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Rick Wilson just continues to add beautiful touches to our Lakeview bridge, spending hours on beautifying the bridge landscape with flowers. Thank you Rick!
Update: 10/15/2022
The new granite stone railings have been dropped at the bridge site for installation. These stone railings were donated and paid for by Rick Wilson. Four boulders have been placed to mark the north and south ends of each railing location. They will be installed as soon as RTFI can fit us into their schedule. Almost there!
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Update: 09/01/2022
ALMOST THERE FOLKS!
Except for the required Guard Rails, we have our bridge back one year after the Hurricane Ida disaster took it out.
This is all thanks to generous donors to our GoFundMe and for the incredibly great work done by Billy Colbert and his crew from RTFI (SEE PHOTOS ON BRIDGE GALLERY TAB).
The road looks open but without guard rails, we have no permit from the Town.
Guard Rails are an extra expense and we need to raise more money to pay for them.
Without them, there is extreme danger of accidents for which we will be totally liable.
We need to buy and install guard rails as soon as possible! And we need the help of more donations to do this.
Please go to our GoFundMe page and give whatever you can. Thank you so much!
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Update: 08/30/2022
See the photos added to the Bridge Repair Photo Gallery!
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Update: 08/26/2022
A full crew from RTFI descended on our disaster area to take advantage of the well-timed drought from Mother Nature (possibly a gift after she wiped out our bridge with a flood almost a year ago?) They worked until nightfall on Thursday 08/25/22 and most of Friday, 08/26/22 to clean up the area and prepare for the pouring of cement. Despite weather warnings about severe thunderstorms, none materialized allowing work to be completed for curing over the weekend. Next week, the culverts will be delivered and installed on the beautiful pad so professionally built for many years of successful service.
Two monster pieces of equipment moved mountains of rock and removed the previous culverts which crumbled like cookies, showing how deteriorated and inadequate they were to withstand future storms.
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All of the old culverts split in half or pulverized during removal (see Bridge Photo Gallery).
A steel eye-beam was installed to protect our water pipe during construction. RTFI operator Tom made us very nervous as he risked tipping over while removing the enormous amount of rubble from the stream bed (see Bridge Photo Gallery).
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On Friday, the stream bed was widened to be able to accommodate the new culverts which will be installed to direct the flow of excessive storm water safely without vulnerability to destruction (see Bridge Photo Gallery).
Rebar was cut, forms were built and cement arrived right on schedule to create the clean pad where the new culverts will sit when delivered next week (see Bridge Photo Gallery).
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A generous amount of cement was poured and spread after which screeding was performed to smooth the surface with meticulous precision (see Bridge Photo Gallery).
A beautiful job ready to cure over the weekend (see Bridge Photo Gallery).
Our thanks go out to the 7-man crew from RTFI for their hard work to get our bridge started before the torrents of rain arrive.
RTFI is using its massive pieces of equipment, experienced and highly skilled operators and professional expertise to help Shore Haven at an excellent price, far less than that which is normally charged because they understand we have very limited funds.
For anyone who has not yet donated to our GoFundMe, or anyone who can possibly donate more, we need to raise enough money to pay these people and to also add guardrails which may cost an additional $10,000-$15,000. Without guardrails, our new bridge will not be safe to use once built.
Please click this link to donate: https://gofund.me/3fca1867
Thank you to all who have been so generous with your donations so far. We cannot thank you enough!
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Update: 08/22/2022
At the Shore Haven Quarterly Meeting on Aug. 20th, it was announced that construction of our new bridge will begin as soon as permits have been approved and the Water Dept. is notified. We are thrilled that this is happening before winter is upon us! Although we are still in need of approx. $6500 to pay the contractor (RTFI) in full upon completion, with the help of generous donors to GoFundMe and receipt of some still outstanding dues, it is expected that we will be able to generate that sum to pay within a reasonable amount of time. The contractor has agreed to proceed now and await that balance. And the good news is that all of this has been done without raising our annual dues!
