This Month’s Featured Article

Recently, community attention has revisited a long-awaited, but undeveloped, project to construct a connecting bridge for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. With this bridge completed, the rail trail would connect Hillsdale to the approximately 24-mile section of already-built trail and the 1.5 mile section that runs from the Hillsdale Hamlet south towards Copake Falls. The expected benefits of this increased foot and cycling traffic for the hamlet are believed to be plentiful.

Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the project’s potential effect on Hillsdale and what the bridge’s completion could mean for the greater region. A selection of Hillsdale’s small business owners have shared their concerns and why this project is so important to them. Furthermore, local officials have shed light on the impact of this implementation from a town’s perspective given the bridge’s current stage of development.

Steve’s perspective & reopening the discussion

Steve Bluestone is one local business owner who has recently spearheaded efforts to draw attention to the promised connecting bridge. He has pursued many steps to encourage action, like contacting local representatives and reaching out to those directly involved in the project. This issue is particularly pertinent to Steve and his wife, Kathy, because of how it has impaired the success of their business.

When the couple purchased the Roe Jan Brewing Company property in June 2018, they believed the HVRT bridge’s construction was on the horizon. But now, six years later, this portion of the rail trail is still nonexistent. As a result, small businesses like Roe Jan Brewing are having trouble staying afloat and foresee further drawbacks.

While the pandemic and other significant complications have understandably led to delays, Steve explains that for a while, his primary frustration was the lack of concrete details surrounding the plan. This was especially important to him less because of the bridge’s progress in itself, but because he will need to make decisions about his brewery’s hours, offerings, and more to ensure it can move forward in a sustainable way. “People like my wife and me have invested significant money in our business and in our town because we saw the bridge coming,” says Steve.

This is why he organized a meeting this past August, gathering local politicians, citizens, and those directly involved with the HVRT project, to establish a more direct line of communication and learn how the community might be able to help move the bridge’s construction along. At the meeting, it was revealed by New York State Parks Department representative Linda Cooper that the project is short $2 million in funding, which means that the HVRT will be unable to secure a company to start building until that money is gathered. During the meeting, those present learned that by law, the Parks Department is not permitted to put a project out to bid until all of the required funds have been raised and committed.

According to Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association chair Philip Meeks, the construction of the bridge is also complex in itself. “To complete this project will require close coordination with the Department of Transportation, land acquisitions and land transfers between HVRTA and NYS Parks, and an off-site construction of the bridge structure itself for the road crossing.”

Despite the land issues being all but resolved and necessary permitting being approved, Meeks says that “HVRTA is working very closely with NYS Parks to secure the necessary funding to close this [$2.1M] gap.”

Meeks shares that they have established important connections to accomplish this end, including “very positive outreach to the offices of both Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to determine if there are any additional funds that they might be able to secure for us to complete this important project” and “funding discussions with Assemblywoman Didi Barrett as well as the office of Governor Hochul.”

Unfortunately, the meeting Steve organized made clear that even in the best-case scenario wherein the finances are attained in full, putting the project out to bid and navigating all the rules and regulations that come with its construction would likely take a minimum of 18-24 months. “It’s upsetting,” Steve says, “but now it’s out in the open. There’s a shortage of money, but now we know.”

The main takeaway from the discussion, to Steve, is that in light of these setbacks, more communities along the entire length of the rail trail and throughout the region need to communicate with each other, collaborate, and combine their advocacy efforts in the hopes of the bridge coming to pass. It is significant now more than ever to rally towns and supervisors at the county level to bring more statewide attention to this issue.

Steve emphasizes that the more people in the community and beyond who know about this issue, the higher the probability that widespread, grassroots action might be taken. “Someone might say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that was a problem,’ and try to help out,” acknowledges Steve.

Further examining the effect on business owners

Steve is one of many business owners in town who recognize this as a major issue for Hillsdale and have seen the effects of inaction firsthand.

Matthew White owns the Hillsdale General Store and HGS Home Chef, and has served on the Hillsdale Hamlet Committee, Historic Hillsdale Committee, and now the Hillsdale Economic Development Committee. He describes how, like Steve and Kathy, he and his husband invested into the town and their businesses with the connecting bridge in mind. Among other contributors, the couple even gave a large multi-year donation toward the effort with the understanding that the rail trail bridge’s establishment was just around the corner.

