MONTICELLO - Due to high-volume traffic on the weekends, a third lane is being proposed for Route 17 from Sullivan County to Harriman, announced Marc Baez, President/CEO of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development.

“It's starting to really get legs,” Baez told the Sullivan County legislators during the Economic Development Committee meeting on Thursday.

Baez added that a coalition was formed and they started to push this idea of getting a third lane done on 17 to be able to address the traffic issues on Fridays and Sundays, and be proactive on development taking place around the area.

Money was successfully procured for an implementation plan costing $5 million. The plan is for the Department of Transportation to look into logistics of how to add a third lane, for example looking at the engineering, interchanges, right of ways, and any other issues.

The next step would be to fund the capital cost of the entire project. They estimate it at $500 million and would ideally come out to $100 million a year for five years. Baez noted that this year is the end of New York State's five-year capital plan that they engage in for roadwork, so the effort was to have this included in the five-year capital plan.

“We are going to approach healthcare facilities, businesses, EMT folks, schools, anybody who we identify as a stakeholder and has a vested interest in that happening on 17,” Baez said.

This project comes at a time when the county is seeing new developments, such as the Resorts World Catskills Casino and YO1 Wellness Center, attracting more visitors.

“With all the investment that's taking place now, with all the effort that the county has put in, it just makes sense in making sure we move this along so that we have that relief from the congestion as we bring visitors into the area,” Baez said.

The plan would be to begin construction in areas identified as emergency areas, Baez said, which would include Monticello and Liberty. In addition, all bridges in place are already designed for a third lane. The route would go all the way to Exit 100 in Liberty.

“This is important, this is critical,” Baez noted. “This is needed to keep the momentum going to make sure there isn't a bottleneck in two years where people that want to come here and experience all the things we tout in Sullivan County don't have a bad experience because they're sitting on the highway.”

Another waterpark?

The Partnership for Economic Development included in their report that a waterpark may be coming to the county. The report states, “We have responded to an inquiry for a tourist destination water related attraction project. This is not a traditional indoor waterpark as we know it but offers unique experiences. Projected for 60 full-time jobs and $65 million in total investment.”

There is already a waterpark set to open in the county—the Kartrite in Monticello, and Great Wolf Lodge is planning an indoor waterpark resort in Orange County. Baez said that there is enough demand to have a third water park in the area, and that there is no worry of oversaturation.

He said the marketplace here is 45 million. They compared that to the marketplace in Wisconsin Dells, a city in Wisconsin that boasts 12 different water attractions. The marketplace there is smaller, so ideally there should be a great enough need.

“We're going to proceed and do our due diligence. It makes sense,” Baez remarked, adding that the proposed business could be used for conventions.

Workforce at all-time high

Laura Quigley, Director of the Center for Workforce Development, reported that the workforce in the county for the month of November was 37,000, which was the highest for that month.

The unemployment rate was 3.3 percent. Quigley said the county along with the capital region is second lowest in the state in terms of unemployment rates.

Quigley reported that they will hold a job fair in April. “We've been doing a lot of mini job fairs at the career center, with three or four businesses coming in every month,” she said. “We're doing on-site recruitments and stuff and that's been going fairly well. We've been sending a lot of people to Kartrite waterpark.”

Plans for traffic circle unveiled

The Planning Department presented their Grow the Gateways project to the legislators at the Planning Community Development, Real Property and Capital Planning and Budgeting Committee meeting.

One of the key projects is the traffic circle at Exit 106 near the casino. There has been feedback that the design is confusing. Planning Commissioner Freda Eisenberg said the Town of Thompson is taking the lead in changing the signage to make it easier to understand.

The Planning Department is looking into putting a piece of public art in the center of the circle. They did a study into other cities that have done this, and it makes the traffic circle a better experience.

For example, in Bend, Oregon there is a “Roundabout Art Route” that has over 20 pieces of public art placed in the center of traffic circles. It helps with safety at traffic circles and also becomes a tourist attraction.

Eisenberg said the county could commission an artist to create a piece for the circle.