As mentioned in the newsletter, we have received half of the 150 tons of the promised "in-kind" donation of Item 4 to Shore Haven by Peckham Industries trucked to us at no charge by R.F. Brill Excavation. Currently, the delivery of the other half of this material has been postponed until the bridge contractor determines when there is space to store it after bridge construction has been completed. Trucking has been promised at no charge courtesy of Schmitt Bros. Excavation when we notify them we are ready for it. We estimate the value of this huge donation including the trucking to be in the range of approximately $10,000!
As always, we would like to thank everyone who has donated to our GoFundMe which currently shows a balance of $12,050. In addition to still needing the $6500 balance to pay for the bridge as discussed above, we will also need to arrange construction of guardrails to keep traffic and walkers safe once the bridge has been built and the road has been resurfaced with the donated Item 4. That said, it cannot be stressed enough that more donations are still needed, especially from some of our members who are able to do so.
Finally, as part of the GoFundMe appeal, we have received other "in-kind" donations from both Volunteers and generous Neighbors to help with the construction of the Beach 2 Path. This includes fill for a good base, path surface stones of various sizes, and large boulders and wall stones. These in-kind donations are equivalent in value to thousands of dollars for which Shore Haven has not had to provide funds. In addition, the ongoing efforts of volunteers who work tirelessly on building, spreading material, cleaning the beach, gathering and removing fallen trees and limbs, and using their own equipment and materials to do so have saved Shore Haven an enormous amount of money. Below are some photos of this work.
For anyone inspired to contribute, please go to the GoFundMe link here:
Update June 26 - August 16, 2022
The Beach 2 pathway has been cleared by Bill Colbert. After Volunteers Brandon Kaiser and Ramon Orozco had split the cost of one of the three previous deliveries of 6-inch stones as the base of the Beach Path, another layer of 3/4 inch stones was arranged, delivered and paid for by Volunteer Matt Maneri on Friday, June 24th. Matt then spent hours using his equipment to spread it.
Recently in August, several tons of Item 4 was donated to top off the Beach 2 pathway for easier foot traffic, and also to help out with road repair come next spring. Matt once again spent hours over the weekend spreading it down the pathway. We are waiting for some rain to settle in the powdery surface.
Brandon Kaiser has been working hard manually clearing and burning brush that has accumulated on Beach 2 from a former tree removal and the Ida storm. Matt has been using his personal machinery to assist with moving and relocating the larger logs.
Rick Wilson has been working tirelessly on a daily basis in the hot sun building a custom boulder wall along the left side of the pathway overlooking the stream to provide safety.
Since these volunteers are donating their time, energy and funds to rebuild this path, they are intent on doing it right to avoid any future washouts. Also, it is now allowing machine access for further improvements and cleanup on Beach 2, which are on the Volunteer agenda. We are so lucky to have these generous members of Shore Haven contributing their efforts for the enjoyment of everyone in our community.
As a way to thank them, a donation to the GoFundMe would speak volumes about your appreciation. We will continue this campaign to help assist with improvements going forward, as we are trying to keep the dues at a reasonable rate, while trying to keep the community roads and beaches in the condition that everyone would be happy with. We still have ambitious plans to improve the pier and fingers that are used for member boats at Beach 1. We also would like to make improvements to Beach 3.
Thank you to everyone who has already contributed. We had some impressive donations from both inside and outside our Shore Haven Community, including The Superintendent of Highways for the Town of Pawling!
06/08/2022
In the Documents tab, please see the Southern Dutchess News article that was published today about our bridge collapse. Thank you to Marilyn Bontempo for getting this out there! The GFM campaign is growing! Let's keep it going!
05/29/2022
Just in time for the Memorial Day Weekend, our Hurricane-Ida destroyed beach path has been repaired enough for safe access to the lake. This is all thanks to the dedicated efforts of Volunteers who worked tirelessly on behalf of the whole Shore Haven Whaley Lake community. In addition, it is due to the very kind donors who paid out of pocket to purchase some 60,000 lbs. of 6-inch stone as the base of the path and the incredibly generous donated work by RTFI and the highly skilled work by a very talented equipment operator who worked a full day spreading, grading and compacting.
