Red Hook considers expanding St. Margaret’s ADA ramp to include a 15-space lot; town asks staff for cost options

The Red Hook Town Board reviewed conceptual plans Dec. 10 to expand a planned CDBG-funded ADA ramp at St. Margaret’s to include a modest parking area of about 15 spaces on the property’s south side. The town received county CDBG approval to shift previously awarded interior accessibility funds to exterior ADA improvements; staff presented a concept that would pair the single paved accessible stall (covered by the grant) and ramp with an adjacent low-impact gravel lot so the site would have designated parking for visitors and programs.

Why it matters: St. Margaret’s has been undergoing building renovations and needs accessible public entry and nearby parking for programs, volunteers and visitors. Board members said a lack of designated parking now forces ad hoc parking across lawns and creates maintenance and safety concerns.

Project scope and funding discussion Town staff said the county agreed to allow the grant to cover the exterior ramp and the single accessible parking stall; exterior ADA work will include a paved accessible stall, access aisle and a paved route to the ramp and door with push-button access. Landscape consultants supplied a concept showing a gravel parking area for about 15 vehicles adjacent to an existing garage (used by rec staff for equipment) and screened by existing perimeter deciduous trees. The consultant and staff noted the site pitches into a low area and that siting the array in low ground reduces visibility for other town projects; for St. Margaret’s the topography provides some natural screening along Route 9.

Town staff estimated an order‑of‑magnitude cost for the additional parking and earthwork at roughly $75,000–$100,000, to be paid from town funds (the ADA ramp and accessible stall would be covered by the county CDBG grant and the earlier county review). The board discussed construction timing: staff said they plan to bid the ADA improvements in January so a contractor would be ready for spring construction.

Maintenance, containment and ADA questions Board members and staff raised maintenance questions about a gravel lot: how to contain loose stone to prevent stones being thrown by mowers or plows onto Route 9, and how to plow and maintain the surface in winter. A possible design approach is timber wheel stops or a low timber border to contain gravel, and a snow-storage design that keeps accumulated plowed snow within a designated area. An alternative discussed was permeable pavers or reinforced grass-grid (plastic grid with planted turf) for parking stalls; staff said pavers can be relatively expensive and noted the aisle often still uses stone. The town’s recreation staff had been consulted and said a gravel lot was acceptable but asked for measures to make plowing and maintenance practicable.

Quotes "The ADA design... has a continuous route from the parking area to the door," said Brandy Nelson, the consultant engineer, summarizing accessible-route details.

"Gravel requires maintenance and creates issues for mowing and plowing," a board member said during discussion, urging staff to return with containment and alternative-surface options.

Board direction The board asked staff to return with a short list of options and rough cost estimates (including timber containment, permeable pavers and grass-grid options), plus maintenance implications for each. Staff said they would present those options and refined estimates at a future meeting so the board could decide whether to expand the CDBG-funded ADA scope to include the larger parking area or keep the grant scope limited to the paved accessible stall and ramp.

Ending Staff said the town will proceed with the grant-funded ADA ramp procurement (bid in January) and will return with parking-surface options and costs to allow the board to decide on any expanded scope and town funding.