HomeMy WebLinkAboutRTTF 2023-08-21
Dryden Rail Trail Friends and Task Force
Minutes of the Monday, August 21, 2023 Meeting
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
(Hybrid Meeting)
Dryden Town Hall
93 East Main Street, Dryden
Barbara Caldwell Conference Room
Attendees:
Task Force Members: Susan Ashdown; Bob Beck; Rosalie Borzik; Tony Bretscher; Alice
Walsh Green; Judy Pierpont; Chris Tessaglia-Hymes; Steve Winans. Guests: Dan Antonioli,
Jacob Yatsko.
Call to order at 7:05 p.m. by Bob Beck
July meeting minutes unanimously approved.
Berkshire Hathaway (BHE GT&S) grant presentation to Town Board (Bob):
Alice Green shared a photo of the presentation of the $30,000 check from BHE toward trail work
(including stone dust surfacing) between Monkey Run and Rte 13 (part of the Rte 13 bridge
project), which should commence this fall.
Stone-dust Surface Update (Bob):
Stone-dust surfacing has been extended from Mt. Pleasant Rd to the F.H. Fox Bridge (now
complete from Game Farm Rd); the Fox bridge surface itself is not yet done.
Hallwoods to Pinckney Road Update (Bob):
Two grants ($5K from the Tompkins County Planning Dept. and $15K from the Triad Foundation
will cover the cost of trail construction and vegetative screening. Our Army Corps wetland permit
request (submitted in January) is still under consideration.
Nick Bellisario has agreed to assist the Highway Dept. with trail construction at his property.
Neither the White Oak Nursery in Canandaigua, nor locally, The Plantsman, have the required
number of shrubs available for the 500-foot hedge border along the trail at Heidelburg Materials.
Todd will help determine the actual number required for the planting. Jeanie Grace, Ithaca City
Forester, will also be consulted, as it’s possible some of the chestnut trees she has available
can be utilized. Susan Ashdown suggested that the field near the F.H. Fox Bridge be
considered for chestnut trees.
Alice reminded us that the Design Connect Dryden Rail Trail Final Report available at
https://dryden.ny.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DesignConnect_Dryden_final-report-5-2015-.pdf
on page 27 lists suggested plant species and patterns for planting along the trail edges. For
approximately $1 each, bare root plants can be ordered in March from Cooperative Extension
for planting in April. At least six species are available in bulk quantities.
Recent Donation Offers for Memorial Benches (Bob, Judy):
Judy Pierpont and Hillary Lambert have been in contact with the family of Martha Ferger who
recently passed away. Martha was a Dryden resident and environmental and civil rights activist
who enjoyed the Jim Shug Trail. Fund-raising for the $800 memorial bench has begun. Between
Elm St and Springhouse Rd two benches are available for memorial plaques. Nancy Brown is
interested in a memorial bench near Monkey Run for her late husband, Tom Brown. A friend of
F.H. Fox also expressed interest—a spot between Compost Road and the Fox Bridge may be
appropriate.
Quarter-mile Signs Update (Diane & Bob):
A proof for the mile-marker signs was miscut to incorrect size and the corners not rounded as
requested; the company will provide a second proof. Rick Young and Amanda Anderson had
given permission to proceed with the order through the Town.
Route 13 Bridge, TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) Grant Update (Todd, Dan,
Alice, Bob):
Drawings and details for the bridge are completed and have been submitted by Erdman
Anthony to the Syracuse NYSDOT office. DOT still needs copies of the final recorded right-of-
way documents—the Cornell Univ. easement and Knickerbocker donation deed. Both have
been approved by the Town Board. The Albany office of NYSDOT must approve the paperwork
before construction bids can be requested.
OPRHP EPF Update (Bob):
Dondi Harner of TG Miller is still working on the OPRHP now-required engineer-stamped plan
for the entire project. The other OPRHP requirement, the stormwater pollution prevention plan,
has now been approved by the Cortland NYSDEC office. The grant ends on December 13. We
will likely have to renew, but we can’t request an extension until just prior to expiration.
Additions to the Meeting Agenda:
Group email messaging (Dan Antonioli):
While emailing through the DRT website works, Dan’s attempts at messaging the DRT group
using Messaging from Mac were unsuccessful. With assistance from Chris and Diane
Tessaglia-Hymes, a third-party messaging service was found to work. Dan is planning to blog
about his DRT experiences.
Tornado damage update (Bob, Chris):
A fallen tree on a trail bridge between near E. Lake and Purvis Roads has closed a portion of
the trail south of Dryden Lake. Photos were posted in a blog on drydenrailtrail.org
Next scheduled meeting: Monday, September 18, 2023 at 7 p.m.; open to the public at the
Dryden Town Hall Caldwell Conference Room and via Zoom.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:19 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Rosalie Borzik