Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Good Fences . . . Yada, Yada, Yada

Gossips has reported on several occasions about the fences and gates Amtrak is planning to erect along the Empire Corridor from Hyde Park to Stuyvesant. The most recent post, published in May, had to do with the plan to install fences and one gate here in Hudson: "What Fresh Hell Is This?"

Amtrak cites safety concerns as justification for the fences that will block access to miles of the Hudson River shoreline, but there is some evidence that such a barrier could actually decrease safety.

On Saturday, December 15, the Town of Rhinebeck and the Town of Germantown will join with Scenic Hudson to explore the question of how both rail safety and river access might be increased. The Forum for Balancing Rail Safety and Public Access, hosted by the Germantown Waterfront Committee, takes place on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Kellner Activity Building, 54 Palatine Park Road, in Germantown. The announcement of the event describes it in this way:
We will be finding examples from other railroad shorelines around the country and invite you to do the same or think entirely out of the box. There will be panel discussion, a mapping exercise, presentations on pedestrian crossings and "Rail with Trails" and plenty of time for questions, answers, and community discussion.
The Amtrak proposal and more information about the event can be found at Gatesgate.org. Refreshments will be served beginning at 9:30, and people are encouraged to come early to "mix and mingle." Those planning attend are asked to RSVP here. 
COPYRIGHT 2018 CAROLE OSTERINK

4 comments:

  1. Sooner or later the rail will be placed where it should have been first laid, high and dry, above the high water mark...

    The tax rate for access is the same on the eastern shore of the Hudson as it is on the western side, and they have very few fences to obstruct their collective liberty.

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    Replies
    1. Story v. New York Elevated R.R. Co., 90 N.Y. 122 (N.Y. 1882)...

      City and State obstructing our collective access to the Faithful, blocking "air and light" from the entire eastern shore, and charging us for the pleasure.

      You gotta love NY!

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  2. BLISS TOWERS FOUNDATIONS RECAP

    According to a long time Hudson resident, Bliss Towers is built on a clay bank. Clay banks cannot support a heavy building like Bliss Towers. the rock is 60 to 70 feet down. The city did not bore down and install concrete piers when they built the building. they went the cheaper route- like they always do.

    10 or 12 years later the Bliss Towers building settled and the building started cracking. and all the cantilevered wings had to be reinforced later on.

    Is it a good solid building ? if you want to dump huge amounts of money into it -- maybe. but will they follow the codes ??


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  3. Regarding the proposal for the new buildings, on the use of the hardiplank or vinyl siding, they are already trying build it cheaper and worse.
    the developers and the city want to spend as little as possible and make as much as possible, so the city should be vary careful on how they build the really expensive part of the buildings- whicha re the deep foundations required on a clay bank.
    again, Bliss Towers essentially started cracking apart because Hudson clay is not good for huge buildings and is about as slippery as the Hudson pols and developers trying to build these inferior structures.

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