Dear Residents,
I hope everyone had a great Halloween! Thank you to our Recreation Commission and the Kinderhook Business and Professional Association for all the hard work with our Halloween Party and the reading of Sleepy Hollow.
Moving into the month of November, we are continuing to make forward progress with the Albany Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Project. Trustee Mark Browne has spent countless hours leading this project to-date and ensuing that we are moving forward deliberately and thoughtfully. We would not be in the position we are in right now without Mark’s leadership, technical expertise, and commitment.
Here is an update on Albany Avenue. On September 19, 2022, a request for qualification was published to all firms interested in bidding for this project. On October 7, 2022, the village received five qualified bids for review. A three-person committee was formed consisting of Trustee Mark Browne, Trustee Dave Flaherty, and former Mayor Jim Dunham to review and select the most qualified firm.
On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, during a regular board meeting, the Village Board passed a resolution to bond $501,000. This was a requirement from the Department of Transportation to ensure that the village could match the nearly $1.9M provided by DOT to complete this project and that we had the cash-flow to pay for work up-front while awaiting reimbursement.
On October 25, 2022, a decision was made on the most qualified and the second most qualified firm. The top two firms were notified. We choose two for negotiation purposes if we cannot come to an agreement with the most qualified firm.
On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, the Village Board conducted a public hearing dedicated to indicating the progress on the Albany Avenue Pedestrian and Road Improvement Project. Trustee Browne provided status as well as a preliminary cash flow analysis. It was announced that the Village has selected a civil engineering firm to conduct the preliminary and final design and that negotiations would proceed to negotiate a contract. The NYS Department of Transportation needs to review and approve this contract before work can commence and we hope to accomplish this objective by the end of this calendar year (December 2022). The Village of Kinderhook intends to evaluate different pedestrian and bicycle accommodation cross sections that will include both on-road and off-road scenarios. The use of a use trail or sidewalks with an adjacent bicycle track will be reviewed. The Village will utilize some of the principles outlined in the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bike Design Guide. The use of colored and textured concrete/pavements and/or stone/brick work will also be evaluated for use to enhance function and safety. In that this project will be conducted within the Historic District it is important that historic principles be considered in our design decisions as well.
We will be putting together a committee of experts and residents to assist with the design process and to ensure that the community is able to provide feedback every step of the way. In addition, our Historic Preservation Commission will also have an opportunity to formally review and provide feedback as well.
When will work begin? For a complete step-by-step outline of the project, please click on this link. Phase I construction is scheduled to commence in June 2023. Phase I is the replacement of the old 100-year-old water main under Albany Avenue. Phase I construction will end in November 2023. Phase II construction will begin in April 2024. This will consist of repaving of Albany Avenue, installation of new sidewalks, drainage, etc. Phase II is scheduled to be completed in November 2024.
Will residents be able to access their homes during construction? Yes! Albany Avenue will be open only to local traffic during construction. Residents will most likely need to park in their driveways and not on the street. We will outline expectations and communicate them well in advance, so everyone understands fully.
Thank you for your patience and we look forward to working with everyone to implement these much-needed infrastructure improvements to our community!
Sincerely,
Mike
