County agrees to take Long Hill Road segment; town keeps and maintains pedestrian improvements

The Public Workers Committee on Aug. 5 authorized transferring a section of Long Hill Road — roughly the stretch from the Malta town line to Main Street in Jonesville, a distance staff described as just shy of 1 mile — into Saratoga County ownership. Staff said the town will retain ownership and ongoing maintenance responsibility for pedestrian accommodations, sidewalks, closed drainage and the traffic signal the town installed at the intersection with Ushertz Road.

Staff explained the transfer follows a common pattern in which towns install pedestrian or town-center improvements within county right-of-way; the town acquires or maintains those improvements while the county retains travel lanes and shoulders. “We’ll take the entire right away… and we allow that to happen so long as the town owns and maintains those improvements,” the staff member said. The staff also noted prior similar arrangements in Clifton Park and the town of Milton.

A committee member asked whether future transfers will be required when towns want to install pedestrian improvements; staff said that, based on experience, transfers like this occur when towns want to add nonstandard features and that they do not anticipate a change in practice. The transfer motion was moved and approved by voice vote.

Next steps: county and town staff will finalize the legal transfer documentation and record maintenance responsibilities in the transfer agreement.