Redesign input sought $14 million plan to remake Erie Boulevard to be discussed at meeting
By PAUL NELSON, Staff writer First published: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
SCHENECTADY -- The public will get to weigh in Thursday night on the city's $14 million plan to remake the gateway around downtown Erie Boulevard.
The work slated for Erie Boulevard, from Interstate 890 to Liberty Street, is expected to provide access to parking, create more green space, encourage private investment and redevelopment, and reflect Schenectady's rich history. Construction could start in 2009.
The federal government will cover 80 percent of the cost; the state, 15 percent, and the city, 5 percent.
The improvements "will transform Erie Boulevard from a sea of asphalt to a pedestrian-friendly technology, business-friendly technology corridor," Mayor Brian U. Stratton said in a statement.
Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage said the project is critical to the success of redevelopment efforts and integral to the county's revival.
Thursday's gathering is planned for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the atrium at Proctors Theatre, 432 State St. Consultants will join political leaders from the city and county to field questions about the design concept.
SCHENECTADY Erie Boulevard plan ready for public BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Erie Boulevard will be transformed from a “sea of asphalt” to a slower, greener street in the final design proposal to be unveiled today, Mayor Brian U. Stratton said. Clough Harbour and Associates will present its design at the Proctors Atrium from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Residents will be able to make comments about the design at a public meeting scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Stratton described the street design as a “pedestrian-friendly, business-friendly technology corridor.” It will stretch from the Interstate 890 interchange to Liberty Street and will focus on making it easier to cross the busy road by bike or on foot. “In its current state, the excessive width of Erie Boulevard encourages high traffic speeds and makes it extremely difficult for pedestrians to cross,” Stratton said. “The preferred design concept transforms that additional width into green space and applies traffic calming measures.” He said businesses would be more likely to relocate to a prettier, greener boulevard. He wants technology companies to cluster there, creating a technology corridor. The Edison Exploratorium, a museum devoted to Schenectady’s great engineers, has already announced plans to move to Erie Boulevard. But officials want major businesses there as well. Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage said “The Erie Boulevard project is critical to the success of our redevelopment efforts. It is key to the revival of Schenectady County.” Design and engineering work are slated to be done next year, with construction in 2009. The city would pay for only 5 percent of the $14 million project. The Federal Highway Administration and the state Department of Transportation have pledged $13.5 million, through the Capital District Transportation Commission.
The city would pay for only 5 percent of the $14 million project. The Federal Highway Administration and the state Department of Transportation have pledged $13.5 million, through the Capital District Transportation Commission.
Where are the sewers/lights/sidewalks etc for Hamburg St...... >
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
The city would pay for only 5 percent of the $14 million project. The Federal Highway Administration and the state Department of Transportation have pledged $13.5 million, through the Capital District Transportation Commission.
Isn't it a nice play on words when they say it will be costing the city ONLY 5%? Well in case they haven't noticed, the entire $14Mill is being paid by the sweat off the taxpayers brow. It is ALL taxpayer money no matter how you cut it. It is just coming out of different pieces of the taxpayers pie.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Roundabout, landscaping part of Erie Blvd. plans unveiled in Schenectady tonight
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Thursday, November 29, 2007
SCHENECTADY - Erie Boulevard travelers would have to traverse a roundabout at South Ferry Street and weave through a new curved, treed landscape if the city moves forward with preliminary plans for the boulevard's $14 million makeover.
The public got its first glimpse at the plan at a community meeting Thursday night at Proctors' GE Theatre.
About 100 people watched a slide show on the big screen produced by the city's design consultants, Clough Harbour and Associates, which provided various drawings of what Erie Boulevard could look like between I-890 and Union Street.
Under the preliminary plan, the wide boulevard's six-lane width between I-890 and State Street would shrink to four lanes by placing large grassy and treed medians in between. A roundabout at Erie Boulevard's connection with South Ferry Street would allow motorists to turn around and go the opposite direction.
The street was once the Erie Canal, but was later paved and served as a quick route to and from General Electric, which can still be seen prominently at the boulevard's end at I-890. But with declining employment at GE and the elimination of parking in the road's middle, the boulevard's wide expanse has proved no longer necessary.
The project's goal is to slow down traffic and make the area more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. Crosswalks between the medians are also part of the preliminary design.
If funds allow, thinner medians would be placed on Erie Boulevard between Liberty and Union streets.
Ann Parillo, host of Schenectady Today on Channel 16, looked at the drawings before the meeting. She wondered if excavation will reveal interesting artifacts from the 19th century history of the canal. Clough Harbour consultants said later that they will be doing a study of the area's archeological significance before the project starts.
Richard DiCristofaro, who owns Wedgeway Barber Shop off Erie Boulevard, wondered if people would be irritated if traffic slows too much.
"Of course it looks gorgeous, an artist rendering looks good on paper," DiCristofaro said. "Whether it's practical or not remains to be seen."
The federal government will pay 80 percent of the project, the state 15 percent and the city 5 percent. Another public meeting will be held to show more final designs next spring.
The reconstruction work would likely stretch from 2009 to 2011.
This sounds ok...but what about the "holiday parade" that marches down this road to its conclusion? How are you going to have cars driving down and marching bands marching when they're split by an island of trees right down the middle?
I don't like the idea of the round-a-bout. I don't even like those things. They cause more accidents than not! Leave the road the way it is for heaven's sake. No more round-a-bouts!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
In redesigning Erie Boulevard, Clough Harbour and Associates had a dream assignment: lots of money to play with, $14 million, and a road that could only be improved upon. The plan, unveiled Thursday night, could use a few improvements itself — which Clough Harbor is open to, and in fact are anticipated with the public participation process that the project sponsors are wisely following here. But as a starting point, it looks quite good. The two main goals were to make this great, barren expanse of asphalt, which looks like a landing strip and is used like a raceway, prettier and safer. The designers accomplished this by adding as much green as possible: a wide, raised grass median with plenty of trees the length of the street, as well as trees lining the sidewalks on either side. To slow traffic they have introduced gentle curves, like the one on State Street in front of Proctors, as well as a roundabout. It’s ironic that roundabouts are called “traffic calming” devices, because they sure do upset people. Unnecessarily in most cases, and particularly here. This one is more like a jog for those going straight, which most people will be doing. But it will also provide a safe way for drivers to turn around and get to the other side. And it will serve as a focal point, as well as a gateway to lower State Street, which the city and Metroplex want to redevelop, and the Stockade. The design is pedestrian-friendly. In addition to the sidewalks, there are five crosswalks between State Street and I-890, each one at a point where the road is narrowest and the median widest. What it is not, so far, is bike-friendly. That failing should be corrected. The right lane on both sides is wide enough to make a lane (preferably a slightly raised one, which is safer) for bicycles. And there needs to be a connection to the trail at the community college and Washington Avenue in the Stockade. A walking path up the median is something else that should be considered, as well as benches and more places for people to gather. Another problem is that access to retail businesses on the southeast side, where most of them are located, is difficult for cars headed south. One would have to go all the way around the I-890 circle, although it will also be possible to park on the west side and use one of two crosswalks. But it may be necessary to add a break in the median where cars can get across down there. These are relatively minor, remediable problems, though. The important thing is that the city now has a very attractive plan for a very important corridor.
Don’t forget State St. west of Erie Boulevard VITO J. SCAFAMIERO Schenectady The writer is proprietor of Mr. James Beauty Salon.
On Nov. 24 at 6:15 in the morning, I took a drive downtown State Street near Proctors. It looked beautiful with the Christmas decorations and all. However, when I crossed Erie Boulevard, all I saw was nothing — no lights — nothing. With the Robinson Building down, it looked like World War III. We have nice shops below Erie Boulevard on State Street, However, you’d never know. Even the parade goes down Erie Boulevard, not on State Street.
The design is pedestrian-friendly. In addition to the sidewalks, there are five crosswalks between State Street and I-890, each one at a point where the road is narrowest and the median widest. What it is not, so far, is bike-friendly. That failing should be corrected. The right lane on both sides is wide enough to make a lane (preferably a slightly raised one, which is safer) for bicycles. And there needs to be a connection to the trail at the community college and Washington Avenue in the Stockade. A walking path up the median is something else that should be considered, as well as benches and more places for people to gather.
My apologies for my misdirected prior posts on this topic. I had assumed that we were discussing Erie Boulevard, a roadway that supports heavy vehicular traffic, particularly during morning and afternoon rush hours when people are going to and coming from work.
