment of the CR 40 and CR 56 intersection immediately east of the bridge has multiple geometric deficiencies,” the resolution states.
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