Plan for walkway receives first OK
A series of resolutions moving forward plans to create a recreational walkway along the Ashokan Reservoir cleared the first of three hurdles before going to the full Ulster County Legislature, with the Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit Committee approving the measures on Thursday.
Committee Chairman James Maloney said the four resolutions passed the committee in a 4-2 vote. He said Legislators Herbert Litts and Ronald Lapp voted against the measures.
Chief among the resolutions is one awarding a $943,000 contract to Taylor-Montgomery LLC for the removal of about 11.6 miles of the track that run alongside the reservoir and another authorizing the county to issue that amount in bonds to cover the cost.
The measures will be considered by the Legislature’s Public Works and Capital Projects Committee and its Ways and Means Committee on Monday, prior to the Legislature’s meeting. If passed out of those committees, they will go to the floor of the full Legislature.
On Nov. 2, more than more than 60 people — including trail supporters, local business owners, labor union representatives, members of the Catskill Mountain Railroad and rail supporters — turned out for a meeting of the Legislature’s Trail Rail Advisory Committee, where the measures were first discussed.
At that meeting, Ernie Hunt, president of the Catskill Mountain Railroad, asked committee members to reconsider removing a 1.1-mile stretch of tracks between mileposts 10 and 11.1 to allow for the potential that the railroad, in the future, could run the train onto the reservoir.
Currently, the railroad has a lease to operate between milepost 3 near the Kingston Plaza and milepost 8.33, however, it currently only operates to about milepost 6. A segment of the track between milepost 8.33 and the beginning of the reservoir property, at milepost 10, remains undetermined.
Chris White, deputy director of the county Planning Department said the New York City Department of Environmental Conservation, which owns the Ashokan Reservoir, has said it will not allow both the train and a trail across its land.
The Legislature in 2015 adopted a policy that provides for tourist train-related opportunities on two sections of the railroad right-of-way, and a recreational trail that will enable hikers, bikers and others to enjoy the scenic vistas of the Ashokan Reservoir.
Maloney, R-Ulster, called that plan “a win-win-win,” and said if the Catskill Mountain Railroad rehabilitates the track it is currently authorized to operate on he would support extending the track to milepost 10.
“I fully support the railroad,” Maloney said, “but I challenge them to get from where they are now to get to milepost 8.33. In two years they have not gotten there. If they can get to 8.33 ... I’d love to see them to get to milepost 10 to hook up with the trailhead of the trail.”
“I fully support the railroad, but I challenge them to get from where they are now to get to milepost 8.33. In two years they have not gotten there. If they can get to 8.33 ... I’d love to see them to get to milepost 10 to hook up with the trailhead of the trail.” — James Maloney, R-Ulster