Many, but not all, in city favor proposal

Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou was the first elected official to speak when the state Department of Environmental Conservation held two virtual hearings last month on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) for the proposed Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail.

The hearings came after the state parks department's release in December of its 709-page review of Scenic Hudson's plans to construct a 7.5-mile linear park connecting Beacon and Cold Spring. Ninety people spoke during the hearings; written comments are being accepted until March 4.

Offering "enthusiastic, unqualified" support, Kyriacou's comments stood in contrast to the reception the project has received from some elected officials and residents in Cold Spring and Philipstown.

"There will be greater access, not only to the Hudson Highlands, but for the first time to large sections of the Hudson River that previously were inaccessible due to the railroad tracks," he said during the Jan. 14 hearing. "Along the Hudson will be flat trail sections, broadening access to those who cannot easily do mountain hikes - including seniors, persons with disabilities, cyclists, runners and those simply wanting less strenuous options."

In addition, he said, the north end of the trail, which would begin at Beacon's Long Dock Park - a former junkyard transformed over 15 years by Scenic Hudson - will link many open spaces: Dennings Point State Park, Madam Brett Park, Seeger Riverfront Park, the Klara Sauer Trail and the city's Fishkill Creek Greenway & Heritage Trail, which is being created in segments around Beacon's perimeter.

Then there's the biggest connection of all: If Dutchess County commits to constructing a trail along 13 miles of dormant railroad from Beacon to Hopewell Junction, the Fjord Trail would connect to the Dutchess Rail Trail, Walkway Over the Hudson and the 750-mile Empire State Trail.

Turn Lane Weighed for Dutchess Manor

Would serve cars at Fjord Trail center

A lane for vehicles turning left from northbound Route 9D into the former Dutchess Manor site is being analyzed as part of the proposal to remake the property as a visitors center for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail.

In a memorandum submitted to the Fishkill Planning Board for its meeting on Feb. 13, planning consultant AKRF said anticipated traffic volumes during Saturday and Sunday midday and late-afternoon peak hours exceeded the threshold for a left-turn lane for drivers turning into the property.

Aaron Werner, AKRF's senior technical director, said during the meeting that HHFT has "started conversations" with the state Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over Route 9D, while engineers for the project examine the feasibility of adding a lane.

Exceeding the threshold "does not automatically mean that turn lanes are required, as other factors, such as impacts to drainage or right-of-way constraints, should be considered," said AKRF.

HHFT's plans for the property include demolishing three additions to the original structure built between 1947 and 2007, restoring a slate roof and adding a parking area with 181 spaces, upstairs offices, bathrooms and an area where shuttles and buses can drop off and load visitors to the Fjord Trail.

While Fjord Trail opponents in Cold Spring have bristled at the number of tourists they say the project will bring to the village, Kyriacou said he welcomes more visitors to Beacon's mile-long Main Street. "The Fjord Trail helps Beacon far more than any ancillary problems that it may create, and that we will manage," he said.

The mayor has worn his support for HHFT for months, donning gear with the organization's logo during City Council meetings. Given the mixed reception the proposal has received elsewhere, he has suggested many times that construction in Beacon begin sooner rather than later.

Kyriacou isn't alone. In 2023, Dan Aymar-Blair and Justice McCray, both members at the time of Beacon's City Council, host...