Public access to historic Nutten Hook would be closed
On May 12, 2010 The New York State Department of Transportation held a public hearing on a proposal to close the Ferry Road railroad crossing in the Town of Stuyvesant. This crossing allows the only public vehicular access to Nutten Hook, an important fishing and hand launch boating site that has been used for decades. Ferry Road also provides the only access to two buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places which would likely be taken through eminent domain should the crossing be closed.
On May, 11 Riverkeeper wrote a letter to the Hon. Peter S. Loomis, Chief Administrative Law Judge of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), in opposition to the proposal to close Ferry Road. Since our founding more than 40 years ago, Riverkeeper has been a strong advocate for the public’s right to have access to our Hudson River. Riverkeeper’s letter to the judge pointed out that the closure of this access would be a tragic loss to the residents of Stuyvesant and the entire Hudson Valley and would likely be contrary to New York State Coastal Management Policy—which seeks to protect the public’s access to recreational resources such as the Nutten Hook boat launch and fishing area.