Referred to: The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Fabiano, Litts, Nolan, and Stewart)

Chairwoman of the Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee, Laura Petit, and Deputy Chair Dean J. Fabiano offer the following:

WHEREAS,thisresolutionhasbeensubmittedat the request oftheCountyExecutiveonbehalfoftheDepartmentofPublic Works,and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature unanimously adopted Resolution No. 488 of 2015 designating the Ulster & Delaware Railroad Corridor (“U&D Corridor”) from Basin Road to Route 28A in Boiceville, which includes all the U&D Corridor within New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) as lands to be converted to a public recreational trail; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 421 of 2017, the Ulster County Legislature adopted a Negative Declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) for the construction of the Ashokan Rail Trail (ART) Project from Basin Road in West Hurley to Route 28A in Boiceville to a recreational trail only that included all of the actions associated with such project, including the removal of railroad track and ties; and

WHEREAS, the County has completed all phases of the Ashokan Rail Tail up to and including a temporary access parking area located off of Route 28A in Boiceville; and

WHEREAS, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) CAT-252 Project will replace this temporary parking area with a new parking area and provide additional access to the ART from a new Boiceville Bridge over the Esopus Creek; and

WHEREAS, to create this connection to the ART requires the removal of approximately sixty (60) feet of additional track beyond what was authorized by Resolution 421 of 2017 that allowed track removal up to Route 28A in Boiceville; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Public Works has received a permit application from NYCDEP requesting permission to remove the track associated with the proposed improvements; and 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 275 of 2014, any removal of track within the U&D Corridor requires approval of the Ulster County Legislature; and

WHEREAS, NYCDEP acting as lead agency has issued a negative declaration pursuant to SEQRA for the CAT-252 Project; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby concurs with the negative declaration issued for the CAT-252 Project as it relates to the removal of track in the U&D Corridor; and, be if further

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby authorizes the removal of approximately sixty (60) feet of additional track beyond Route 28A and to allow the necessary work within the County’s railroad right of way in accordance with the plans to connect the ART with the CAT-252 Project,          

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:             

Passed Committee: Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation on __________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE