Red Hook board awards $217,700 contract for Saint Margaret’s accessibility work, forms comprehensive-plan steering committee

The Red Hook Town Board on April 23 voted to award a public bid to the lowest responsible bidder for accessibility and parking improvements at Saint Margaret’s and approved the town’s new comprehensive-plan steering committee, including naming its chair and a town-board liaison.

The board approved a contract award for the Saint Margaret’s Accessibility Project to the low bidder (identified in the bid opening as Bennett and Contracting) with a total bid amount of $217,700. The project funded by a grant includes an ADA-compliant bluestone walkway to the rear entrance, an ADA landing to accommodate door swings, finished stone columns around an existing overhang, and a paved parking area with roughly 20 spaces, two of which will be ADA-accessible. The board voted on the award by voice vote after a recommendation from town staff and the project engineer.

The award matters because it uses state grant funding to make an historic town building accessible for public use while adding parking. The work as described by the town’s project representative is limited to the walkway, ADA parking and site amenities covered by the grant; the driveway entrance to the property and a custom rear-door opener were removed from the bid package and will be handled separately.

Ryan Morrison, the project engineer from High and Bond, told the board the base bid covers the work fundable by the grant and that two bid alternates were included: one to expand the bluestone surfacing where it would otherwise be concrete, and a second to separate the asphalt parking lot as a bid alternate so the town and county can track funding sources. “The base bid was strictly the work that could be funded by the grant itself,” Morrison said.

Town Supervisor read the resolution into the record and Council member Christine Kane moved to award the contract; Council member Julia Salomon seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.

The board also acted on the town’s comprehensive-plan update, accepting the awarded Department of State grant and confirming a contract with consultants to manage public engagement and preparation of an updated plan. The board appointed an 11-member steering committee to guide the process and serve as a public outreach body during the 18–24 month update. The list published by staff includes Agatha Basilar, Laurie Houston, Dennis Knook, Jennifer Mignon, Chuck Mead, Hart Migdal, Sam Phelan, Tricia Reid, Ben Shute, Doug Jerwinski and Julia Salomon (who was listed as willing to serve). The steering committee will include a required planning-board representative and liaisons from the villages and Bard College when those entities name representatives.

Julia Salomon, named the committee chair by the board, explained the comprehensive plan is a long-range guidance document that is separate from zoning and will inform future code and program changes. “The comprehensive plan really is the long-range document that guides and codifies what Red Hook wants the community to look and feel like for the future,” Salomon said. The board also named Council member Christine Kane as the town-board liaison to the steering committee. Salomon abstained from a recorded voice vote on her own appointment.

Finally, the board approved a resolution permitting Historic Red Hook to apply for a state historic marker for the Red Church Cemetery recognizing Revolutionary War-era burials; the resolution authorizes the application and grants permission to place the marker on the town property. The board also scheduled a short special meeting for April 28 at 7:30 p.m. to address a personnel appointment for the Board of Assessment Review.

The Saint Margaret’s contract award concludes the town’s public-bid process for the grant-funded components. The town staff and consultants will return to the board with separate bids and recommendations for the custom door opener and any state DOT coordination needed for the site entrance. The comprehensive-plan steering committee will begin outreach this spring, including a presence at Apple Blossom Day and other public engagement events, and the consultant-led process is expected to run roughly 18 to 24 months.