Letter to the Editor: Critical Public Comment Period Open for Saw Mill Parkway Project
A long overdue public comment period has been opened by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for the Saw Mill Parkway construction project between Thornwood and Pleasantville. Comments are due to DEC via e-mail by Jan. 7 at DEP.R3@dec.ny.gov.
Currently a 1.5-mile stretch of the Saw Mill Parkway between Thornwood and Pleasantville is being reconstructed and raised to six feet above the existing grade. The parkway will also be widened over a section of the Saw Mill River that’s designated a Class A wetland and a Class B trout habitat – two of the most environmentally significant designations. This section of the river is home to many types of animals (some rare) and its vegetation acts as a natural buffer for area residents.
This project has a $60 million budget and the state Department of Transportation stated that no funds are allocated to replant, landscape or mitigate sound or environmental impacts. The state has also categorized this project as being exempt from the state Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and not bound to mitigating negative impacts by claiming it is a “minor reconstruction or rehabilitation of an existing highway” with “minimal impacts to the environment.” This project isn’t a minor reconstruction and the impacts to the environment aren’t negligible and must be considered.
The new raised configuration of the parkway and reduced buffer area will adversely affect area residents by increasing the line of sight and sound pollution. The impacts to the wetland and river will adversely affect the natural environment and damage this ecosystem that many types of animals call home.
There are low-cost, high-value solutions to mitigate the negative impacts imparted by the Saw Mill River Parkway construction project that will benefit area residents and the ecosystem. These include:
1. Use of a solid concrete barrier in lieu of open guardrails between the parkway and residents. This will dampen the sounds produced by tailpipes and tires.
2. Plant trees and other native vegetation in the areas between the parkway and residents and in areas that the wetland and river are being paved over. This will replenish vegetation lost during past and present parkway improvements and will provide a buffer for sound and light pollution that’s aesthetically pleasing for both motorists and area residents.
3. Implement erosion control measures that are up to the standard expected of construction projects that are in proximity to wetlands and rivers, including reinforced silt fencing and filtration of storm water discharges from the construction area into the river.
To anyone that believes in mitigating the negative impacts imparted by the Saw Mill River Parkway construction project, comments are due to Alysse Devine at the DEC by Jan. 7 at DEP.R3@dec.ny.gov.
More information about the project is available on the DEC Environmental News Bulletin at
https://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/20201223_reg3.html#355340039200001.
Gibson Craig
Pleasantville
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