Completing an $8 million water infrastructure program, securing cameras and two access entries for a popular bike path, and selling the former 45-acre foundry site are some of the goals Painted Post Village Mayor Ralph Foster has as he looks forward to a new term in office.
Foster, who was reelected as Village Mayor in March, said the village recently received a $5 million grant to upgrade village water infrastructure.
The work is expected to improve the flow and the pressure up to West Hill Terrace while installing a new water storage tank on Reservoir Road, near the village’s current water storage tank.
Foster said the first phase of the project is currently underway.
“Obviously it’s an $8 million project and through the grant, we received $5 million, so we are going to have to close that gap,” Foster said. “Hunt Engineering, who is doing the water infrastructure study, is looking for additional funding.”
Foster said if the additional funding cannot be found, village officials would have to pick and choose what pieces of the $8 million project can be done.
“We don’t want to do that,” Foster said. “So, we are working to find that needed money.”
Foster said work on the project will begin sometime this summer and likely be completed sometime in 2027.
Upgrades to the bike path in Painted Post
Foster said he plans to complete a project in the coming years to install security cameras throughout the bike path inside the village, from the Riverside Town border to Craig Park. The village would also like to install two new access points to the bike path.
“We’ve received a $680,000 grant to fund this project in 2022, but we still aren’t at the point of actually doing the project,” Foster said. “We need to get right away clearance from property owners to put in the two access points. We talked with them, and I don’t think that will be a problem.
“It’s my goal to get this project done before I retire in 2030. I hope it gets done this year or next year.”
The Painted Post Bike Path is a 2.2 mile out-and-back paved trail that offers a variety of scenic views and attractions. It starts at Craig Park and passes through several neighborhoods in Painted Post and Riverside.
The future of the old Painted Post foundry site
Foster would also like to see a former industrial site put to new uses that could boost local jobs and the tax base.
“My third goal is to get the old foundry site property sold,” Foster said. “We’ve had a couple of nibbles since the village has owned it, for about 20 years. It’s heavily deed restricted, and that has caused a couple of groups to back out.”
Foster said the property has gone through the state Department of Environmental Conservation brownfield redevelopment study.
“I’d like to see it sold to a good developer, light industry, before I leave,” Foster said. “The village purchased the property from Ingersoll Rand in 2003, and ever since that it’s just sat there. We still have the transloading facility there at the end of the property but that’s it.”
Several potential sales to sell large portions of the site have fallen through over the past two decades.
“Hopefully we can find a party that wants to use that site,” Foster said.
Another goal Foster said he will work on during his next four years as Painted Post Village Mayor is finding a replacement to run as village mayor after his term is completed. Foster ran for reelection unopposed on the ballot last month.
“I want to start breaking in a new person to eventually run for the mayoral seat,” said Foster, who has served as Village Mayor since 2016. “I have someone in mind but don’t want to say the name just yet.”
This article originally appeared on The Leader: Foster’s goals in Painted Post: $8M project, security cameras, foundry sale
Reporting by Jeff Smith, Corning Leader / The Leader
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
