Sidewalk Being Replaced On South Avenue For $185K Estimate, Funded By Dutchess County CDBG Money Announced Today

Dutchess County announced the awarding of funding of 18 projects throughout the county including a South Avenue sidewalk, for a total of more than $1.85 million allocated to all of the projects. Funding is through the Dutchess County’s 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment partnership programs. County Executive Marc Molinaro said: “The funded projects will improve accessibility, address critical community needs and expand affordable housing options throughout Dutchess County.”

Included in the CDBG grant is Beacon’s own partial sidewalk on the east side of South Avenue that borders Loopers Court between Wolcott (near Beacon Dental and Sal’s Pizza) and West Center Street (near South Avenue Elementary).

The City of Beacon has been working on this sidewalk funding since at least last year. Announced at the 11/15/2021 City Council Meeting by City Administrator Chris White, the application to allocate some of the CDBG money was submitted.

City Administrator Chris announced that the bid of the sidewalk replacement had been awarded to the lowest bidder, Precise Enterprises II LTD. The City Administrator said: “$185K was estimate. It’s great considering volatility of commodities and labor.” He said that the project would move forward in late August or September. The project has started by early August, as seen in the picture above.

Origins Of The CDBG and HOME Program Funding

CDBG and HOME program funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address locally identified community development and housing needs. According to the press release, CDBG funding supports community development projects and activities that benefit low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, populations and communities; while the HOME Investment program creates affordable housing options for low-income households.

CDBG Infrastructure Projects - Totaling $1,128,740

City of Beacon – South Avenue Sidewalk Replacement – $177,588
Improve pedestrian safety and accessibility by removing the existing sidewalk which is in disrepair and installing a new 5-foot-wide accessible sidewalk with monolithic curbing on the east side of South Avenue from West Center Street to Wolcott Avenue.

Town of Clinton – Creek Meeting House Accessibility Enhancements – $100,000
Installation of handicapped-accessible parking spaces, a walkway, ramp and entrance, as well as bathroom upgrades to eliminate barriers and improve accessibility for senior citizens.

Town of Dover - Boyce Park Multi-Purpose ADA-Compliant Recreation Facility – $150,000
Enhance recreational opportunities by constructing a new 94-foot-by-50-foot, multi-purpose, prefabricated steel and insulated recreational facility that includes a regulation-sized basketball court with retractable bleachers and room dividers to accommodate an array of activities for people of all ages and abilities.

Town of Hyde Park – Beck Park Improvement Project – $100,000
Enhance opportunity, safety and accessibility for residents by enlarging the basketball court, relocating the existing playground equipment and soccer fields, and adding a safe and accessible parking area.

Hyde Park Supervisor Al Torreggiani said, “All Hyde Park residents should have access to their town’s facilities, and we thank Dutchess County for this grant, which will make our popular Beck Park even more accessible to those of every ability. County Executive Marc Molinaro has long championed those of all abilities, and our town looks forward to future collaborations with the County that continue to benefit Hyde Park residents.”

Town of Poughkeepsie – Jones Street Sidewalk Improvements – $100,000
Promote pedestrian safety along Jones Street by removing and replacing the existing narrow sidewalk with a fully accessible sidewalk, including curb ramps and a newly painted crosswalk at the intersection of Jones Street and Main Street.

Village of Millbrook – Franklin Avenue Accessibility Enhancements – $100,000
Promote accessibility for senior citizens and people of all abilities by replacing curb ramps and existing sidewalk panels heaved by tree roots, including the removal and replacement of trees with invasive roots, using structured soil which will promote healthy tree growth.

Village of Millerton – Eddie Collins Memorial Park Swimming Pool and Bath House – $150,000
Design and construction of an accessible pool and bathhouse at Eddie Collins Memorial Park, a 17-acre recreational site, which will advance the community’s quality of life while expanding recreational opportunities for residents.

Village of Rhinebeck – Pedestrian Accessibility Enhancements – $100,000
Improve accessibility for senior citizens and people of all abilities by resetting blue stone sidewalks, constructing curb ramps with tactile warning strips and adding a crosswalk.

