Dear Residents,
Please find below an update on the Albany Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Project and the Watermain Upgrade Project provided by the project manager Trustee Mark Browne.
Design Time for Albany Avenue
By Mark Browne, Village Trustee
There are two (2) simultaneous design efforts underway for Albany Avenue at present. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Project (think Roads, sidewalks and bike traffic) and the Watermain Upgrade Project (think pipes under the road that distribute water to resident homes along Albany Avenue and in need of replacement).
Hudson Valley Engineering Associates, (HVEA) is engaged in this planning exercise working in conjunction with the Village of Kinderhook Project Manager – Trustee Mark Browne – and our grant funding sponsor the New York State Department of Transportation, (DOT).
With regards to the Road Design, note that National Grid assisted the Village and nudged Spectrum and Consolidated to move their signal wires off the old poles and onto the new poles. In addition, the old poles were removed in preparation for construction along Albany Avenue. Trustee Mark Browne and Trustee Susan Paterson met with National Grid along with HVEA staff to request their assistance in this regard and to discuss the current pole structure and the feasibility of power distribution alternatives for residents along Albany Avenue – more to come on this subject and it will be discussed at a Public Design Hearing in the Spring of 2023.
A Kickoff meeting was held on Friday, February 24th, 2023 with DOT and HVEA staff as well as Village of Kinderhook leadership in attendance now that Design work has started. Most of this meetings content centered around our adherence to administrative regulations and invoicing matters, however, the Project Status covering ongoing Road Preliminary Design efforts was discussed as follows:
- Surveys underway – take core samples, review documentation and conduct engineering analyses
- Perform environmental analyses
- Perform historical analyses –address cultural and historic section 106 National Historic Preservation Act
- Develop Preliminary Designs with Evaluations of Alternatives
- Prepare for Preliminary Design Discussions with the Steering Committee, the Public and DOT
- Prepare to Submit Comprehensive Preliminary Design Report to DOT seeking authorization to proceed with Final Detailed Design and Construction Phase
With regards to the Watermain Upgrade Design, we have asked our HVEA engineers working with engineers from Tighe and Bond to work in conjunction with the Village of Kinderhook Project Manager – Trustee Mark Browne, DPW Supervisor Dave Booth and Water Commissioner Dale Leiser and produce a preliminary and detailed design to replace the 8” cast iron watermain under the roadway and evaluate the use of new cellular radio frequency water meters, appropriate back flow prevention devices, and alternative methods of construction such as the use of high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe.
In addition to periodic public hearings to be held throughout the Project lifecycle, the Village of Kinderhook will utilize a project steering committee to provide oversight and assist in decision making. A committee has been established.
