Candidates say Bridge Street Bridge replacement is existential for Phoenicia

Candidates for Ulster County Legislature District 22 made flood resiliency and a major bridge replacement the most urgent infrastructure priority in the forum.

Robert Drake described flood modeling for the Phoenicia corridor and the stakes for the hamlet: "And 8 feet of water would mean there is no Phoenicia," he said, urging county capital-project focus on the Bridge Street Bridge. Kathy Nolan confirmed the county and town have surveyed options, held design charrettes presenting different approaches and are weighing solutions that balance flood capacity with preserving the village's character.

Both candidates said funding and design will involve county, DEP and town coordination; Drake emphasized the scale of the project and called it "existential" for Shandaken's local economy while Nolan noted earlier stream-management projects funded by DEP and the county that inform current proposals.