Ceremonial groundbreaking for new sidewalks

STONE RIDGE – The Marbletown hamlet of Stone Ridge is known for its scenic beauty, shops and restaurants, but the community, which straddles Route 209, is not a very pedestrian friendly community.

 Now that’s going to change.

The first dirt was turned over Wednesday for a $3 million, three-quarter mile bluestone sidewalk project that will better accommodate pedestrians. The project is one of 500 in New York State which are being funded with $1 billion in federal stimulus money.

“This is one of the projects we’re trying to get underway quickly,” said Stan Gee, the acting state Department of Transportation commissioner.

Gee, Congressman Maurice Hinchey and state Sen. John Bonacic were members of the contingent that helped kick off the project.

Before Stone Ridge and other communities were overrun by the automobile, the hamlet had plenty of sidewalks through the 19th century. But widening was needed to accommodate the ever heavier traffic flows on Route 209 during the 20th century, and the sidewalks disappeared.

“They were never replaced. Just over time they were never maintained and the street was widened as well,” said Brooke Pickering-Cole, Marbletown’s supervisor.

Pickering-Cole served on a committee a decade ago that hoped to bring the sidewalks back to Stone Ridge.

“We were talking about this project then. We were hoping it would be 2003. We were then hoping it would be 2006. We’re just so happy. We’ve been ready for a long time,” she said.

The project, which will be completed next spring and run from Leggett Road, south to beyond town hall, includes a new traffic signal at the intersection of routes 209 and 213.

Once the project is completed along the southbound lane of Route 209, Pickering-Cole there are plans to build a modest municipal parking lot and hopefully line the north-bound lane with sidewalks.

“Ultimately, we would like both sides of the street,” she said.