THEALL ROAD ORDEAL OVER; COUNCIL VOTES 4-3 TO REDO

The most politically contested road in recent Rye history and the one in the worst condition, according to the most recent road safety study, finally made it to the reconstruction list. On May 30, the City Council, by a vote of 4 to 3, awarded the bid. The City had estimated the project at $1.4 million, but the actual bid came in just under $1.2 million.

Theall Road, home to The Osborn, Rye Manor, the Westchester Medical Group and many corporate offices, and a well-traveled route to Osborn School, the south end of the city and the Harrison train station, was slated for reconstruction in 2001-2002 at a cost of $550,000. The project was voted down by the then Republican Council majority. In the interim, further proposals were made by several Council members to proceed on Theall but voted down or deferred, pending additional information on road usage and potential outside funding.

Councilman Duncan Hennes, who opposed acceptance of the bid, said it would be “irresponsible to spend an extra million dollars at this time, with the financial uncertainty we're facing [because of the flood damage].”

At the meeting, Councilman Mack Cunningham said that road-use numbers for Theall justified the reconstruction. “It gets lots of use from Rye residents. A recent weekday traffic count showed 212 cars traveled on Theall between 7:45 and 8:45 a.m. and 335 between 2:45 and 3:45 p.m.”

Mayor Steve Otis added, “The storm-related damage to Theall at the end near Playland Parkway was evidence of how the foundation below the road is crumbling. The storm damage further underscored the need to repair the road before it got even more expensive.”

— Robin Jovanovich