Planning board approves wetlands permit for Oak Summit Bridge; state and federal approvals still required

The Planning Board voted to approve a wetlands permit for the Town of Washington to remove and replace the Oak Summit Bridge over Sprout Creek, following a presentation by Collier's Engineering and a public hearing with several residents.

Dan Barnon of Collier's Engineering described the proposal and told the board the planned construction would take approximately six to eight weeks during the summer months. Resident Tim Marshall said "not having a bridge for that amount of time will be a great inconvenience," and other residents asked questions about staging and whether alternative materials or design changes (including a covered bridge) had been considered.

Chairman Doug Giles noted the planning board's approval of the wetlands permit but emphasized the project still requires external reviews. "We received approval from the planning board but now we also have to have approval from New York State DEC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," he said, and confirmed the town has submitted applications for those agencies' review.

The hearing record shows the board weighed resident concerns about traffic interruptions and alternative design suggestions before voting to approve the wetlands permit with the expectation that state and federal environmental approvals be obtained before work begins.

Next steps outlined by the board include awaiting DEC and U.S. Army Corps determinations, securing contractor scheduling for a summer construction window, and finalizing required permit conditions. No construction start date was set at the meeting.