Process For Bridge Replacement In Sharon Slowed Down

By Chris English

SCHOHARIE COUNTY — The process for replacing the Engleville Road Bridge over West Creek in the Town of Sharon has stalled a little because of logistics involved in Schoharie County acquiring property needed for the replacement.

A public hearing scheduled for the Friday, April 18 meeting of the county Board of Supervisors was tabled until the next BOS meeting on May 16. The hearing was to consider the need for acquiring a fee title/easement for land at 263 Engleville Road "owned now or formerly by the Estate of Ray Aker Jr."

"There is no proposed alternate location for the project," a resolution related to the matter stated.

At the April 18 meeting, a county official indicated at least one person with a present ownership interest in the property was not being cooperative with the county's effort to acquire the land for the bridge replacement.

"There needs to be conversation with parties so we're better prepared for a public hearing on this next month," Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Federice of Conesville said.

Residents Terry Bradt and Barry Bartlett, who live fairly close to the property and often cross the present Engleville Road Bridge, attended the April 18 meeting to express some concerns with the bridge replacement project. One of the concerns was with the much longer time it would take them to get crops to various places once the present bridge is taken out and the replacement is being constructed.

"Let us get through at least part of this growing season and then take out the bridge," Bradt urged the Board of Supervisors.

In other actions from the April 18 meeting, Supervisor Earlin Rosa of Seward, Chair of the county's Homelessness Committee, gave an update on the county's effort to convert the old and unused county jail on Depot Lane in the Village of Schoharie into roughly 55 to 60 affordable apartment units.

The BOS approved a purchase agreement for the old jail with CSD Housing in October. It had been severely damaged by flooding from Hurricane Irene in 2011 and unused ever since. The redevelopment will not end up costing the county anything, Rosa has stated.

Reading from an email he got from Mike Newman of CSD on current happenings with the redevelopment _ copies of which Rosa provided to the media _ Rosa stated: "We are currently working through some HCR environmental unit comments. We submitted a Phase 1 and related documents to HCR several weeks ago. While there were no comments regarding the 100-year flood plain, since we are taking the project out of the flood plain as part of our project, we are addressing comments related to the site being in a historical district and adjacent to farmland. While it will take some extra time to secure letters from authorities having jurisdiction, i.e. NYS DEC and SHPO, we expect no issues.

"While we would typically wait for HCR environmental clearance before ordering a new survey to depict the general location of the new building as well as outline the limits of flood plain remediation, we have decided to work on the survey concurrently. We have directed our surveyor to begin work and expect the surveyor to be on-site within the next week or two. Based on the survey results, our floodplain civil engineer consultant can then begin working on preliminary design documents, retaining wall design and fill, etc. and engage FEMA to review. Upon receipt of FEMA preliminary approval, we can then begin work on our overall site plan that will be needed for the Village of Schoharie Planning Board submission. It is premature to give you a timeframe for Planning Board submission as it is dependent on several items outlined above."