Board approves MTA permit for bridge

The Mount Kiso Village Board can go out to bid for the Preston Way bridge replacement after approving a master permit with the MTA. The snow-covered bridge has been closed for just over two months since the state determined it is structurally unsound.  Martin Wilbur photo

By MARTIN WILBUR

The Mount Kisco Village Board approved a permit agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that will enable officials to seek bids for the Preston Way bridge replacement project despite unresolved issues between the two entities.

By a 4-1 vote, the board moved ahead Monday night to allow Village Manager Ed Brancati to execute a master permit that allows village personnel or other representatives access to MTA property in preparation for construction. It also spells out that a “force labor” account be established outlining that the MTA would pay a still undetermined sum for certain workers needed at the site during construction, such as flaggers and inspectors.

Brancati said the New York State Department of Transportation has required Mount Kisco to obtain the permit before it can go out to bid. The bidding process is seen as crucial so it is known how much the bridge replacement project will cost and how much more money the village will need to secure to pay for the work. Mount Kisco has also been waiting for an opinion from the state comptroller’s office on how it should proceed.

“We wanted to clarify we are working on two different agreements, this one and the division of maintenance, responsibilities and costs and cost allocation and replacement in the future on the new structure,” Brancati said. “We want to get this clarification because it not only impacts the future, but it also impacts the current one. So that was the desire for the comptroller’s opinion, but not wanting to, while waiting for that, delay the process of trying to get a real number, which is the entire point of the bid.”

Mount Kisco officials will tap its engineering consults, the Connecticut-based AI Engineers, to prepare the bid documents. The documents could be sent out later this month followed by an anticipated six-week period to receive the bids, Brancati said.

Brancati said the village also reached out to the firm for a new estimate on the project, which is now about $10 million, up from the previous estimate of $8.6 million in January 2024. The village already has $5 million from a state grant and has borrowed $3.6 million.

Mayor J. Michael Cindrich and most of the board agreed that the urgency of starting the long process of bidding, finding more money for the project and the construction was imperative despite ongoing negotiations that are expected to detail how the village and MTA will jointly maintain the bridge. Wrangling between the village, MTA and to some extent the DOT has left open to conjecture who owns the bridge and which entity is responsible for maintenance and repairs.

“For my money, I’ve heard all of the arguments and all of the discussion since the day I was elected as trustee. It’s my sincere hope we can move this forward sooner rather than later,” Cindrich said.

The dissenting vote came from Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer, who said she was reluctant to approve the permit given the importance of the project, its expense and that she had never previously heard of an MTA master permit. Schleimer argued that board members should have been briefed on the legal implications and next steps and had an opportunity to speak with the engineers before any vote.

“I’d love to find out if there are alternatives,” Schleimer said. “I don’t want to go out to bid on I don’t know what. So, are there different alternatives, and I think it’s important for us to have that conversation in great detail before we go out to bid. So, I’m not sure why we’re jumping to do an MTA master permit.”

Village Attorney Jonathan Nelson explained that approving the permit does not obligate the village to pursue any action but allows officials to get a fresh estimate and to have access to the area where the work will be done.

“What I can say is that the DOT only requires the master permit to be signed for us to go out to bid, and so that’s the first step, and it seems like a prudent first step without taking a second step at this point,” Nelson said. 

Cindrich also stressed that alternatives, such as a prefabricated bridge, have been deemed unfeasible by the engineers even if it might reduce the time of construction. Furthermore, the village has already spent about $500,000 on planning and design costs for a bridge replacement, he said, a cost that would escalate if the village sought alternatives.

The mayor also questioned the engineers’ estimate of whether $10 million will be enough to complete the work. He said Assemblymember Chris Burdick, state Sen. Pete Harckham and the office of Sen. Chuck Schumer are all searching to help the village find more funds for the work.

“The bridge is going to be closed for quite a period of time,” Cindrich said. “It’s designed to be built a certain way. I don’t think we can go back and spend another half a million dollars or do a prefab bridge.”

Shortly after the DOT ordered the village to immediately close the Preston Way bridge on Dec. 3, forcing the rerouting of traffic and backups during peak hours, Burdick said the public should brace for the closure to last up to two years. An inspection last summer found the current span is structurally unsound.