The Town of Hyde Park is an historic community located along the banks of the Hudson River. During the 20^th century, the Town developed into an automobile-based suburb with residential neighborhoods surrounding the heavily travelled US Route 9 commercial corridor.  This automobile-centric stretch of Route 9 actively discourages pedestrian and bicycle usage, and the commercial node is safely accessible only by car.  Further, the commercial area to the east of Route 9 has failed to reach its full potential, in large part because the area lacks public sewer infrastructure.

With a NYSERDA Cleaner, Greener Communities grant, the Town hired Delaware Engineering to create a Planning & Engineering Report for the Redevelopment of the Town Center.  The goal was to provide the Town with the initial planning and engineering to begin revitalizing the declining central business district, transforming it into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly Town Center that will encourage new mixed-use development and serve as a lively “village” where residents can live, work, dine, and do errands without the need of a car. The Report provides the initial road map to retrofit this key commercial node and to identify the multiple strategies to make the Town Center area “development ready:” both more marketable to investors, and more walkable for, and attractive to, residents. 

The Report identifies several initiatives to incent private investment:  updating zoning, improving Route 9, and most importantly, constructing a public sewer system. These advanced preparations will ultimately make the Town Center area more marketable to private investors and will establish a foundation consistent with the community’s desire to have a pedestrian-friendly downtown and, ultimately, a cleaner, greener community.

Delaware Engineering, as project manager and wastewater infrastructure specialists, together with Elan Planning, Mathes Public Affairs, and Studio A, worked with stakeholders and an active steering committee to develop the Report.  Extensive public engagement, through public meetings, workshops and online surveys, were critical, The final Report includes:

Market analysis

Conceptual redevelopment plan

Wastewater treatment feasibility study and preliminary engineering

Transportation improvement design

Zoning code analysis and recommendations