Chestnut Street in New Paltz has had its share of water problems over the years, and Mayor Tim Rogers is hoping that representatives of two different state agencies can put their heads together to solve the flooding problem that’s developed near where State Route 32 meets North Front Street.
Rogers speculates that the water accumulation at that location could be the result of a collapsed or clogged drainage system, but has learned that addressing the issue isn’t among the upcoming maintenance projects kept by regional transportation officials. A few years, ago a similar issue on another part of Chestnut Street — along State Route 208 at the Mohonk Avenue intersection — was corrected while redesigning that corner with pedestrian safety in mind. The culvert repair, which eliminated a puddle that any rational pedestrian would fear walking beside lest they be drenched by a passing car’s wake — was not the primary purpose for that project at all. Rather, it was the retooling of a Village intersection.
In this case, the mayor is hoping that the culvert repair might be prioritized because of how fits into the priorities of another agency, the one focused on environmental conservation. Village officials have been reducing infiltration and inflow into the sewer system for nigh unto 20 years due to a DEC consent order, and Rogers believes that this collapsed culvert might be contributing to a problem they are beholden to correct. Since Village workers are forbidden to address issues on state roads, the mayor has asked if the regional DEC head might be able to intervene.
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