Would deter commuters from South Mountain Pass

The Philipstown Town Board on Wednesday (Aug. 20) discussed installing gates at two spots on South Mountain Pass to deter commuters from using the road to bypass closures and congestion on the Goat Trail.

Supervisor John Van Tassel said that gates could be installed at South Mountain Pass Spur and Putnam Ridge, creating a "dead section" of road that has no homes. The section would be cleared of snow after storms and emergency responders would have access to the gates, he said, adding that the road is also used as a bypass if Route 403 is closed.

The idea is "very preliminary," said Van Tassel, and needs to be evaluated for its legality. Local engineer Badey & Watson is being tasked with staking out the town's right-of-way, and the U.S. Postal Service and Garrison school district still need to be consulted, he said.

Although the gates would create a "safe environment," he acknowledged there would be "some inconvenience" for residents. "If you live somewhere near South Mountain Pass spur and you want to go to Route 9, it's going to take you a longer time to get there," said Van Tassel. "If you're on the other side, and you want to go to 9D, it's going to delay your trip."

Theresa Orlandi, who lives off South Mountain Pass on Coppermine Road, predicted that her commute would increase by 15 minutes. She asked about options such as enforcing speed limits or installing speed humps.

Van Tassel said that the town has asked the Putnam County Sheriff's Office to conduct enforcement on roads, but it is residents who are getting ticketed. The town considered adding speed humps to paving planned on the Route 9 end of the road, but they present problems for plows, he said.

Orlandi said that "turning the road into one-way only for certain residents, that seems to be a completely unsatisfactory outcome. There's got to be something."

Alex Cucchiarella, who commutes from South Mountain Pass to New York City each day, said it was hard to "wrap my head around the reality" of the gates.

"The gate is a big issue if we can't get through," he said. "There are plenty of scenarios in this world where we can control the access, and I really ask you to look at that because it's a monumental lifestyle shift for all of us here."

Russell Dushin suggested the gate be timed so that the road only closes when the Goat Trail closes, so "people would get the message." If South Mountain Pass were occasionally closed, "they wouldn't do what they do today," he said.

Van Tassel said that delineating the town's right-of-way will also help identify where residents have "been encroaching" onto town property with fences and stonewalls, creating narrower sections of roadway. "Where people have encroached on it, we will be pushing back," he said.

In other business…

The board reappointed Brian Kenney as the part-time assessor for a six-year term that begins Oct. 1. Kenney is also the assessor for the Town of Orangetown in Rockland County.

Susan Kenney was appointed the supervisor's clerk after what Van Tassel called a "brief retirement" from her job as the town's assistant budget officer.

The board authorized the town court to apply for a grant of up to $30,000 from the state's Justice Court Assistance Program, which provides for expenses such as automation, technology, law books and training.