Environmental agency delays approval of paving

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Opponents of widening the Putnam Trail in Van Cortlandt Park see a glimmer of hope as the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has yet to approve Parks Department plans to pave and expand the nature path. 

On Aug. 28, a spokesperson from the DEC confirmed that the Parks Department’s plan to pave the trail with permeable, non-toxic and flexible material, as recommended by Community Board (CB) 8 and outlined in the Parks Department’s Master Plan, is pending review and has not yet been approved by DEC. 

The DEC did not have a deadline set for its review. 

For members of the advocacy group Save the Putnam Trail, along with unaffiliated individuals opposed to aspects of the trail renovations, the delay means extra time to discuss alternatives to the current plan. 

“We feel this is a golden opportunity to work out different compromises for all the park users,” said Laura Spalter, a CB 8 member. 

Pending DEC approval, the Parks Department hopes to expand the width of the trail from eight to 15 feet, with 10 feet of permeable asphalt for biking, three feet of compacted earth for walkers and a two-foot buffer path for drainage. The Putnam Trail runs 1.5 miles through Van Cortlandt Park, one link in what was once the Putnam Excursion Rail Line running from Grand Central Station to Putnam County.

The Parks Department’s original plans called for asphalt pavement. But things changed in the Van Cortlandt Park Master Plan, which calls for trails to be permeable, non-toxic and flexible. CB 8 recommended the adjustment out of concern that runoff from asphalt would harm wetlands near the Putnam Trail. 

Hoping for reversal

Advocates still hope to see the authorities reverse plans to widen the path and continue to insist that the trail’s surface be renovated in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ms. Corber suggested either compacted soil surface or crushed rock as the new material for the path, saying that would make the trail handicapped-accessible, reduce runoff and eliminate the need for a gutter.

Further, Ms. Corber said keeping the path at its current width would save nearby trees and foliage from the ax.

Putnam Trail, Van Cortlandt Park, Department of Environmental Conservation, Laura Spalter, Save the Putnam Trail, Master Plan, Suzanne Corber, Bob Bender, Parks Department, CB 8, Maya Rajamani
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