Route 22 Woes
By Thaddeus Flint
A bad road is going to get worse, and maybe even more worse, before it gets better, if it ever gets better, it was revealed at the May 8 New Lebanon Town Board meeting.
Anyone who drives down State Route 22 through New Lebanon towards Canaan, is already very aware that that section of highway has basically given up the ghost. It would, however, make a fine location to film episodes of The Living Dead. With practically no work whatsoever it could beautifully depict a post-apocalyptic road-scape, although it actually might have to be fixed up a bit in places the road seems to have already surpassed post-apocalyptic. At the April Board meeting, Town Highway Superintendent Jeff Winestock, who has no responsibility for that highway, said a person in a small car would be “crazy” to drive that stretch. “You could be killed,” he added.
NYSDOT–which drives big trucks for the most part–doesn’t seem all that worried about being killed in a small car. However, when one local woman decided to advertise that the road was a death-trap in waiting, the Agency’s feelings apparently were very hurt. Who knew NYSDOT had a heart and it could so easily be broken up like their roads? Signs were placed along the shoulder saying “UnSafe Road” and advising motorists to call a listed number to report vehicle damage. The number goes to NYSDOT Region 8 Acting Regional Director Lance MacMillan. NYSDOT, or Lance, suddenly jilted lovers, leaped into action, found all the signs, took them down and brought them back to headquarters where everyone presumably had a nice group cry. NYSDOT reportedly said the signs were illegal because they were not at least 25 feet from the center lane. At campaign time, is this rule suspended or something? Because it seems like this rule is suspended or something at campaign time. Or, is it just because the road agency’s feelings were offended? Poor NYSDOT, their anguish was yet to continue. The signs were retrieved and put back up with careful 25 foot measurements taken so the offendee could do nothing but gnash and grind its teeth. Or they could fix the road.
But they won’t. And it might be better they didn’t. Town Supervisor Colleen Teal reported that superloads of power generating equipment from General Electric in Schenectady will be routed through New Lebanon in the coming weeks. Around 45 loads—several over a million pounds—are being transported from the Port of Rensselaer to the Cricket Valley Energy Center in Dover, NY. Some loads will be close to 400 feet long, with two tractors pulling from the front and two pushing from the rear. And this on a road that seems to crumble if you stare at it.
“We’re almost better off if it’s not paved right now,” said Teal. With million pound loads, a newly paved road would probably resemble the old road pretty quick. However the Highway Superintendent says NYSDOT is using projects like this as “excuses” for not repairing the road. “You are supposed to budget your money, pay attention to your roads and you have to have the safety of the people in mind,” said Winestock, adding “that road has been bad for a long, long time.”
If you get stuck behind one of these loads on the way to work, you might want to call in and say you have ETA now of around December. The loads won’t be going very fast, and powerlines and other obstacles are expected to slow them down even more. However, when driving through New Lebanon near the Catholic Church, drivers can sit in their cars and ponder the meaning of a certain flag at a residence there, wondering how one comes to the point of thinking that flying such a flag is in good taste. Resident Cynthia Creech said a white flag bearing a “vulgar” message is out there fluttering in the breeze. “The children’s school bus goes by, and people visiting our town go by,” said Creech. “I would like to see it gone.”
The Supervisor responded, saying that she has found a section of the State Law that bans “vulgar and profanity” which could be added to the Town’s code. Once a local law existed, the Sheriff could be contacted to enforce such a complaint. The foreseeable problem with that is where does free speech end and vulgarity begin? Deciding which is which can become pretty expensive, pretty fast.
The Town’s zoning, which is already undergoing change, is getting even more change to undergo. The Tasmat Mobile Home Park has found that a future phase 3 expansion project is now not possible due to zoning map changes made in 2010. “I feel very strongly, and I think that the majority of the Board, if not all the Board does too, that affordable housing is important,” said Supervisor Teal.
Columbia County is actually a victim of its own beauty. It’s so beautiful that wealthy people have increasingly decided to buy properties for second or weekend homes, driving up real estate prices as they drive up from the city in search of peace and quiet. Even the deadly road isn’t keeping them away. While this buying spree has helped the County keep it’s country look, it hasn’t really helped the not-as-wealthy residents already living there to stay living there.
“The idea that we want to take a mobile home park that has been refurbished and prohibit them from expanding and growing is not what we are looking to do,” said Teal. The matter will be added to other zoning changes so all can be looked at and implemented at the same time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
New Lebanon Library Director Moriah Sears reported that a series of public discussion called “Community Conversations” will be in May and June at various locations around Town. The idea is to discuss what residents might like to see for the future of their Town. The first will be held May 17 at the Library at 11am. Registration is required. Other scheduled dates and times can be found at http://newlebanonlibrary.org/community-conversations/.
The Tsatsawassa Protective Fire Company will be holding a pancake breakfast on May 20 from 8-11 am to help support New Lebanon firefighters Bobby Waters and Bud Godfroy, both diagnosed with cancer. The Tsatsawassa Firehouse is located just off Route 20 in Brainard