Amenia road controversy ends well

A little miscommunication can go a long way, as seen by the recent back-and-forth that had many up in arms in Amenia, all regarding the possible paving of Tower Hill Road. After numerous emails among residents, council members, the town supervisor and the highway superintendent, it was finally confirmed that the Town Board was not pursuing a Community Development Block Grant to pave a segment of Tower Hill Road — a relief to nearly all involved.It seems the idea of paving the windy, rural road caused many distress, especially those who live on the popular dirt road. For one, residents were not keen on the idea of paving the road and thereby inviting travelers to take a new shortcut while speeding their way from Amenia to the town of Washington.According to Highway Superintendent Stan Whitehead, a paved road could be posted at a minimum of 30 mph, with the potential speed limit well exceeding that. A dirt road, by its very nature, prohibits drivers from reaching speeds beyond 15 to 20 mph, unless they want to risk damage to their vehicles.There are also concerns that dirt roads are not as safe as paved roads. In fact, according to Whitehead, the government considers dirt roads “unfit and unsafe,” and is therefore unwilling to post most dirt roads with speed limits. In New York state, roads that are not posted with speed limit signs automatically defer to the state speed limit of 55 mph — which clearly Tower Hill Road cannot support. Hence, if unpaved, the unposted speed will likely remain the “drive at your own risk” 15 to 20 mph it’s always been.Although there are higher costs associated with maintaining a dirt road, residents also prefer the more primitive roadways because they have that coveted “rural character” that so many crave in settings like the Harlem Valley. More power to them, especially if they’re willing to suffer through the mud and the ice associated with the rough Northeastern weather. And keeping up with Tower Hill Road is not easy. Every time the road is washed out — and there is an 800-foot section between two bridges where this happens regularly — the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) must grant a permit to the town so it can do repair work. The process is an inconvenience for the highway department. Additionally, the repair cost just to fix that specific section of road is around $7,500, a pretty penny.Whitehead believes he can balance what Amenia wants with what it can afford and what will make Tower Hill Road safe.His proposal is to reconstruct the 800-foot section and raise the road about 18 inches, widen the road approximately 18 feet, remove rock outcrops and line the stream bank with heavy stone. That’s where the block grant comes into play. The town is requesting $130,000 to complete the project; Whitehead believes that will cover the cost. There will be no paving of the road, town Supervisor Wayne Euvrard clarified at a special meeting, as well as in an email blast to the many who had become involved in a web of online communiques. (For more on this story, turn to Page A1.)Although the town of Amenia left the block grant application to the last minute, and although the rumor mill was churning the whole time, the end result is what counts. The Town Board and Highway Superintendent Whitehead did a good job pulling this application together. Here’s hoping the county will see the worth of the project and the need of the community and award the full $130,000 for the necessary road repairs. It was nice to see this community come together and put politics aside to accomplish what was most important — now that’s how to pave the road to success.