Letter to the Editor: Preserve unique character of unpaved Old Roaring Brook Road
Residents spoke at last Tuesday’s town board work session on whether the town should pave the last unpaved half-mile of road in New Castle.
April 23, 2010
by Randolph B. Randolph
To the Editor,
Due to the deteriorating condition of the dirt section of Old Roaring Brook Road the Town of New Castle is considering allocating substantial resources (approximately $100,000 – $800,000) to pave this ½ mile stretch of road. While in the long run paving will reduce maintenance costs below current levels (now between $13,000 and $30,000 per year, according to the town), I believe it is important that the town consider other alternatives that may be more cost effective yet preserve the unique character of this roadway.
My family has lived on Old Roaring Brook Road for over 50 years. Over this time we have witnessed a significant increase in both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Old Roaring Brook Road is a pre-revolutionary war roadway with many blind corners and hills as well as narrow widths. It is fair to say that this road was not designed for today’s high-speed driver. Many of the road’s residents understand and sympathize with those seeking a roadway in better condition. But we also fear that once it is paved the road will see a substantial increase in traffic, speeds and accidents.
The Town Highway Department has done a heroic but Sisyphean job in filling in holes and smoothing out bumps. Before we decide to pave, the town needs to consider improved dirt alternatives that may prove more cost effective while also creating a slower and safer driving experience given the existing roadway design.
Having lived in Vermont for 6 years I have traveled many a dirt road and the vast majority seem to hold up considerably better than Old Roaring Brook Road. The problem on Old Roaring Brook appears to be related to slope and drainage. In discussions with other long time residents of the road, development in nearby areas since the 1980s has created and then exacerbated the drainage problems.
Hopefully there is a long-term solution that incorporates an improved dirt roadway with better drainage to minimize the ongoing maintenance needs of the road. It is my hope that the town can find a way to provide a safe driving experience, conserve capital spending budgets for other uses and preserve a part of New Castle that many enjoy (hence the significant pedestrian traffic) and that is disappearing in our town. This is the last section of dirt road in all of New Castle and I sincerely hope the Town Board takes the time to examine alternatives before paving over something that can never be recreated.
Whenever one is in New York City and sees an old house wedged between the two skyscrapers, we realize that these connections to the past are what provide character to a town or city. With over 140 miles of roadway in New Castle, I wonder whether we really must pave the last ½ mile. While progress is important and necessary, there are sometimes ways to effectively bridge the past, present and future. An improved dirt road, with better drainage and new grading, and lasting solely ½ a mile, is a worthwhile way to achieve this balance.
Sincerely,
Randolph B. Randolph
Where the paving stops
I’m afraid I have to disagree with the author. The benefits of paving this road far outway its alleged “historic” significance or “quaint” character. Why should we assume that improvements to the town’s infrastructure will detract from its character rather than enhance it? It is high time the Town of New Castle realizes the need to resolve the ongoing issue of road maintenance for Old Roaring Brook Road once and for all.
For those who do not live on Old Roaring Broook and are worried about damaging their cars, there are ways to avoid the road, adding maybe 1-2 minutes to a trip. Leave the road with it’s current surface, and anyone who’s using the road and doesn’t need to can find another way.
It is time to sing the song, “The Party’s Over”. Residents of Old Roaring Brook Road have enjoyed undeserved quiet and privacy in their residences at the expense of the entire town avoiding their road because of the condition of it. It is high time we all enjoy Old Roaring Brook Road to ease the congestion in traveling to Horace Greeley High School, and the Saw Mill River Parkway. The time has come to pave, install proper drainage, and widen this much needed thoroughfare. As there will now be a traffic light at the intersection of 120 and 133, so it is time for Old Roaring Brook Road to change.
I live on the OTHER Roaring Brook Road, the one that cars use to avoid travelling on OLD Roaring Brook Road. I must agree with Longtime Resident that paving ORB would greatly ease the congestion that my wife sees from our kitchen window as cars travel to Horace Greeley in the morning. (I am long gone by that time of day). It is a fifteen minute drive from my home at the top of RB to Greeley on school days…I think all of those driving to Greeley at that time would appreciate having their commute time cut down, perhaps in half.
As for Go Around—those who are afraid of damaging their cars and taking an “extra one or two minutes” to avoid that…where do you end up? on Roaring Brook Road…...
“Longtime Resident” is right. The party is over and the time of the residents of the unpaved portion of Old Roaring Brook Road enjoying their “exceptional” status has come to an end. We need this road paved to ease the ever-increasing traffic to Greeley and to deny this improvement because of the desire of a few residents for “special consideration” at the expense of the rest of us is unfair and short-sighted. Time to step aside folks and let the future begin.
Paving ORBrd will require some widening with related land costs. Also, increased traffic on ORBrd will create a traffic nightmare in the morning at the Saw Mill/Roaring Brook intersection. Those supporting the change might be a lot better off with the pot holes than sitting in a long line of traffic.
