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Ulster County

Congressman Maurice Hinchey has a proven record of getting results for the communities he represents. Since 1995, he has delivered nearly $4 billion for the 22nd Congressional District, including $304 million for Ulster County. In the last two years, Hinchey has secured more than $10 million for projects in Ulster County.

These federal investments in our region have created jobs, helped communities provide the infrastructure for economic growth, have made low-cost capital available for business startups and expansion, strengthened our schools and health care systems, promoted our tourism industry and lured new businesses to the area.

Hinchey's efforts in the 109th Congress included:

Transportation and Infrastructure Improvements

Hinchey has fought to increase the federal government's investment in our transportation infrastructure, which improves public safety, increases economic development opportunities and alleviates the burden of expensive repairs on local taxpayers.  Among the projects for which Hinchey secured funding are:

  • Tissal Road Relocation, Saugerties: Hinchey earmarked $500,000 in the transportation authorization bill for Tissal Road in the Town of Saugerties, which serves as an entrance to the Northeast Solite plant and is intersected by a CSX rail line.  Much of the traffic leaving and entering Tissal Road is from tractor-trailers entering the plant.  The configuration of the intersection of Tissal Road and Old Kings Highway is such that a truck waiting to exit Tissal Road onto Old Kings Highway has much of its trailer on the railroad tracks.  Currently, trucks waiting to enter the plant when a train is on the tracks are exposed to oncoming traffic on Old Kings Highway.  The federal funds will cover the town's cost for moving the intersection 1200 feet north to allow for a safer intersection.  Currently the Town of Saugerties is seeking additional funds to complete the project.  In the interim, they are working with NYSDOT, CSX and Northeast Solite to construct a temporary signal and gate system to better control traffic at the intersection and crossing.
  • Ulster County Hybrid Bus Purchase: In the transportation appropriations bill for the 2005 fiscal year, Hinchey earmarked $250,000 for Ulster County's Department of Transportation to purchase a hybrid diesel bus, which will replace an aging, polluting diesel fuel bus.
  • East Kingston Water Supply: In March 2005, Hinchey worked with the U.S.D.A. to award a $500,000 grant and a $457,800 low-interest loan for the Town of Ulster to connect 56 East Kingston households to the City of Kingston's water supply, ending the need for residents to use old, unsafe wells.  This package is in addition to $1 million in grant and loan funding Hinchey secured for the project in 2004.
  • Ulster County Area Transit Center: With help from $5.8 million in federal funding, including $2.5 million in appropriations earmarks from Hinchey, Ulster County opened its new county Transit Center, consolidating the county-run bus system, maintenance facilities for the fleet, and a transit training center at one location. 
  • Kings Highway Water Infrastructure, Saugerties: Using his position as a member of the House Interior Appropriations Committee, Hinchey earmarked $2.1 million to extend water and wastewater infrastructure along Kings Highway, allowing for continued commercial development along that corridor.  The town is working with engineers to complete the design of the system, working with the state to ascertain (and minimize) the amount of debt payments per person in the newly formed water/sewer district, and working to secure additional funds.

Economic Development and Job Creation

Creating jobs and improving the economic conditions of the 22nd District are always Congressman Hinchey's top priorities, and he has worked to bring federal dollars to Ulster County that create the climate for economic growth.  Key projects in the 109th Congress included:

  • Kingston Waterfront Restoration: In the 2005 transportation bill, Hinchey earmarked $1.04 million to enhance Kingston's waterfront promenade by constructing a landscaped trail from the site of the proposed Noah Hotel to Kingston Point.  The trail will provide new waterfront recreational opportunities, with greater access to the Rondout and the waterfront commercial district.  It will link the proposed developments along the waterfront and serve as a destination for residents and tourists.  Funds will also be used for streetscaping, including trees, lighting, benches, and other amenities.  The city is currently working with NYSDOT to get final approval to begin construction.  Once approved, the city can begin design work and expects to go to bid for construction in January.
  • Uptown Kingston Improvements: The transportation authorization bill also included $1.04 million for streetscaping in Uptown Kingston, including trees, lighting, sidewalks and curb cutting at intersections.  The funds will help to implement a plan for the historic district created by the city and the Uptown Business Association, including the restoration of the Pike Plan.   
  • Saugerties Street Upgrades: Hinchey successfully earmarked $960,000 in the transportation authorization bill to help Saugerties' nine-point beautification plan, which includes such projects as improving street lighting, Main Street cleanup, parking lot repair, and tree revitalization.  Eight blocks of the downtown area have been designated as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.  The beautification plan seeks to emphasize the area's historic features.  Hinchey has previously secured $325,000 to help with the plan.  These funds will allow for the installation of paving stones, which will be more durable and more consistent with the village's historic character.  Currently, some sidewalks have been repaired, overhead electric lines have been buried, more than 50 historic lamp poles have been added and historic street signs have been placed throughout the village.  The village is anticipating approval soon from NYSDOT for the completion of the projects.
  • Kirkland Hotel, Kingston: After years of working to secure the funding and other necessary clearances, Hinchey joined city officials in the groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration of the historic Kirkland Hotel in Kingston.  The total cost of the restoration to the hotel is $4,275,200, of which $1,066,200 is coming from the federal government.  When the restoration is complete, the Kirkland will feature nearly 6,000 square feet of restaurant and pub space, 6,000 square feet of office space and 3,000 square feet of rental housing designed as "work-live" space.  The project is estimated to create more than 40 jobs in Kingston.  In addition to the restaurant jobs, other positions are expected to be created through small business expansion and new ventures in the office space.  The design calls for the building to be wired for information technology to attract high tech businesses to the office space and technology professionals to the work-live space.
  • Noah Hotel, Kingston: After seven years and the dedication of $8.5 million in federal grants, tax credits and loans for the $10.5 million project, Hinchey joined city leaders and the project developer in breaking ground for the Noah Hotel on the West Strand waterfront, at the site of the former Forst meatpacking plant.  The Noah Hotel will have 57 rooms along with catering facilities, a spa, restaurant, and conference room.  A 16-boat dock and marina will be constructed along the Rondout Creek directly in front of the hotel.  Projected cost overruns have delayed construction of the project, but the city is working with the developer to reconfigure the project to alleviate cost increases.

