Why sidewalks are necessary

To the editor: If you’ve thought about purchasing a new home, here in our hometown of Warwick and you use a wheelchair, think again. The Town Planning Board routinely approves town roads too steep for easy access by wheelchair, crutches or a walker. And the town, intent on preserving its rural character, doesn’t promote construction of sidewalks. The town’s ADA coordinator, the Town Board and the Planning Board have all been made aware of the difficulty imposed on those with mobility issues but, they say, sidewalks require maintenance and the town’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Regulations don’t require sidewalks under such circumstances. The BCM clustered subdivision, in Bellvale, is the most recent example. Its sole access from Route 17A exceeds 9 percent. The Federal ADA sidewalk guideline is a maximum of 5 percent. At a recent meeting, the Planning Board determined that a sidewalk would require shoveling in the winter and storm runoff from it would impact wetlands and endangered bog turtles on the property. Even a plea, at a Final Public Hearing, from a representative of Newburgh’s Center for Independent Living didn’t seem to change their minds If you’ve missed the irony in this narrative, consider this: clustered subdivisions were implemented by the town to preserve its rural open space and agricultural land. The BCM development doesn’t “preserve” any open space because its wetlands couldn’t be built on anyway. None of its agricultural land will continue to be farmed for it is needed to “grow” houses. Somehow the 40 4-bedroom mega-mansions, proposed by the developer, don’t look too rural in character. A wheelchair-friendly sidewalk wouldn’t be out of place. It might even seem downright homey. Phyllis R. Briller Bellvale