Central Hudson will be replacing about 14,000 feet of natural gas pipeline in the northeast section of the Village of Saugerties, and at an open house to discuss the project Jan. 25 at the Senior Center, officials said the project will begin in April.
Matt Guthrie, a foreman with Central Hudson, told the 15 residents at the open house that the project might start a bit sooner if the moderate weather holds out, but if it gets colder and the snow comes, about the middle of April is when the gas and electric company is hoping to begin.
The plan includes laying the new plastic pipes along the roadways, and then running tie-in lines into the homes and businesses. Gas meters that are currently in the buildings will be relocated to outside the buildings.
There will be no cost to property owners.
Much of the work, will be done by local contractor J. Mullen and Sons, and its manager Ed Cooper said that in February his company will be contacting homeowners to begin work that needs to be done on the interior of the buildings.
When outside work begins, it will start on Market Street to Lafayette and then Robinson, and then onto Elm Street.
Other streets that will have new gas lines installed during the six month project include Route 32 between Cross and Elm, Beers Lane, Dawes Street, Prospect Street, Finger Street between Market and Virginia Avenue, Treis Terrace, portions of Partition Street and John Street near Lafayette, Washington Avenue between Irving Place and Bob Moser Drive, portions of Mill Lane and Warren Place near Finger, Bennett Avenue between Main Street and Brinnier Land, and a portion of Virginia Avenue near Bennett Avenue.
Guthrie said most of the current pipes along Saugerties roads are cast iron and were installed in the 1920s and 30s, and some even before then. The plastic piping that will be replacing the cast iron has an estimated 100-year life, Guthrie said.
“There will be an inconvenience and impact on residents,” Guthrie said, “but we will try to limit it, and we will work with you.”
“We will work with the village and we will work with the neighborhoods,” he added. “But there will be trenches on the streets and trenches on your property.”
When work is taking place along a street, that street will be closed during the day, but reopened in the evening, and those living on those streets will still be allowed to get into and out of their homes, Guthrie said.
Former village clerk Mary Frank told Central Hudson officials that it will be important to let Mayor William Murphy, and new village clerk Lisa Mayone have all the phone numbers that residents can call to get information, “because the residents will be calling the mayor and village offices for information.”
Officials said not only will those at village hall have all the numbers to call but so will the police department.
A letter has already gone out to property owners explaining the project and additional letters will be going out in the coming weeks to provide additional information, Guthrie said. Cooper added that his people will be going door-to-door prior to the start of the project to let people know what’s going on and when they will be working on their block.
Join the family! 