Flood Recovery

The Hudson Valley has been plagued with serious flood events over the past two years.  Hinchey has worked to meet the immediate needs of residents and the long-term goal of flood mitigation for their communities, including:

  • April 2005 Flood Response: On April 4, Hinchey issued an urgent appeal to Governor Pataki to request a Major Disaster Declaration from President Bush after a week of heavy rains caused severe damage in Ulster County, and across the 22nd Congressional District.  Bush approved flood aid on April 20.  In addition, Hinchey worked with the U.S.D.A. to secure $650,000 in emergency farm aid from the federal Farm Service Agency's Emergency Conservation Program to help farmers in Ulster and Orange counties recover from the early April floods, and secured $650,000 from the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Emergency Watershed Protection Program for the reconstruction of eight flood-damaged watershed sites in the towns of Hardenburgh, Shandaken and Wawarsing.  
  • June 2006 Flood Response:  As heavy rains continued to fall on June 28, 2006, Hinchey urgently appealed to Governor Pataki to immediately request a Major Disaster Declaration from President Bush, which clears the way for emergency federal funding.  The next day, he led the New York congressional delegation in calling on President Bush to immediately send federal aid and support to the 13 counties severely affected by the severe floods.  When the president failed to designate all of the affected communities as federal disaster areas,thereby limiting the aid available, Hinchey successfully pushed the Administration to expand its declaration.  Hinchey has also worked to help New York's farmers recover from the flooding, announcing $2.25 million in federal farm aid in August and working for additional funding for the Emergency Watershed Program, which relieves imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences.

Public Safety

Hinchey has taken advantage of his position as a member of the House Appropriations Committee to increase the federal government's investment in Ulster County's public safety facilities, including:

  • Ulster County Sheriff's Department: In a 2005 fiscal year appropriations bill, Hinchey earmarked $250,000 for the Ulster County Sheriff's Department to purchase a Mobile Command Vehicle to coordinate in-field communications between multiple jurisdictions.
  • Youth at Risk Program:  Hinchey earmarked $150,000 in federal appropriations for the Kingston-Newburgh Enterprise Community (KNEC) to administer a Youth at Risk Program in the Cities of Kingston and Newburgh and provide grant funding to local community-based organizations that are working with area youths.  Funding will be targeted to organizations with a proven track record of providing educational, conflict-resolution, self-discovery and physical activities to local children and adolescents with the goal of helping them make healthier life choices and steering them away from drugs, gang activity, and violence.
  • Drug Free Communities:  Kingston Cares was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy to provide services to at-risk children aimed at reducing the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Historic and Environmental Preservation

As a national leader in environmental and historic protection, Hinchey's efforts have always started in his own backyard.  The Hudson Valley's most important assets are its natural resources and historic treasures, but Hinchey knows that it takes hard work and smart planning for communities to preserve the quality of life in our region.  He has supported these efforts, and his key projects in the 109th Congress included:

  • Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area: As the creator of the Heritage Area, which is tasked with protecting, promoting and interpreting the Hudson Valley's rich historic, cultural and industrial importance, Hinchey has continued to champion the program and provide it with federal funds, garnering more than $1 million in 2004-2005, with an additional $500,000 pending this year.  In 2004, Hinchey hosted a day-long Heritage Area summit at the Wallace Center in Hyde Park, resulting in recommendations to increase signage for historic sites, identifying revenue sources for ongoing restoration work, using the Internet to create virtual tours and coordinating operating hours of sites.
  • Ulster Performing Arts Center: In appropriations legislation enacted in 2004, Hinchey earmarked $121,250 for needed renovations to the facility while preserving the building's historic features.
  • Land Use Law Center: Hinchey succeeded in earmarking $200,000 for Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress and Pace University's Land Use Law Center to provide land-use training to local leaders in upstate New York.
  • Esopus Bend Nature Preserve: Hinchey attended the ribbon-cutting for the 256-acre Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, the result of a deal brokered by Hinchey through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The property was purchased by the Esopus Creek Conservancy from the Catskill Center for Conservation using a $250,000 payment charged to Horse Shows in the Sun as a penalty for disturbing wetlands during construction of its facility.  The preserve, formerly part of the Schroeder Farm, includes a forested river plain, hemlock groves, a large meadow and wetlands.  Its preservation ensures that development will be limited along the town/village border.
  • American Revolution Anniversary Legislation: Hinchey's legislation to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the American Revolution was enacted and he set aside $200,000 in an Interior Appropriations earmark to fund the implementation of this commemorative project, which will highlight the Hudson Valley's role in the founding of the nation.
  • Byrdcliffe Art Colony: The 2006 fiscal year's Interior Appropriations bill included, at Hinchey's request, $130,000 for the Woodstock Guild of Craftsmen/Byrdcliffe Art Colony to renovate artist cottages, barns, theatre, and the founder's home.
  • SUNY New Paltz/SUNY Ulster Environmental Laboratory: In November 2005, Hinchey earmarked $750,000 in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for the modernization and development of an environmental laboratory at SUNY New Paltz, which will be used in collaboration with SUNY Ulster.  The two schools will use the funds together to offer a full range of environmental education and training opportunities that address biological, geological, and chemical water issues and problems, including growing concerns about bioterrorism threats to the region's water supply.
  • Sam's Point Preserve Visitors' Center: The transportation authorization bill provided $400,000 for a visitors' center at Sam's Point Preserve, a 4,700-acre wilderness area on the Shawangunk Ridge in Cragsmoor that is designated by the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark because of its unique geology and vegetation.  Sam's Point is owned by the Open Space Institute and managed by the Nature Conservancy and is open to the public.  The current entrance to the Preserve and existing roadway to the trailheads are badly degraded. The $400,000 will be used for infrastructure at the preserve entrance, including lighting, parking and construction of a visitors' center.  In addition, the existing degraded three-mile loop of roadway within the Preserve that provides access to trailheads for more than ten miles of trail, including pedestrian connection to Minnewaska State Park and Preserve, will be reconditioned.

Affordable Housing

The cost of housing in the Hudson Valley has skyrocketed in the past few years, preventing thousands of families from becoming homeowners and stranding the lowest-income households with few or no options.  Hinchey has worked to increase the affordable housing stock in the region, including:

  • Birchwood Village Development, Kingston: In June 2005, Hinchey announced the award of a $750,000 Federal Home Loan Bank grant to the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency for the Birchwood Village housing complex in Kingston.  The Birchwood Village project created 44 two-bedroom apartments and 36 three-bedroom apartments for low-income households.
  • The Birches at Saugerties:  The Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing Program provided $750,000 to Birchez Associates for the development of The Birches at Saugerties, a 60-unit affordable housing complex consisting of 10 buildings, contains 52 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom apartments.  The units are targeted to the frail elderly and seniors on public housing waiting lists or in substandard housing.
  • Woodstock Commons: Hinchey also announced a Federal Home Loan Bank award of $310,000 to the Rural Ulster Preservation Company (RUPCO) for the Woodstock Commons project, which will have 53 units of intergenerational affordable rental housing.  Senior citizens will occupy 20 of the units and 33 units will be for families.  The senior units will be one-bedroom apartments and the family units will range from one to three bedrooms.

Belleayre Development

Hinchey strongly opposes developer Dean Gitter's proposal for Belleayre Resort because of its impact on the New York City Watershed, Catskill Park, and the surrounding communities, and unveiled an alternative, environmentally sound proposal for the site.  Hinchey's plan would allow for scaled-down development at the Belleayre site to proceed, while ensuring that the New York City Watershed remains free of harm.  In addition to the environmental component, Hinchey said that he wants to finalize a plan for the proposed resort so that other economic development in the area, such as the Belleayre Ski Center's expansion, can move forward.  On August 3, 2006, EPA's Regional Administrator endorsed Hinchey's alternative.
PCB Cleanup

For decades, Hinchey has led the fight to begin the cleanup of PCB contamination in the Hudson River and hold General Electric accountable for its pollution.  When GE and the Bush Administration's Environmental Protection Agency tried to stall the process, Hinchey pushed harder.

When GE inserted a provision into legislation in 2005 that would have stalled the cleanup while another National Academy of Sciences (NAS) dredging study was conducted, Hinchey negotiated a deal to ensure that the study could not delay dredging in the Hudson River.  In addition, Hinchey also negotiated changes in the direction of the study to make it more balanced.

In April 2006, Hinchey met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson to lobby for the agency's support of a real-time monitoring system that would continuously track the levels and locations of PCB contamination in the Hudson River throughout the clean-up process.  He secured a promise from Johnson that the agency would look for ways in which they could possibly fund a real-time monitoring system.

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