YOUNGSVILLE, NY — About 60 people turned out to the Youngsville fire hall on July 23 to get a look at revised plans to replace the bridge over Panther Rock Creek on State Route 52 in Youngsville.

Initially, the plan prepared by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) with input from multiple other local, state and federal entities, called for the bridge to be lifted three feet. That plan, presented to the public in November 2014, also called for demolishing the Youngsville Garage and building retaining walls in front of the Youngsville Custom Kitchens and the Youngsville General Store.

A number of people complained about the plan, including former Town of Callicoon Supervisor Linda Babicz, who with her husband Joe owns the Youngsville Custom Kitchens. She said the old plan would render her building and the grocery store building unusable.

In response to public comment, DOT created a new plan, which calls for the demolition of the Babicz building and the grocery store, while the Youngsville Garage will remain in place. The new plan calls for moving the bridge a bit to the east, and expanding the length by 15 feet.

Another feature of the proposed bridge is the creation of a flood bench, which would be a ledge created under the bridge, higher than the bed of the creek. During times of heavy flooding, would allow more water and debris to flow under the bridge with the goal of mitigating future flooding at the location.

The two buildings in question are near the confluence of Panther Rock Creek and Callicoon Creek, and have flooded several times over the past decade, especially since 2006, and there seemed to be agreement among some in the community that it makes sense for these buildings to be removed from that location, which, even with the proposed replacement of the bridge, is likely to flood again.

There were only two public comments offered at the meeting. One came from Isaac Green Diebboll, who is seeking to fill Cindy Gieger’s seat in the Sullivan County Legislature. He thanked DOT officials for listening to the public. He said, “As I understand it, the original plan would have rendered two adjacent buildings worthless, yet they would have remained standing. The new plan calls for the demolition of both buildings. It’s better to demolish them than to leave them standing and abandoned as eyesores and potential safety hazards.”

Anna Leroy owned the general store for 45 years before she sold the building several years ago. She said the building had served the community well for all those years, and for the 40 years it operated before she took over. She said it had served as a hub for the community, and was a center of activity.

According to a DOT booklet passed out at the meeting, the bridge is on a flood warning watch list and “must be monitored by trained staff… when a flood warning has been issued by the National Weather Service or the Office of Emergency Management… At least 10 monitoring periods and inspections over the last six years have caused the department recurring costs and resources.”

A couple of residents said the bridge over the Callicoon Creek also floods frequently, but at this time there are no DOT plans for that bridge.

The final design for the project is expected to be complete by fall of 2016 when it will be put out to bid. Construction is expected to be complete by the fall of 2017. During construction, which is expected to last about a year, traffic over the bridge will be reduced to a single-lane controlled by a traffic light. The cost is estimated at $1.3 million.