September 26, 1984 T Vol XXVIII. No. 39 . The weekly newspaper T serving the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland ··- Planners reverse, Bypass gets its opening

By Theresa Bobear west end of the Bypass. But, as the board had apparently re­ Dyke Rd. by Seigal, possible if the town can present a logical The Bethlehem Planning Board Chairman Charles Redmond sponded to strong neighborhood installation of a limited access plan the state could be persuaded last week reversed itself and approved explained, the project is far from opposition to the PRD zoning. road through an 80-acre parcel of to participate in ·the other sections. PRD zoning for David and Robin final approvaL The town board But last week the Bypass was lan,d planned for development by Supervisor Tom Corrigan said Seigal's proposed Juniper Fields must still hold a public hearing paramount. Howard Nolan and Norris McFar­ Friday he discussed the town's subdivision off Elm Ave., clearing and then hold its own vote, setting "The corridor exists now," land to connect Orchard St. and need for a corridor through the the way for an extension of the the number of dwelling units to be Building Inspector John Flanigan Delaware Ave. and, finally, in­ Nolan-McFarland property with Delmar Bypass. allowed. If Planned Residence said. "We have a chance to plan stallation of a road connecting the the owners last week. "They said District status is granted, the they would definitely look at it," In bowing to the town board's for that corridor now, we may not Byp'tss at Van Dyke Rd. to project goes back to the planning wishes for a '"limited access later." Delaware Ave. and the rebuilding he said. board for consideration of details extension" the planners returned or rerouting of Fisher Blvd. Flanigan called the 1,700 foot and conditions and another public Flanigan outlined a long range to Siegal's original plan calling for plan by which the town could Town officials are hoping that extension of the Bypass by Seigal hearing· for building project 282 townhouses in clusters and eventually connect the bypass the Siegal and Nolan-McFarland a start. '"We're supposed to be approval, Redmond said. eight single-family houses in the with Rt. 85. The plan includes sections can be accomplished by 58. 7-acre parcel situated at the In its first vote on the project, ~xtension of the Bypass to Van the developers, and speculate that (Turn to Paxe 9)

Bridging the Normanski/1, again

The new Normanskill Bridge - actually two design with slanted legs secured with concrete parallel structures fastened by a '"flush median" - footings embedded in the gorge walls. will be supported by an unusual "grasshopper" DOT drawing Work starts on new Route 9W bridge

One state Department of Transportation official of construction the disruption will be minimal, he called it "perhaps the most widely publicized bridge said,~ in the Capital District," but Thursday's ground- The 68-year-old bridge is being replaced by two breaking ceremony for the new Normanskill Bridge parallel 470-foot-long structures connected by a on Rt. 9W was as much a means of promoting the "flush median." The first two-lane span will be states massive "Rebuild New York" program as to · constructed to the west of the current bridge, which alert the public to this particular project. will remain in place until it is finished. Then the old Construction of the $6.6 million bridge, which will bridge will be torn down to make way for the second take about two years, will inevitablY cause some span. inconvenience, noted Donald Geoffrey, director of About 15,000 vehicles a day cross the bridge, The present bridge carrying Delaware Ave. over the Normanskill DOTs Region One (and coiner of the "most pub- which serves as a major link between Bethlehem and was built in 1928, superceding the concrete structure that is still in use l,tc1zed bridge" epithet). But because of the method (Turn to Page 3) immediately below the Delaware Ave. bridge. That bridge, built in 1911-12, replaced an iron bridge erected by the town after