Village of Tivoli – Broadway Sidewalk Phase 4 – $150,000
Improve pedestrian safety by replacing approximately 460 linear feet of dilapidated blue stone sidewalk from 104 Broadway to Kaatsbaan Road, including a curb ramp near the western terminus at the Kaatsbaan driveway.

CDBG Public Service Projects – Totaling $150,000

Catholic Charities - Homeless Prevention Case Management Program – $25,000
Emergency rent assistance and limited utilities assistance to approximately 50 low-income Dutchess County residents to help stabilize housing. Case management assists clients in independently sustaining their household needs.

Friends of Seniors - Senior Transportation and Support Services – $25,000
Provide county residents age 60+ with basic support services, including transportation to non-emergency medical appointments, grocery shopping, visiting services, telephone reassurance and respite to primary caregivers.

Hudson River Housing - Housing First Support Services – $25,000
Case management services under the Housing First Program help high-risk, vulnerable homeless adults secure and maintain stable housing.

Hudson River Housing - River Haven Homeless Youth Program – $25,000
Crisis services, emergency housing, counseling, case management and youth development programming for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth ages 10-17. River Haven Independent Living Program provides services for older homeless and at-risk youth transitioning towards self-sufficiency. River Haven Transitional Living Community provides 17- to 25-year-old homeless youth safe housing as they work towards independence within two years.

Mental Health America of Dutchess County - Substance Abuse Residential Recovery Services – $25,000
A comprehensive continuum of services offering the promise of recovery to chemically dependent individuals. MARC offers emergency housing, non-hospital-based detox and treatment referral, community residences, supportive housing, counseling, life skill training, vocational development, sober supported apartments, tenant counseling and rent subsidies.

Northeast Community Council - Youth Development: Teen Team and CPSB – $25,000
Teen Team is a peer support group that provides educational, recreational, and community service opportunities for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth ages 14-18. The Community Partnership with Schools and Business (CPSB) offers workforce development and intern opportunities in local businesses for youth ages 14-21.

HOME Projects – Totaling $572,969

Annex at Snow Terrace, 28 Snow Terrace, Poughkeepsie – $91,870
Rehabilitation of former Webster House emergency shelter into six permanent one-bedroom units for the homeless/formerly homeless.

The Woods at Pawling, Castagna Drive, Pawling – $350,000
New construction of 80 units of affordable housing in five buildings. Project will be composed of 20 one-bedroom, 40 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom apartments.

South Grand Avenue, Poughkeepsie – $131,099
New construction of a single four-bedroom ADA-accessible home on the southside of the City of Poughkeepsie.

Main Street Not Getting Paved Despite Early Pulling Of Parklets From Restaurants

Last year in the Fall, diners at restaurants were eating in the newfangled “parklets,” which were the borders of bright orange Jersey barriers outside of restaurants. These barriers created a safe-ish space for people to eat outside of restaurants in parking spaces, thereby adding seating to a restaurant and an opportunity for restaurants to earn more money during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a virus passed primarily through the air, making outside spaces the safest. Last year, restaurants were getting crafty with what kind of heating units they were going to provide their patrons.

This year, Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White pulled the parklets in late September, citing scheduled milling and paving that was to be done on Main Street. Indeed, Beacon has been investing in infrastructure such as paved roads and seeking grants for new sidewalks for a number of years. Restaurant owners were already fearful of when the parklets were going to disappear, while some members of the community were bothered by the parklets for beauty reasons, and fear of car accidents, due to Beacon’s increasing reputation for speeding down Main Street, and any street around town.

Announced at the 11/1/2021 City Council Meeting, Main Street will indeed not get paved this year after all. City Administrator Chris stated: “The planned milling and paving of Main Street has been moved to next Spring. Because of all of the rain we have had recently, the contractors who are lined up to do the the milling and paving can't give us dates until late November, and then we run into the problem of getting into cold weather, in which the new striping won't set. Rather than rush it and not have the best job done, we will do April or early May.”

