KINGSTON NEW LOOK WAITS A BIT
Library fence project behind schedule because of ‘holdup in ... manufacturing’
The installation of a wrought iron-style fence around the Kingston Library has been delayed, according to the library director.
“The fence project was delayed a bit by a holdup in the actual manufacturing of the fencing,” Margie Menard said in an email. “It is now in production, and I’m awaiting a start date from the contractor for installation.”
Library officials initially expected the fence to be in place by the end of this month. Menard said the target for completion now is the end of September.
The old chain-link fence that formerly surrounded the Franklin Street building was removed earlier this summer. The new fence will be 7 feet tall, the same height as the old one, but will be made of industrial-grade aluminum and have “the look of wrought iron,” Menard said previously.
The work on the Midtown property is being done by LCS Landscapes of Poughkeepsie. The estimated cost of the project
is $350,000 to $400,000.
Menard said removing the old fence was not an easy task.
“This was a major undertaking, since the original buried footings were about 18 inches by 36 inches,” she said. “Once the demolition was completed, the holes were backfilled, and the new project began.”
Menard has said an early
phase of project included excavation and pouring foundations for some of the more significant features of the new design.
“As an alternative to just doing something cosmetic, the library made a commitment to a construction project
that constitutes a longterm improvement to the property,” she said. “Rather than just a replacement, the new project is intended to frame and highlight what is considered a historically significant building in Kingston.”
The new fence was designed by Butler Rowland Mays Architects of Ballston Spa and will cover 800 feet around the library. The project also includes brick pillars on the corners and at the front of the library grounds.
That work is being done by Kingston-based James McGowan Masonry.
The new fence will have gates on all sides of the property, and there will be a new entrance for vehicles on the Franklin Street side of the building.