STONY POINT, NY – Local business owners, elected officials, and community leaders gathered recently in Stony Point to address the ongoing disruption caused by infrastructure work being conducted by Orange & Rockland Utilities (O&R) and Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE). The meeting, initiated by small business owners in North Rockland, and supported by the North Rockland Chamber of Commerce, focused on the significant economic toll the construction has taken on local retail commerce and quality of life.
Senator Pete Harckham, who attended at the invitation of Stony Point officials and business leaders, acknowledged the frustration from the community and pledged to advocate for remediation. “We’re here to be a resource for you,” Harckham said. “These disruptions are not acceptable. We’ve met with both CHPE and O&R, and they understand they need to be better neighbors.”
The construction, which currently affects Route 9W from approximately Wayne Hose Fire Co. to Helen Hayes Hospital, has caused traffic detours, business access blockages, and notable declines in customer foot traffic. Business owners reported revenue drops ranging from 25% to 70%. Rocky Alexander, owner of Rock’s Kitchen spoke emotionally about surviving COVID and inflation, only to be pushed to the brink by a project from which they say they receive no direct benefit.
“We didn’t ask for this. It’s crushing us,” said another business owner. “We’ve mortgaged our homes, invested our lives into these businesses, and now we can’t even pay rent.”
Watch full meeting here:
Among the issues raised were the poorly managed detour signage, access restrictions to retail plazas, communication failures with residents, and the daytime scheduling of gas line work. Harckham confirmed that the reason much of the work was done during the day was due to O&R’s safety staff availability.
However, Harckham also stated that discussions are ongoing to shift more of the work to nighttime hours to minimize disruption, which he indicated CHPE was discussing with O&R. More information on this is available below.
The Senator also discussed efforts to create a financial “rescue fund” for affected businesses. CHPE has committed $100,000 to seed the fund, which would be administered by the North Rockland Chamber of Commerce. However, business leaders and chamber representatives, including Chamber Board President Stephanie Melowsky, stressed that this amount is inadequate.
“The proposed $100,000 is a start, but it won’t go far,” Melowsky said. “We’re working with local nonprofits, government officials, and the business community to draft a grant program that will reflect the real financial gaps these businesses are facing.”
Rocky Alexander followed up by stating that $100,000, split up between all of the retailers in the room (approximately 18 separate business owners), the amount would be a drop in the bucket compared to the losses incurred.
To that end, Melowsky said the Chamber will be requesting that businesses submit revenue data from before (2024) and now (2025) during the construction period to determine actual losses, and set a realistic funding target. The fund would be designed to provide grants, not loans, to close the shortfalls businesses are facing due to decreased customer traffic.
Additional discussion included requests for CHPE and O&R to use local vendors and services more extensively during the project, as well as increased marketing support to bring customers back to the area.
The CHPE project, which exits the Hudson River at Stony Point due to environmental mandates and restrictions imposed by CSX and local environmentalists (originally the project was planned to not be on 9W, rather closer to the Hudson River by the train tracks), is expected to finish major construction by November 2025, with final restoration extending into spring 2026.
A CHPE representative also provided a fact sheet to Rockland News, which highlights contributions of over $31 million to a Rockland Community-based Benefit Fund, of which Stony Point is set to receive $8.3 million for streetscape upgrades and capital projects. It also confirms at the bottom of page 2, Senator Harckham’s statement that the daytime work is related to Orange & Rockland gas pipeline upgrades:
Nevertheless, local leaders argue that these benefits do not address the immediate economic hardship faced by small businesses.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for September 9 at the Stony Point Town Board meeting, where community members will present updated business impact data and continue the push for urgent relief.
“We’re not here to yell. We’re here for solutions,” said one organizer. “We need financial help now—not next year.”