County shuts Rte. 44 beside sidewalk, saying road’s stability is undermined
By Chris Mckenna
October 16, 2008
KIRYAS JOEL - Part of a thoroughfare that wends through Woodbury and Monroe has been temporarily closed after the Village of Kiryas Joel built a wooden sidewalk beside it without permission, Orange County officials announced Wednesday.
The county shut Route 44 between Seven Springs Road and Mountain Road after discovering the sidewalk and deciding it had undermined the stability of the guardrail next to a 30-foot slope, officials said. Village officials couldn’t be reached for comment.
Midhudson News
Diana tells KJ to restore road to previous condition
MONROE – Orange County Executive Edward Diana Thursday told officials of the Village of Kiryas Joel to return a section of County Route 44 to its previous condition in three days or pay a $1,000 per day fine.
The village built a stretch of wooden sidewalk along the county road without permission and that sidewalk negatively impacts the integrity of the guard rails, said Diana.
“We have asked the Village of Kiryas Joel to go in, in the next three days and remove anything they did – the sidewalk – and to go back to preexisting conditions before they started any kind of excavating on that roadway and to bring the integrity of that guiderail back to where it was,” he said.
Diana send village officials a stop work order instructing them to stop all work on the project. He told officials the village must obtain a valid work permit from the county Public Works Department with acceptable plans for any future work on the county road prior to commencing any work.
The village built a stretch of wooden sidewalk along the county road without permission and that sidewalk negatively impacts the integrity of the guard rails, said Diana.
“We have asked the Village of Kiryas Joel to go in, in the next three days and remove anything they did – the sidewalk – and to go back to preexisting conditions before they started any kind of excavating on that roadway and to bring the integrity of that guiderail back to where it was,” he said.
Diana send village officials a stop work order instructing them to stop all work on the project. He told officials the village must obtain a valid work permit from the county Public Works Department with acceptable plans for any future work on the county road prior to commencing any work.
Orange County, Kiryas Joel at odds again
Officials say village built walkway without permission
By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record October 17, 2008
KIRYAS JOEL — For families in the new condos on a hillside above County Route 44, the wooden walkway just erected beside the busy thoroughfare offered a safe path they had long craved.
But the new sidewalk has ignited yet another conflict with Orange County officials and struck critics of Kiryas Joel's leaders as the latest instance of their acting first and seeking permission later, even when county property is involved.
The issue erupted Wednesday when county officials discovered the elevated boardwalk and immediately shut down the road, declaring that the work had been done without county approval and had destabilized the guardrail. Concrete barriers now block off that section, forcing drivers to detour through Kiryas Joel as they head between Monroe and Woodbury. On Thursday, county officials ordered Kiryas Joel to remove the walkway and shore up 500 feet of the guardrail before Monday, or face $1,000 a day in fines.
"It's very loose; it's very wobbly," County Executive Ed Diana said of the metal railing on Thursday. "If a vehicle were to hit that, it would go well into that walkway."
The reaction in Kiryas Joel was one of dismay. Moses Witriol, the village's public safety director, fumed that village officials had gotten no warning about the closing and now had to contend with navigating ambulances and fire trucks around a blocked artery.
Why, he and others in the Hasidic community asked, was the county suddenly concerned about Route 44 safety when their leaders have complained for years about the need for sidewalks? One young couple, stopped at the barriers with 2-year-old twin boys and a 4-month-old baby in their minivan, voiced exasperation with the perils of pushing a double stroller along the narrow shoulder as vehicles whizz past.
"What should my wife do when a truck is coming from one side and a bus is coming from the other?" asked the father, who declined to give his name. "Call the EMTs right away, or wait to see what happens?"
Several years ago, village officials began pushing to take possession of their section of the county-owned road and use grant money to widen the road and install sidewalks. County lawmakers ultimately refused to cede ownership but supported the project and offered Kiryas Joel an easement to do the work.
It was unclear Thursday what became of that offer. Witriol said the boardwalk was temporary — built in the midst of a pedestrian-heavy holiday season — and was on private property, not the county's right-of-way.