Recalling the investment, Matthew says, “That now feels like eons ago. It seems this project has repeatedly been placed on the back burner with no serious advocate driving it forward.” He also underscores that local businesses will suffer from further impediments. “The endless delay is beyond regrettable and is harmful to the local economy.”

This postponement has been especially glaring for Hillsdale citizens when so many community members play active roles in developing the town further. The hamlet has its own “comprehensive town plan” outlining future growth that was devised and funded by many years of volunteer work, Matthew explains. In addition to this, implementations like Hillsdale’s own sewer district reflect local residents’ commitment to the town’s vitality and potential.

To Steve, this makes it all the more evident that private donations and scattered local endeavors are not enough to propel the effort, meaning that the state government needs to be the central player in consistent action and the bridge’s overall progress.

Cassie Boinay-Hindes and Kevin Hindes, who recently opened Twisted Sisters Coffee House, feel similarly, highlighting how integral the bridge would be for their business. It is worth mentioning that their cafe is directly adjacent to the Bluestones’ Roe Jan Brewing Co., neither of which are directly on Route 23 or Route 22 and thus do not see the same number of passersby as businesses on the main roads.

“The bridge over the rail trail has to happen. That will bring more traffic here, and that will help the whole hamlet and lower hamlet,” Kevin asserts. “We’re banking on the foot traffic. We’re banking on that happening, connecting us to the rest of Copake Falls.”

Irwin Feld, who owns Irwin Feld Design, also shares his perspective, speaking solely as a town resident and business owner – and in no way in his capacity as a public official. He is confident in Hillsdale’s potential and dynamic geographic position, so much so that he opened a local branch of his design business there in 2023.

“I believe Hillsdale is poised for growth. We are equally located between Hudson, NY, and Great Barrington, MA, on the Route 23 corridor,” he shares. “I chose to become involved in the business areas and the local government in Hillsdale. I know that I can join forces with my neighbors to help make Hillsdale the best version of itself.”

Details & plans from local officials

Hillsdale town supervisor Mike Dvorchak outlines the extent of the rail trail’s impact on the community since he attended the opening of the trail’s northern spur in Hillsdale in 2013. He notes that eleven years ago, “the bridge over Route 22, which would make Hillsdale the northern trail head, was talked about, but we knew it would take lots of planning and preparation. Around 2019, the dreams became more concrete with news that the bridge had been designed and financed.”

Although the project has since been stalled for some time now, Dvorchak states, “We in Hillsdale – the town council members, local business people, and ordinary citizens – are seeking to gain support for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation to cover the added cost and get the bridge built.”

Dvorchak has spoken directly to Assemblywoman Barrett, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, and Governor Hochul’s regional representative, in addition to writing to US Representative Marc Molinaro. He adds that a local supporter has discussed the issue with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Considering the trail as a whole, he says, “All our elected officials deserve praise for getting this stunning asset to our communities built.”

Following these conversations, Dvorchak affirms, “We’re all on the same page: filling the missing gap that will link Hillsdale to the rest of the rail trail to the south is an important project vital to the economic viability of the entire region.”

Chair of the Taconic Region Commission, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, Edgar Masters, also confirms that a multitude of organizations are in support of the project and would like to see it move forward. “The Taconic Region Commission, along with public officials from the Town of Copake, the Town of Hillsdale, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association and local business leaders, urge New York State Parks to make the completion of this section of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail a priority,” he explains. “The communities involved fully support this initiative.”

Copake town supervisor Richard Wolf also notes that in April, he obtained the Copake Town Board’s approval “to pass a resolution authorizing the designation of a stop intersection and authorizing installation of four-way stop signs at Orphan Farm Road and the HVRT crossing.” This will benefit the project, he continues, because it “will facilitate safer use of the rail trail north towards the proposed bridge location.”