All of the above transpired as a result of our GoFundMe page which invited both monetary donations as well as “in kind” donations of materials, equipment and manpower. We are so grateful to everyone who has come forward to help in whatever way they can.
05/13/2022
BREAKING NEWS! We have created a Go Fund Me page for the repair of our Lakeview Drive bridge! If you have been reading the updates, you know that the Board and many members, especially Marilyn Bontempo, have all been working very hard together on obtaining funds to repair the bridge, including FEMA applications, appeals to FEMA, letters to our politicians, an SBA loan application, and finally a grant application through the Town of Pawling. Much to our dismay, NONE of these avenues have panned out. Our last hope is a Go Fund Me page. We are trying to get our story covered by our local press, and interest the public in our cause. Here is where YOU all can help! Please donate if you can--help Shorehaven get our bridge repaired and our Beach 2 access restored. Below is the GoFundMe link. Please feel free to copy and post it on your FB page and email it to your friends. Every little bit helps! Thank you so much in advance for your generosity!
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04/21/2022
The Bridge Committee has been getting bids and pricing from local contractors for replacing the bridge and culvert with something that can withstand more water pressure. This has been a lengthy process, but we will plan to have all bids present at the May 21 Membership Meeting. At that time, we will take a vote on one of the bids and a plan for funding it.
04/10/2022
The Board created a Bridge Committee to work on all options possible for getting funding for the bridge repair without financially burdening the Shorehaven members. We have been trying to get estimates for putting the bridge back to its pre-storm state, utilizing the culvert pipe that exists, in an effort to spend as little money as possible. In doing so, the Board has been holding back getting the roads resurfaced this spring in hopes we could use this money to repair the bridge. The estimate process has been long and very slow. In the meantime the Bridge Committee, as well as several Shorehaven Board members, attended the Town of Pawling Board meeting this past Wednesday to pitch a grant option to them where they would have to apply for the grant for us, and we would be the sub applicant. For this grant, we would need improved plans for the bridge so a washout could not happen again during a bad storm. We are currently getting bids for improvement plans. They need an engineer's stamp, so a little more complicated. We are waiting to hear back from the Pawling Board on whether they can apply for this grant on our behalf.
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In the meantime, our roads are getting very bad with potholes. We are discussing some options for some donations for just doing some fill work on the holes in an effort to save the money for a possible bridge repair. As soon as we have more information on getting some relief for these roads, an update will be posted.
03/03/2022
FEMA has denied all of our applications for funding for the bridge repair, and all of our appeals as well. We are speaking with our attorneys to ascertain our legal status: are we technically an HOA and/or non profit. Some grants have stipulations, and a clear understanding of what Shorehaven is, is essential in forging ahead with some of our fund raising ideas (Go Fund Me page, grants, etc.). We are awaiting information on this and will update once clear.
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01/14/2022
Trish spoke with Ellen Faulkner from the attorney's office yesterday and Ellen has received all of the pertinent information from the Board (thanks to the help of Marilyn Bontempo) regarding our FEMA application efforts, and they will be getting back to us ASAP--as they know that time is of the essence. We will discuss options at the next Shorehaven Membership Meeting on Saturday, January 15, 2022, if the FEMA and SBA application efforts do not pan out. Hope to see many of you tomorrow at the meeting. This is a good place to voice your concerns in a respectful manner. Update: Ellen reached out and said that they have a few more items to look into and foresees being able to get back to me with some advice on Tuesday of next week.
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01/11/2022
The Board had a meeting this evening to address a few current issues, specifically the road care with the current icy conditions, and the bridge repair: FEMA aid and SBA loan application-- and procedures going forward. It was decided that Trish McLoughlin will consult the Shorehaven attorney for some direction on moving ahead for the best possible results regarding the bridge. We are hoping to get some answers within a few days.
