Rail trail plan progressing

Ronk says extension in the works

By RICK REMSNYDER
Posted 5/10/23

Ulster County Legislator Ken Ronk Jr. brought some encouraging news to the Shawangunk Town Board about the extension of the northern most section of a rail trail in the town.

Ronk, who is also …

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Rail trail plan progressing

Ronk says extension in the works

Posted

Ulster County Legislator Ken Ronk Jr. brought some encouraging news to the Shawangunk Town Board about the extension of the northern most section of a rail trail in the town.

Ronk, who is also running for Town of Shawangunk Supervisor, told the board at its May 4 meeting that new Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger plans to do a walk-through on the property with the Open Space Institute (OSI) and Wallkill Correctional Facility officials to determine plans for allowing the rail trail to go through the prison’s property. Ronk invited town officials to join the group.

“This is going to be an important project for the town,” Ronk said. “The only thing that is stopping the hamlet of Wallkill being connected with the Walkway Over the Hudson, Kingston and pretty soon up to the Ashokan Rail Trail is that one piece by the prison. Once we can get that finished, it’s a contiguous trail all the way to Kingston and beyond.”

Ronk said the only stumbling block to connect the missing link of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail has been access to the property that goes through the Wallkill prison.

“They never wanted us to run past it, but they’ve softened on that over the last few years,” Ronk said. “The former County Executive Mike Hein, as we were building all the trails in Ulster County, was able to get them (the Department of Corrections) to agree on the O&W Rail Trail, which had to go through their property in the Eastern Correctional Facility (in Napanoch). They worked through their differences over there.”

Ronk said when the Wallkill prison was upgraded to a higher level of security the prison put up an extra security fence on the grounds.

“When they put up that extra security fence, they indicated they might be open to options to be able to finish the rail trail,” he said. “The Open Space Institute has been working on trail development with the county and one of their last big projects is going to be this piece through the prison property and they believe they have a solution.”

Ronk estimated the final piece of the trail, which is all within the Town of Shawangunk, is about two to three miles in length.

“OSI is looking to invest in that property,” he said. “They’re willing to entertain buying it or they’re willing to entertain some sort of agreement with the town to put some money in there.”

Supervisor John Valk thinks the intervention of OSI is a good thing.

“If anybody can get it to happen, it’s OSI,” Valk said. “They have more influence with the state and the Department of Corrections than anyone.”

In other news, the board voted 5-0 to approve a 63-month contract with National Business Technologies to service the town’s copier. The charge is $286 per month. It includes 6,000 black and white and 2,000 color copies a month.

Lucas Oneill-Carillo, senior account executive for National Business Technologies, said the company could provide quick and efficient service for the town’s copier in the Town Hall. He said he would be able to respond quickly to service the copier since his office is in New Windsor. He also lives in the town.

The board scheduled a public hearing for May 18 to consider the creation of a Route 208 South sewer district for approximately 38.2 acres of developed and undeveloped property south of the hamlet of Wallkill along both sides of Route 208 in the Town of Shawangunk.

The maximum amount to be expended by the district for the proposed improvements is $1,798,400.