NARROWSBURG, NY — At the recent Tusten Town Board meeting held on February 10, town engineer Wes Illing was there to make a presentation about the Chazen Companies’ design for the Narrowsburg deck. During his presentation, it became apparent that the geo-technical (or geo-tech) survey that Chazen conducted under the existing deck was not sufficient, in Illing’s view.

Illing outlined that a proper geo-tech survey would include sufficient soil and bedrock samples. The geo-tech engineers would send the soil samples to the lab, and they would be analyzed to find out how cohesive the soil is, and what the natural angle of repose is, both in a dry and wet state. It would also analyze the type of bedrock. However, Illing said, “I don’t think they did that; I think they basically winged it, and put together a design. And it could have worked, but it’s going to be pricey to construct.”

Chazen’s design plan has been discussed at previous town board meetings. It would cost approximately $300,000 to construct. The design includes constructing a new foundation, which is the main component of the cost, a tieback wall, and concrete or bluestone on top. Most of the town board is opposed to that cost, and Councilman Ned Lang was especially opposed and stated that the existing foundation is in good shape and does not need to be rebuilt.

At the last town meeting, it seemed as if Illing’s findings would match Chazen’s, but that was not the case. Of Chazen’s design, Illing said, “They’re supporting everything from the bedrock and that’s a good approach. But they’re worried about it sliding down the mountain, so they put this tieback in and that’s a great idea, but the tieback is basically a third of the way across the street.” But when Lang suggested they just replace the wood on the existing deck, Illing said, “I like that idea, quite honestly.” He went on to say, “What you have has been there for a long time and it’s not moving and it’s stable. So we have empirical data that says what we have works.” He suggested replacing the deck with South American wood, which lasts a long time.

The town board said that they did not pay Chazen to do a geo-tech survey, but that Chazen performed it independently. Illing said, “There are a lot of unknowns, but what a geo-tech analysis does is start to put the picture together for you.” He suggested that maybe Chazen has more results from the survey that they did not share with the board. From the survey the town received, Illing said, “The only information that was of any value in that report was the depth of bedrock. There wasn’t anything else of any value in that report. And their design reflects that.”

The board was angry at the results and the design that Chazen provided. Illing told the board, “Ask them for a geo-technical report worthy of review, because what they sent us wasn’t worthy of review. It was garbage.”

There was also an issue because the Chazen design of the deck was recently approved for repurposing the grant money the town received for the River Walk Project. Supervisor Carol Wingert questioned whether it could be repurposed again if they do not go through with the Chazen design. The board asked Illing to write a letter and talk with the state about the deck.