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Shorehaven has a Snow Removal Agreement that provides one sand/salt application after each snow incident. If after this application, the snow melts and then turns to ice, and an additional treatment is needed, this is at an additional cost to the Association. Of course members' safety is at the utmost of importance, so if anyone sees icing or a specific weather issue, please contact one of the Board members or email this website, and the issue will be addressed immediately. There have been a few recent complaints about the iciness of the roads. After the most recent snow, the roads were plowed and salt was put down. The salt began melting what was left of the snow. Within a day or two, the temperature drastically dropped, which froze everything that had melted. It is my understanding that salt will not melt ice if the temperature is below 20 degrees. Salt was put down yesterday in spite of the low temps, and today, an additional treatment was applied to help with traction until we get a break in temperature, at which time another effort at a salt application will be made. Unfortunately, these are the winter hazards and complications of living on dirt roads. Please continue to reach out if you know of any specific problems or hazards.
01/08/2022
Marilyn Bontempo and her husband Rick, both members of Shorehaven and neighbors on Whaley Lake, have been doing a fabulous job at staying on top of DCWWA to have them do what was needed to keep the water pipeline safe that was underneath the bridge that collapsed on Lakeview Drive during the IDA storm. This waterline services many homes on Whaley Lake. With much persistence, DCWWA came and wrapped the pipe with insulation and buried it so that it wouldn't freeze during the winter months.
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Following this feat, Marilyn has been working with the Board in getting all of the information that will be needed for an appeal to FEMA should our application for an SBA loan get denied. We were hoping to get an answer on this before our membership meeting scheduled for January 15, 2022, however, this is no longer looking likely. Much of our FEMA appeal options will be expiring this month (60 days from denial notification), so Marilyn is working hard to get everything together so that a comprehensive appeal application can be made when the deadlines are near. This is a very complicated and confusing process, but several of our neighbors and the Board members are working very hard to find funding for this bridge collapse.
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12/12/2021
Wendel has put in an application for an SBA loan, which we were told by FEMA is the next step after we all get denied by FEMA, which I'm sure everyone has by now. We were told that we cannot appeal FEMA until we try for an SBA loan and get denied from that. We have submitted everything that the SBA loan application required and are waiting to hear. A reason for denial on this loan could be that we don't show credit assurances for paying back the loan. If we get approved, this will be the money that we will have to use for the bridge repair, but we will have to call a membership meeting before beginning work to get approval for obtaining this loan and using it to repair the bridge. If we do not get approval from the membership, then we will not be able to fix the bridge. If we do get approval, then we will have to come up with a repayment plan for this loan. There are parts to the project that we can utilize plenty of volunteer work to keep costs down, however, much of the bridge repair would need to be done by a professional. If we get denied for this loan, we will then all need to appeal our FEMA denials. If this time comes, we will get a cohesive appeal package together that we will all use for our appeals. This is new for all of us, so we are going to just muddle our way through as we go. We will keep updating the website as we get more information and advance in this complicated process.
11/15/2021
A FEMA mobile center will be coming to the Town of Pawling and setting up shop at Lakeside Park on November 22, 23, and 24 from 9am to 5pm. Please be sure to bring any of your home damage concerns to them on one of these days. The Board is sending a few representatives to inquire about funding relief for our bridge. There will also be a representative from SBA to provide information on low interest loans for small businesses, which may be what FEMA is considering our Home Owner's Association. This website will be updated after we meet with a representative from FEMA and SBA.
10/27/2021
The Board met in regards to the bridge repair on Monday, October 25, 2021, to discuss
all of our options. We were told that we will not be considered under the Town of Pawling FEMA application, as we are a private HOA and our roads/bridge are private property. A FEMA representative informed us that we can file under the 'Individual' status, so we have done so. In the meantime, as Gov't funding takes quite a long time and there are no guarantees, we are looking into getting a low interest loan to have a repair done that can get the bridge up and running. We are getting estimates and will update the site as we get more information.
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We know that this is a big inconvenience for many homeowners, but this is a time consuming process and we are trying our best to muddle through. We have had a request for the excavator to be removed from the north side of the bridge. We are checking into having it removed. Fencing would be put on that side like it has been on the south side.
THE BRIDGE IS COMPLETE!!!