Instead, it appears that the discussion about plans to "remake" Erie Boulevard centers around rendering it a park-like atmosphere where people can walk, bike, and shop, children can play, etc. I NOW propose that there be swing sets, climbing bars, sand boxes, picnic tables, benches and bicycle racks located in the wide medians.
Five crosswalks between State Street and I-890? Reducing the traffic lanes from 8 to 4? Two roundabouts? Sounds like justification for avoiding downtown Schenectady altogether.
I call on our elected "representatives" to act responsibility and refocus on the business of government. You can begin with addressing the rampant criminal activity that plagues the City of Schenectady. >
SCHENECTADY City’s move to seize 2 sites to begin Roundabout will replace buildings BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
The city hopes to begin next summer the legal process to take two buildings on Erie Boulevard — housing a gun shop and an adult business — and replace them with a roundabout as part of a $14 million streetscape project, officials said. Both the state and the federal government must approve a design document that specifies the project’s scope before legal and engineering work can begin, said City Engineer Bernard Sisson. “We hope to get state and federal approvals by the middle of next summer and then we can start eminent domain and final design,” he said. Clough Harbour and Associates is working on the design and wants to start the project in 2009, Sisson said. Under the $14 million draft design, the city will narrow Erie Boulevard, line it with trees, add medians and off-street parking on the Interstate 890 section and place a smaller median just beyond State Street. Another World and Special Arms & Munitions, adjacent to each other on the west side of Erie Boulevard, would be demolished and replaced by the roundabout. Gun shop owner Mark LaViolette said the city is “targeting the [adult] book store and we are collateral damage.” He said he fi rst learned the city wanted his building through a Nov. 30 article in The Daily Gazette. “A courteous letter or phone call would have been more appropriate than learning of it on the front page of The Daily Gazette,” LaViolette wrote in a certified letter to Mayor Brian U. Stratton. The letter went to Clough Harbour as part of the public comment portion of the project review, said Sharon Jordan, chief of staff for Stratton. Since the news article appeared, the gun shop has seen a dramatic decline in business, LaViolette said. “We’ve been here four years; it’s not seasonal,” he said. “Several customers are under the impression that we are being put out of business.” LaViolette and co-owner Mark Kali are also concerned that relocation will further hurt their business. They chose the Erie Boulevard site for its proximity to the Zone 5 Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy, several blocks down. The academy trains officers from throughout the region, and the officers form a large segment of the store’s customer base, he said. “A tremendous amount of money was put into the building to secure our inventory. Us being forced out of this location will have a financially negative impact on our future business,” LaViolette said. The gun shop is the only store in the Capital Region that sells machine guns, automatic rifles, assault weapons, tasers and other lethal hardware. Police departments are the only agencies in New York state allowed to purchase and possess automatic weapons. LaViolette estimated he has invested more than $100,000 alone just in security systems for the building, including a four-ton safe in which the automatic weapons are stored. The city reached a legal settlement with Another World’s owner, Rocco J. Palmer, in 2004 over his property should the city need it for a streetscape project. He agreed to “be reasonable” about the price and agree to relocation, city officials said. The city promised to help him find a new location in a zone where adult businesses are permitted, but agreed to let him open an adult bookstore on lower Broadway if no other location could be found. Palmer wanted to open a store at 1351 or 1354 Broadway. LaViolette said he has yet to hear from the city about a price for his building. Sisson said once the design is approved, the city will hire an independent real estate appraisal to examine the properties. The city must offer the owners a fair market price for their buildings. The money for both buildings is included in the $14 million project estimate, which is funded mostly through state and federal grants.
Seizing ones property no matter what the business may be sets a very bad precedent and opens the door for the city to seize any property it wants for it's pet projects.
The city promised to help him find a new location in a zone where adult businesses are permitted, but agreed to let him open an adult bookstore on lower Broadway if no other location could be found. Palmer wanted to open a store at 1351 or 1354 Broadway.
Is this in the area where that new Dunkin Donuts was built?????
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
The city promised to help him find a new location in a zone where adult businesses are permitted, but agreed to let him open an adult bookstore on lower Broadway if no other location could be found. Palmer wanted to open a store at 1351 or 1354 Broadway.
Is this in the area where that new Dunkin Donuts was built?????
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