Highland approves new bridge design for Barryville

By TOM KANE

ELDRED — The Town of Highland Board has selected one of two Shohola/Barryville bridge designs that the NY-PA Bridge Commission presented earlier this month. The vote was unanimous.

“The difference between the options is aesthetic—what type of stone work will be used, things like that,” said town supervisor Allan Schadt to the town board and residents at the board meeting on June 11.

Schadt said that the Shohola Township, directly across river, selected that same option at its last meeting.

“Most everyone who’s seen the drawings likes the look of this particular option,” he said. The old bridge will be taken down when the new bridge is open sometime in 2005, he said. Bids will go out in 2003.

Schadt showed the detailed architect’s drawings to the gathering.

Walkways along one side of the bridge and pedestrian paths leading to the bridge on both sides are aspects of the construction that will be attractive to tourists, Schadt said.

The new bridge’s capacity will be 45 tons.

In other board matters, Dave Greenberger, of the town planning board, urged the board to take decisive action to encourage residents to sign up for the new cell tower near Eldred that has no company providers as of yet.

“We were somewhat deceived by SBA when they said there would be companies who wanted to use the towers to offer service,” Greenberger said.

The town has two such towers that are not being utilized at all, one very close to Eldred and another in Highland Lake.

Verizon told the planning board that it would provide service if the town could show them 1000 names of interested residents. “How are we going to get 1,000 residents to sign up?” Greenberger asked.

“Why does it have to be residents?” said town attorney Andy Boyer. “Why not have petitions available around the town where transients could also sign the petition? People coming through want service too.”

The board resolved to support such efforts to get signatures from as many people as possible.