At the foot of Broadway in the Rondout neighborhood, T.R. Gallo Park follows a promenade, dockside, along the Rondout Creek. After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] promised Kingston $625,000 to elevate certain components of the dock. The money has been waiting ever since.
A mayoral request on April 1 seeks $1.7-million to fix the electrical system and for dock upgrades. City engineer John Schultheis was happy to describe the project to the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee last Wednesday.
“On the land side, flood-prone components would be elevated: transformers, switchboards, panels, breaker boxes,” Schultheis said. “As per FEMA’S requirements, gonna be higher out of the flood plain. That’s the work on the land side. On the water side, cabling, risers to provide power to the boaters.”
Terming the condition of the docks as in “disrepair,” public works superintendent Ed Norman offered his two cents’ worth. “They’re made of wood, the foam materials are failing. It’s just a matter of time.”
Schultheis said the work would start with the procurements of the docks and the electrical. “Could it happen this year?” he speculated. “Probably? A project like this can proceed a little later into the year … late fall… Hopefully next spring .…”
Time appears to be on the side of the dock. It’s Norman’s opinion that the downtown region is blossoming and a makeover of the docks would encourage more people to visit, which would mean more sales-tax revenues for the city and the county.
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