"Even if that's true, there are certain guidelines that have to be met," Diana replied, adding that the village would likely have gotten a county permit if it had sought one.
But the new sidewalk has ignited yet another conflict with Orange County officials and struck critics of Kiryas Joel's leaders as the latest instance of their acting first and seeking permission later, even when county property is involved.
The issue erupted Wednesday when county officials discovered the elevated boardwalk and immediately shut down the road, declaring that the work had been done without county approval and had destabilized the guardrail. Concrete barriers now block off that section, forcing drivers to detour through Kiryas Joel as they head between Monroe and Woodbury. On Thursday, county officials ordered Kiryas Joel to remove the walkway and shore up 500 feet of the guardrail before Monday, or face $1,000 a day in fines.
"It's very loose; it's very wobbly," County Executive Ed Diana said of the metal railing on Thursday. "If a vehicle were to hit that, it would go well into that walkway."
The reaction in Kiryas Joel was one of dismay. Moses Witriol, the village's public safety director, fumed that village officials had gotten no warning about the closing and now had to contend with navigating ambulances and fire trucks around a blocked artery.
Why, he and others in the Hasidic community asked, was the county suddenly concerned about Route 44 safety when their leaders have complained for years about the need for sidewalks? One young couple, stopped at the barriers with 2-year-old twin boys and a 4-month-old baby in their minivan, voiced exasperation with the perils of pushing a double stroller along the narrow shoulder as vehicles whizz past.
"What should my wife do when a truck is coming from one side and a bus is coming from the other?" asked the father, who declined to give his name. "Call the EMTs right away, or wait to see what happens?"
Several years ago, village officials began pushing to take possession of their section of the county-owned road and use grant money to widen the road and install sidewalks. County lawmakers ultimately refused to cede ownership but supported the project and offered Kiryas Joel an easement to do the work.
It was unclear Thursday what became of that offer. Witriol said the boardwalk was temporary — built in the midst of a pedestrian-heavy holiday season — and was on private property, not the county's right-of-way.
"Even if that's true, there are certain guidelines that have to be met," Diana replied, adding that the village would likely have gotten a county permit if it had sought one.
21 comments:
typical....buy now and maybe pay later!!!
'tis better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.--the kj creed.
works every time.....
congratulations KJ you have proven once again what good neighbors you can be...
I dont know why you are so anti-semetic here...we are the victoms here in KJ!!!
Yes you are victims of your leadership who believe that since they are God's chosen people, man's laws should not pertain to them.
Though it is in the New Testament ( you really should read that too you know ) One should render to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and render to God what is God's.
Antisemitism has nothing to do with this. The issue seems to be a recurring one: when you don't get what you want, you take it anyway. There seems to be a total disregard for any laws but your own. People tend not to like others who think only of themselves. Most of us have learned the ground rules in kindergarten.
I'm not sure that anyone's God is in favor of raping the land, wasting resources, or demanding that others always give in to them.
Did you see in today's Times Herald that Diana is caving in to KJ's wishes? Betcha Larkin called him to make nice. He needs their votes come Nov.
Did you see in today's Times Herald that Diana is caving in to KJ's wishes? Betcha Larkin called him to make nice. He needs their votes come Nov.
County, Kiryas Joel officials discuss road closure
By Chris Mckenna
October 21, 2008
KIRYAS JOEL — An unauthorized walkway that caused County Route 44 to be closed last week might be allowed to remain if village officials block it with concrete barriers and seek permission for a permanent sidewalk, Orange County Executive Ed Diana said Monday.
Diana had ordered the boardwalk removed and threatened $1,000-a-day fines on Thursday, a day after county officials discovered it and shut the road. They claim the work has loosened 500 feet of guardrail, posing a safety risk for drivers and pedestrians alike.
Diana said he adjusted those orders after meeting Sunday night with village officials. He said the village will still be fined and must pay the county roughly $5,000 for the time county employees spent looking into the problem. Route 44 will stay closed until the village installs concrete barriers, applies for a permit and provides a timeline for the construction, Diana said.
