KINDERHOOK—The Village Board announced that two new speed signs are up in the village with two more coming soon. At their August 17 board meeting, Trustee Mark Browne announced that four signs had been purchased, as part of the village budget.
According to an email from Mr. Browne after the meeting, village officials are initially deploying the signs in areas where previous state Department of Transportation and village studies “have indicated that excessive speed violations are prevalent.”
The signs, which will record and show the driver’s speed, will be placed on Albany Avenue and Hudson Street. Trustee Browne said at the meeting that the next two signs will go on Eichybush Road and Gaffney Lane next. “The objective of this endeavor is to remind drivers to slow down and to obey the posted speed limits,” Trustee Browne said in the email.
The village did have a speed sign up at one time and conducted a speed study in 2017. There has been talk of speed bumps to slow down drivers near the baseball fields at Rothermel Park, especially during Little League season.
“The signs will achieve an important purpose: encourage drivers to slow down—help them to recognize they are in Kinderhook Children’s Corner, a safe place to be in if everyone works together,” said Mayor Michael Abrams in a statement about the signs.
Also at their meeting, the board discussed work on Albany Avenue. The village was awarded a $1,864,348 grant by the state to construct pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Albany Avenue, which connects to the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail. Trustee Browne explained in this email currently, there are non-compliant, poor condition sidewalks along the length of the 1,500 feet section…. The proposed project would reconstruct non-compliant, poor condition sidewalks and enhance bicycle accommodations along Albany Avenue for the recently constructed Albany-Hudson Electric Trail (Empire State Trail) to the Village of Kinderhook Center at Route 9 (Chatham and Broad Street) along the associated roadway with drainage improvements implemented.”
But as the work on the sidewalk improvement project comes together, the board is looking for grants and funding to help with the waterlines under the street that need replacing.
“It’s money with a lot of requirements associated with it,” Mr. Browne said at the meeting on the state grant. He also pointed out that though the state is not involved with the water project, “we can’t do one without the other.” According to a timeline he presented at the meeting, in October the board will issue design Request for Proposals and conduct a public hearing.
Mayor Abrams talked about grant options the board is looking into for waterline work at the meeting (see Side Bar).
The board also had a brief update on a possible short-term rental law. Trustee Susan Patterson said that the Planning Board is looking at a new draft of the law after feedback from the village attorney.
The next village meeting is Wednesday, September 14 at 7 p.m. at the Village Hall on Route 9.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
Board asks for signatures on grant petition
KINDERHOOK – The Village of Kinderhook is seeking funds through the New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) grant to replace two old water mains located along Albany Avenue and William Street. The 100-year old water mains were originally installed in the early 1920s and are long past their service life.
The Village Board will be submitting a grant application through NYS WIIA on September 9, to receive the funds needed to replace the water mains within the next two years. With an expected cost of over $1.6 million, the village has set aside over $115,000 in American Rescue Act funds supplemented with budget and reserve funding to raise the project seed money to approximately $200,000.
“We have significant support from our elected officials. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, former Congressman Delgado, State Senators Jordan and Hinchey, Assemblyman Ashby, County Chairman Murrell, and Town Supervisor Ooms all support the village’s grant application and we now need residents to make their voices heard! Please sign our petition to support the Village of Kinderhook’s water main replacement project that we will send along with our NYS WIIA application,” said a press release from Village Mayor Michael Abrams.
Residents can sign the petition at the Village Hall or sign electronically at www.change.org/p/water-main-replacement-village-of-kinderhook
