Town Board Resumes Look at Chappaqua Hamlet Plan

For the first time since a January decision under the Chappaqua Hamlet Plan, New Castle Town Board members had their first chance Tuesday to decide what to do next.

At a work session, board members discussed the new strategy, which is to have planning, engineering and design work for each of the hamlet plan's phases done this year; the construction work will still be split by phase. The hamlet plan consistents of infrastructural renovations and landscaping improvements along King Street, South Greeley Avenue and North Greeley Avenue.

As part of that strategy, the board is entertaining amendments to an existing contract with Dolph Rutfeld Engineering to assess the status of the underground infrastructure and to decide what order in which to fix it.This will involve design and planning work.

In his documents filed with the town, Rutfeld gives a cost of $90,522, which includes a cost increase from the original contract that was signed in 2008, as well as added work, such as designing a construction plans for a sleeve to carry a below-ground water line past lower King Street, underneath the railroad tracks and to a connection on Hunts Place. Another new item being considered is design work for construction of a new drainage system that would start on upper King Street and make its way down towards the lower King and Allen Place intersection.

The cost from Rutfeld does not include inspection and administration work, Deputy Town Engineer Bob Cioli wrote in an email to Town Administrator Penny Paderewski.

On the surface and landscaping side, the town is considering a proposal from Munz Associates to provide new drawings, along with construction documents. The aesthetics being considered include the proposed pocket park for the lower King/Allen Place intersection, street lighting, plantings, stormwater retention and building setbacks. The cost provided is $60,500, which Cioli explained does not include administration and inspection.

Currently, the only phase of the hamlet plan definitely set in the timeline is sewer and water main replacement work on South Greeley, which will be next year. Paderewski explained that Dolph Rutfeld will give an idea of which phases should follow and in which order. For example, this would mean whether similar work on lower King or North Greeley would be next in line.

The board but opted not to because of doubt as to whether it could be completed by the end of the summer, a time period that is viewed as being less disruptive.

The goal is to have construction on South Greeley start next spring, and Paderewski hopes that bids will be going on by the winter.

The hamlet plan, which has been in the works for years, is partially complete, as it includes work already done. This includes last year's overhaul to the parking lot behind South Greeley, a new gazebo and installation of a crosswalk between town hall and the Chappaqua Library.

With new drawings planned, board members offered questions for how the streetscapes will look.

Councilman Robin Stout called for a stop sign to be installed on at the King Street/South Greeley/North Greeley intersection, which would face west, a path that often has drivers going through without stopping

“I think a stop sign would be great to slow traffic and enhance the pedestrian walkability of downtown," he said.

Stout also asked about whether there will be four crosswalks, up from the current three, at that intersection.

A request for one is pending before the state Department of Transportation and Padrewski said she would check on the status of it.

Deputy Supervisor Elise Kessler Mottel asked about changing the parking configuration on North Greeley, which has parallel parking on both sides. The amount of parking permitted now was brought up as concern for safety reasons, including because the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

The proposed agreements with Dolph Rutfeld and Munz are slated to be on the agenda for the board's April 10 meeting.