*******
Ah yes, but as the paper shows today, Mr. Diana has bent over once again, and KJ will undoubtedly find some way to have us non-KJ taxpayers foot their $5,000 bill, and will find "grant" money provided by us non-KJ taxpayers to build the concrete barriers, etc. They won't end up paying a dime! Once again, Eddie makes a half-assed attempt at showing he and the county will stand up to KJ- ya right!
Yes, the people of Kiryas Joel are the victims.
They are the victims of the corrupt leadership of the village who ignore the law, who create unsafe conditions, who squander their own municipal treasury to enrich the men in power.
This has nothing to do with the Old Testament or the New Testament. It is simply the story of a corrupt few abusing their own people and their neighbors.
Quiet for a while, but not vanished.
My field of study may not always be the most useful around here- but I've also gotta call a foul on pulling religion into this- and in particularly pushing your tradition's scripture to make a point.
Is religion a possible factor here? Sure, as it is in most communities in America, one of the most religious countries in the world. But I find it irrelevant to the conversation at best, and, given the painful history of Jewish-Christian relations, inflammatory at worst.
Does the Jewish faith have a concept of chose-ness? Sure, but I could go on for pages about how various Christian communities have applied that label to themselves, and/or its affects on issues like religious freedom, the environment, etc. Most faiths believe they've got something pretty important, otherwise why stick with it?
In every society, there are those who mobilize differences for intolerance, and those who, even among the most conservative in a given community nevertheless show good leadership and seek coexistence with their neighbors. This is playing out now in Nigeria, between still-fundamentalist, but now repentant Christian and Muslim leaders who admit how they were pushing the tradition somewhere it didn't have to go, in the name of violence. The New York Times did an excellent piece on this a few months back- I'll see if I can dig it up.
As Jonathan noted, it does come down leadership and, in my opinion a willingness to reach across ALL the things that divide us- something all our communities have struggled with for years now. The few shining counter-examples- such as when the Dissident community sat down with Woodbury officials and had a real dialog- proves this need not remain the status quo.
Dragging religion into things only complicates an already painful situation, makes people defensive and drags that which is most precious, God's name, into the mud.
That is, truthfully the last thing our communities need right now.
The blue people just violated the laws that the entire rainbow follows since they are in the land of rainbow.
The red people, members of the rainbow, called the blue people lawbreakers.
The blue people are now saying the red people are prejudiced against them and don't want their blue people to be safe.
Does this mean the red people are prejudiced?
NO, it means the blue people broke the law.
Does it exclude the red people from being prejudiced?
No, there may be some red people who are prejudiced.
Does that mean the blue people didn't break the law?
No, they still broke the law.
Any questions?
Its about MONEY not religion!!!!!!!!!Grant Money, Tax Money, Loop Holes in any and everything , marriage , welfare, wick programs, cheese programs, zoning laws. It all comes back to COLD HARD CASH any which way you look at it or try to disgise it. That's my humble opinion! No religions' group, real or fake should get any tax breaks. Who could tell the difference. MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY When Robinhood gets elected he will fix everything. Yea Right!!
ya....who are the blue people????
Kieran,
You talk alot but you don't say much.
Kieran- What the last poster is trying to say is that they didn't make it out of 2nd grade & can't understand the written word!
Imagine..Howard Cosell lives
The blue people are being shafted by the "elected" leaders of the blues.
We saw first hand how those leaders corrupt the electoral process to stay in power despite the will of what looks a hell of a lot like the majority.
As to "chose-ness," Jews believe that God made a covenant with us, a contract, that states "if you follow these rules you may live in this area."
There is nothing in the covenant, or in all of Torah, that suggests that God has not or will not make other contracts with other people.
The Jews believe that we were chosen for a particular task: to behave in good ways so as to serve as a model of correct behavior. While we have often failed at this, it is still the goal, the ideal.
Central to this is the concept of tikkun olem - heal the world. God gave us an imperfect world and the task of improving it. Every act of love, of generosity, brings us closer to the goal. Every bad act pushes it further away. This makes free-will, individual choice, extremely important.
God may very well have chosen other people for other tasks.
So I take it, you were chosen to live in a seasonal dwelling all year round. You were chosen to break the laws of Woodbury. Get a real job.
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