Screen shots of article:
First two sentences in the article:
"Vince Patane recalled what happened when heavy rains washed away the slope near his Irondequoit home in 2004.
Three days of torrential rains resulted in a mudslide. Tons of brush and dirt slid more than 40 feet toward homes on Bay Front Lane North, where Patane has lived for 28 years."
Let's say, hypothetically, that the slopes along Newport Rd. from the top of the hill to Mooring Line Drive is in danger of failing (according to engineers, lawyers, and SEQR, there is no danger or evidence of failure).
What homes are in danger from sliding mud and trees if a failure happens?
Look at the area that is going to have work done to it, according to a quote in MPNnow the project will be from the top of the hill to Mooring Line Dr.:
Do you see any homes in danger of sliding into the Bay from a failure? Any homes in danger of mud and trees falling on them? Do you see any homes at all on the slopes?
Next part of the article:
"The Newport Road reconstruction will include new sidewalks, gutters, drainage, landscaping and grading or improving rights-of-way. For past slope projects, the town has used a variety of options, such as retaining rods, retaining walls, concrete barriers and gabions — metal cylinders filled with earth or stone. An engineering study, which the town has not yet received, will determine what will be done for Newport Road, Heyman said."
The town bonded a million taxpayer dollars for work to be done on Newport Road BEFORE they saw the engineering study for work to be done on Newport Road?!?!
I. am. just. stunned. Seriously.
Let's take a look at how bad this part of the road is, and how "dangerous" it is, or if there are any edges cracking and/or crumbling:
FYI: Google map data is from this year, 2009, so it is "up to date".
FYI DEUX: Today (10/7/09) I took a drive down to Newport Rd. and noticed that from E. Ridge Rd to the hill, there are potholes filled in and "band-aid" patches to the road. The pylons are gone and that curb is patched, but the road itself is still bad, and in much worse shape than the part of the road from the hill to Mooring Line Dr. I have some video - I'll get that uploaded later.
Little bit of patching on the right. Notice the subtle line across the pavement before the sign, where the crappy pavement ends and the nicer pavement starts? The nicer pavement is where the work will start.
Road looks like it's in good condition, a guardrail is up for safety, the trees all look healthy and stable, and it's not much of a slope right there. No patching on the edges, doesn't look like it's crumbling or cracking, no depressions or "dips" in the road.
Road further down still looks like it's in good condition, and the trees look very healthy - maybe a little pruning needed - but all in all the slope and road look pretty stable. Little bit of wear along the edge, nothing major or anything that indicates a "failure". I see no "dips" in the road either.
Here's the "dangerous blind curve".(Mind you, there has been ONE accident, which unfortunately ended up a fatality, when a car ran off the road...since then a guardrail has been installed.) Edges look a little crumbly, and there are patches along the edge. The "slope" looks fine, and honestly looks better than the edges up the road towards E. Ridge Rd.
Again, the road looks pretty good, some minor patching on the edges, and the trees along the "slope" look healthy and stable.
This is the end of the part where the work will be done, Mooring Line Dr. is in the distance off to the right. Again, the road is in great shape - a little crumbling on the right, the "slope" on the right seems in good condition too with lots of growth and healthy trees....otherwise, I'd say the road was in "pristine" condition. Compared to the other part anyways....
Here's the area where many residents have said they wanted a park to be, and it is perfect for a park that ALL residents can enjoy after they pay for it with their taxes. The part of the road being "repaired" by the town is only going to be enjoyed by the private property that is down there - but ALL taxpayers are paying for it.
Better yet, rather than pictures on Google, take a drive down there and see for yourself. That section of the road is in better condition than the road where there are actual houses - from E. Ridge Rd. to the top of the hill......that road is crap! It's patched all over, there are no sidewalks or gutters, and the pavement is cracking and crumbling all over.
Newport Rd. from the top of the hill to E. Ridge Rd. where there are houses along the road - where NO work is going to be done -(the million taxpayer bonded dollars is for the section from the hill to Mooring Line Drive) so these residents are stuck with a failing road:
FYI: I went to Newport Rd. today (10/7/09) and did notice that the road from the hill to E. Ridge Rd. is patched, and some potholes are filled, and the curb where the pylons are is fixed.
Right after the "line in the road" you can see a pothole and some cracks.
Lots of dips and cracks and potholes.
Yeesh. Just look at this part.
Pretty crappy here too.
Ooooh! Pylons! That'll make a nice goal for a driveway roller hockey game...or a nice souvenir for some neighborhood kids. So, the road leading to private developments which has no houses on it is getting a million taxpayer bond for a repaving........and this part of the road gets orange pylons. Nice. Anyways, the road looks pretty bad here, with cracks, dips, potholes, crumbling road edges ....and "road failure".....happening.
Dips, cracks, bumps, and potholes.
Not bad at this part with E. Ridge Rd. in the distance. But, still no sidewalks, gutters, or repaving at all on this part of the "dedicated road".
What about these taxpayers? Doesn't their road deserve gutters, sidewalks, and repaving? Especially since their road will have more traffic on it when the development is constructed?
Personally, I don't have a problem with stabilizing the slopes IF there is evidence that it would fail. There are precautions you can take for possible weather related failure, and with careful monitoring you can precipitate a failure due to age. Even though SEQR has not indicated that there would be any failure of the slopes.....it is still being done at a cost of a million bonded taxpayer dollars.....BEFORE the engineer report has been reviewed by the town.
The road and slope leading to private developments? No evidence they would fail
Link to town website where you can access all the reports and comments from the DEIS, the public, lawyers, engineers, soil studies, studies on traffic and accidents etc. that show there is no concern over slope failure or road failure or safety.
Link to blog where PB members, PB attorney, and engineers say that there is no problem with the road, slope, or safety.