While the City Administrator said that the bump out project will be completed at South Avenue and Wolcott, it seems as though new cross-walk painting will not happen for the new location of bump-outs, which are the new side-walk extensions presumably for more accessible wheelchair use and pedestrian crossing. Currently, some of the new bump-out extensions do not match up with old cross-walks.

Some side-streets, such as South Chestnut Street, have been newly paved, with new bump-outs added. Several new bright yellow cross-walk signs have been added along Main Street as well, aiding in visual signals drivers get when zooming down the road.

Poof :: Beacon's Parklets Are Gone To Prepare For Repaving And Painting Of Main Street

Just as swiftly as they went up, the parklets that enabled additional outdoor dining opportunities for restaurants and patrons due to the COVID-19 pandemic have come down by September's end. The parklets are the orange barricades out front participating restaurants. The barricades were filled with water, making them very heavy for increased safety for those sitting on the other side of them. Restaurants often decorated them with flowers and in some cases built patios below them with coverings above them. They first appeared in Beacon in June 2020, but the concept has been in other cities for much longer.

The early take-down is a result of anticipated milling and paving of Main Street, as first announced by Beacon's City Administrator Chris White during the City Council's Meeting on 8/2/2021. He explained that a new surface coat will be going down, with epoxying using a high quality paint that will hold up for many years. He stated that all parking spaces, cross walks, and more will all be repainted. "We are in a state of flux right now," he expressed, "but hoping that by end of October, Main Street is tightened up."

Screenshot of the City of Beacon’s Schedule of Autumn Road Closure Schedule For Milling And Paving as of 9/29/2021.

City Administrator Chris announced again during the City Council Workshop Meeting on 9/27/2021 that the parklets would be pulled to begin milling and paving. On 9/29/2021, the City posted a brief Road Closure schedule through October 5, 2021, which includes some Main Street intersections, but are a fraction of the mile long Main Street that offers dining experiences from restaurants using parklets. It is unclear at this time if this is an incomplete list, or the full list of milling and paving. Additionally, it is unclear if milling and paving on Main Street will be conducted while Main Street is open, but traffic routed around into the other lane in order to avoid too many Main Street closures.

Throughout the summer, Beacon experienced the installation of "bump-outs," which are circular extensions of the sidewalk at corners. In theory, these are easier for people in wheelchairs (but if you're in a wheelchair, let us know in the Comments below if Beacon's installation is helpful to you!), and getting pedestrians more into the street at crosswalks to be seen by passing cars (deep breaths as you step out).

Construction of these bump-outs lasted throughout the summer, causing moving drive-arounds as different intersections on Main Street were worked on. Completed work to the bump-outs will happen once the street is milled and paved, to match the street paving to the end of the sidewalk for a smooth transition. Currently, there is an unfinished drop-off between the bump-out and the street.

New Sidewalks for Blackburn Avenue Near Ron's Ice Cream

The road leading into town from Ron's Ice Cream near Memorial Park is about to get a new sidewalk on one side, thanks to a federal grant awarded to Dutchess County, as first reported by the Highlands Current.

According to the article, Beacon received $170,728 to build a new sidewalk along the southeastern side of Blackburn Avenue from Herbert Street to Fishkill Avenue. This side of the street currently has no sidewalk at all, making it unsafe to walk down after getting ice cream or after a trip to the park.

This fall, walking around Beacon is getting a little easier and smoother. Other sidewalks are getting constructed, like the one on the way to South Avenue Elementary School.

South Avenue Sidewalks By Elementary School To Get Reconstructed

Kids are about to get an easier commute to South Avenue School as the crumbling slate sidewalks are set to get reconstructed by the City of Beacon. Not even a rugged three-wheel jogging stroller can make it down these sidewalks without threatening to tip over. "The intention is to go from Main Street to the school," said Beacon's City Administrator, Anthony J. Ruggiero. A timeline has not been set in stone (pun intended), but a contractor has been hired.

Usually homeowners pay privately to have their sidewalks done. But not in this case. "This is a traveled area to the school. It was viewed as safety for the kids," said Anthony when we reached out to inquire about specifics on the financing. "We received some funding from Dutchess County. There is no cost to homeowners, however, they are responsible for maintenance and upkeep."

So - yay!