The COVID-19 outbreak has placed many construction projects on hold until further notice.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued the “New York State on PAUSE” executive order requiring all non-essential services to close. Part nine of the executive order defined essential construction services.

All non-essential construction was ordered to shut down except for emergency construction, such as a project that is necessary to protect the health and safety of occupants, or a continuation of a project if it was unsafe if left unfinished. The executive order allows for essential construction to continue which includes roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing and homeless shelters.

As a result of the executive order, several major construction projects have been brought to a halt in the Town of Crawford. This includes the sidewalk construction along NYS Route 302 that would connect Pine Bush High School and the government center to downtown. The sidewalk project that will connect the Town’s shopping center and Dunkin’ Donuts to the Stewarts Shops along Route 52 has also been placed on hold.

“We anticipate that the well project will be delayed because of this,” said Crawford Town Supervisor Charles Carnes. “The well project with the county and the state going out to the county land on Hill Avenue that will probably be delayed too.”

The Town has allowed private projects to continue as long as there are not a great number of employees and they maintain social distancing.

In the Town of Gardiner, Building Inspector and Zoning Code Enforcement Officer Andy Lewis, has had to put the construction of two single-family residences on hold.
“Once the foundations were finished, I basically told the workers they couldn’t return,” he said.

He noted that the town continues to abide by the state restrictions.

“Unless it’s an emergency fix to protect a life or property’s safety, like there was a deck that fell off a building so we’re allowing them to repair that,” Lewis said. “We’re allowing a few leaky roofs to get fixed. Other than that everything has stopped.”

Residents can submit applications for building permits but Lewis will not issue them until the state has lifted their restrictions.