To address flooding and safety issues with the Philip Street bridge over Steele Creek, German Flatts Town Supervisor Frank Spatto presented local officials on Monday with a proposal for a new bridge over Frederick Street.
The plans displayed during a Ilion Central School Board of Education meeting included construction of the bridge, along with a new entrance road running between the right field fence of the baseball field and a residential property.
Engineering consultant Paul Sudol, vice president of Barton and Loguidice, based in Syracuse, said in November the cost estimate for the preliminary plans came to $1.6 million.
Both Spatto and Sudol agreed the adjusted estimate would be in excess of $2 million.
The initial proposal calls for: repaving of Frederick Street and refurbishing the sidewalks; the construction of both the bridge and its sidewalk and a connecting entrance road and sidewalk to Ilion Junior-Senior High School, according to Spatto and rough aerial views provided by Sudol.
The Philip Street bridge, which is town property built in 1924, needs to be replaced primarily because of flood damage caused in 2006, and the possibility for future flooding as a result of the lack of room for ice chunks to pass under, according to Spatto. “We need to build a bridge.”
There is also the uneven nature of the bridge to the road, which creates a peak at the middle of the crossing.
Reasons provided by Spatto for the new Frederick Street bridge include: a higher visibility for buses and traffic turning onto Otsego Street (as opposed to the point turn at Philip Street); easier access for the fire department and other emergency personnel because of a wider more realistic two-lane bridge; and more aesthetically pleasing entrance way to the high school.
Through consultations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Spatto explained the existing falls of Steele Creek would be removed and a greater slope and descent could lower the creek and prevent future flooding while also being aided by passage under the new wider bridge.
Funding for the project is to come from grants for the most part, said Spatto, proposing that joint grant applications be made by the village, school and town.
In an effort to get all interested parties involved, Spatto invited:
• The Ilion school board — which would be impacted by a restructuring of its property and possible shortening the distance of and heightening of the baseball fence, in addition to relocating the batting cages.
• State Assemblyman Marc Butler — who funded the consulting costs, worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on future creek improvements (along with representatives of U.S. Congressmen Michael Arcuri), and will be involved in acquiring grants for the project.
• The affected property owners - who provided questions on parking for sporting events, making East River Drive a dead end in front of their property to not allow access to the new road by traffic, and a privacy fence.
Robert Service, Ilion School superintendent, said the board will be researching the matter further.
Ilion Village Mayor Mark Cushman was not in attendance, but Spatto said he has been in contact with the mayor in regard to the village’s involvement in the project.
Spatto said, “The meeting is only to see if the project is doable.”
Future progress on the proposal would be pending involvement by all the affected municipalities and individuals, according to Spatto.
Ilion, N.Y. —