Projected economic implications of the bridge

Many emphasize that the project is such an important aspect of Hillsdale’s future because of what a similar phenomenon achieved in nearby Millerton, NY, which has in many respects become an attraction. “The transformation of Millerton has been astonishing to watch,” says Dvorchak. “Millerton is filled with bikers and walkers. The diner and coffee and tea shops are now filled with patrons and the stores are bustling with shoppers. This is in large part due to the influx provided by the rail trail.”

Irwin believes the local economic benefits seen by Millerton can be mirrored in Hillsdale. “We can anticipate a surge in tourism; additions to our retail streetscapes; and needs for lodging, food, bike shops, and more. One can take Metro-North from Grand Central to Wassaic and then bicycle north. I see only positive things happening for our town.”

The HVRT is indeed “the ‘engine’ that greatly strengthens the economies of the towns along the route,” adds Masters. “Completing the Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a most appropriate and essential use of public funds. The Trail is a boon to the community’s citizens, its businesses, and to visitors to the area.”

Wolf also observes that “Copake will benefit indirectly, as some users of the rail trail will, after crossing Route 22, head south into the hamlet of Copake.” Therefore, not only is the economic boost from this plan projected to be substantial, but surrounding towns will reap the benefits of its occurrence.

Meeks sees the trail as “a big driver of economic redevelopment” through its ability to unite the region’s towns, and in the future, this effect will only increase as the current 26 miles of paved trail from Wassaic to Hillsdale is further expanded.

According to Meeks, within the next five years, the organization plans to have more than 12 communities reconnected in the area, in part enlarged through a substantial 26-mile extension into Chatham, NY, and final northern extension into Northern Chatham that will further the HVRT’s economic and recreational benefits. This will all be accomplished in conjunction with NYS Parks, Meeks expresses, and will eventually link the HVRT to the high-traffic, 750-mile Empire State Trail.

With this vibrant future on the horizon, completion of the HVRT bridge through Hillsdale would have a foundational effect for the rail trail as a whole, economically bountiful results for businesses, and a surge in enjoyment for visitors.

Sharing historic charm & natural beauty
Another commonality in many local citizens’ and politicians’ views is the appreciation for Hillsdale’s lush natural scenery and overall nostalgic quality. Just one trip through town underscores the power of the area’s verdant landscapes and charming array of stores, eateries, and lodgings.

On top of this, as Dvorchak makes clear, the hamlet’s “greatest asset is an engaged, civic-minded, and friendly populace.” Irwin shares this sentiment, explaining how the town’s sheer amount of kindness and courtesy struck him immediately following his move into town: “Hillsdale has a charm unlike any place I have visited in the Hudson Valley.”

Not only are the bountiful environmental aesthetics and welcoming people an attraction to locals and tourists alike, but the hamlet is a significant representation of the past. “I learned about the rail trail soon after we moved here almost twenty years ago. Being told about the long history of the HVRT by some of the original board members after the train line was removed in the 1970s was enormously impactful,” Matthew recalls.

The town as a whole reflects this idea in its very foundations, and recent years have only seen an increasing respect for preserving Hillsdale’s historic fiber. “Committed and creative residents live and work here, sacrificing a lot to help achieve sustainable growth while respecting our history,” says Matthew. “The Hamlet of Hillsdale is a National Historic District, a designation hard won by brilliant local volunteers. Preservation projects followed.”

And to Dvorchak, the importance of this connecting bridge is hard to overstate. “Hillsdale is primed to become the rail trail’s northern access point as we’ve been planning for this for over a decade.”

Matthew adds that the bridge would have more than a practical and economically beneficial function. “The bridge would be an iconic and highly visible expression of confidence in our region by the NY State government. I consider the rail trail an essential infrastructure project, something that rural communities like ours rarely receive but desperately need.”

It’s clear, then, that Hillsdale is not only deserving of this investment but that the outcomes of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail connecting bridge will lead the hamlet and surrounding region to flourish even further. Walkers and cyclists will thrive, while local businesses will prosper, and all will be able to happily enjoy all that this corner of the Hudson Valley has to offer. “We live in a gorgeous area,” Steve asserts. “And we can share it.”

For those wanting to get involved with this project, consider reaching out to your elected officials and representatives. To learn more about the trail, please visit hvrt.org.