County Approves Funding to Complete Peekskill Hollow Road Work
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The Putnam County Legislature unanimously approved borrowing up to $5.8 million last week to complete the stalled Peekskill Hollow Road rehabilitation and bridge project after the previous contractor walked off the job last year.
Bids have been opened to find a new company to finish the work nine months after the scheduled completion date. Bids are being accepted until May 24.
Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne said his office is doing what it can to move the project forward as quickly as possible. He said only about 25 percent of the work has been done since the original contract was executed two years ago.
“We recognize residents are frustrated, and I share that frustration,” Byrne said. “We’ve been tracking issues with this project and working toward a resolution since before I even took office. This project has been going on for far too long, and we need to move forward.”
In May 2021, the administration of former county executive MaryEllen Odell entered into a contract with the Arben Group of Pleasantville to do the construction. Problems soon arose with the contractor resulting in extensive delays. Rather than terminating the contract, the county pressed forward in good faith to do the job, Byrne said.
At the May 2 legislature meeting, County Legislator Williams Gouldman (R-Putnam Valley) said the delays on what is the largest road in the county has caused headaches for residents and businesses.
“The contractor walked off the job and there’s been no work since the beginning of lats summer,” Gouldman said. “(The money) will put this project on track and will go a long way to get this job done.”
Most heavily impacted has been the bridge at Oscawana Lake Road. The intersection outside the Putnam Valley Middle School and high school campus as well as a bridge near Lovers Lane have also been held up.
The projected cost of the project is now about $17.9 million, according to the county legislature’s resolution last week. A little over $11.1 million has been secured from federal funds with another $977,000 in money from the American Rescue Plan helping to pay for a large portion of the project, the legislature’s materials stated.
Legislator Nancy Montgomery (D-Philipstown) expressed a lot of the same frustration that residents who live in Putnam Valley and elsewhere who need to commute on that road have felt.
“This is just an embarrassment. I feel it’s a direct result of playing politics from a former administration,” Montgomery said. “There was no communication, and when I say playing politics, I mean that. There was absolutely no communication. This is something you see happening in a Third World country, and the fact that the residents of Putnam Valley, not only them but the people of Putnam County, had to look at this I am truly sorry for that.”
When Byrne took office in January, the county held numerous meetings, including with Arben Group representatives in hopes of finding a path forward. The contractor proposed changes to the project but rejected that idea because it would have jeopardized the outside funding that had been committed to the project.
The county then retained outside counsel that specializes in construction law to explore its legal options.
Byrne said the county informed Arben on Apr. 28 that it terminated the contract for its failure to meet its obligations.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
