In Part One of what will be a two part series on this topic, students were invited to fill out a Google Form about the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, a proposed development project that would connect the waterfronts of Cold Spring and Beacon via a waterfront path. There were 30 responses.

“A lot of people who live in Cold Spring visit Beacon, not just tourists. I think it would be a great way to get to Beacon and enjoy the views. If you bike I imagine that to be a nice ride. I’m not sure what it will be made of and if there are little spots to rest because it sounds like it would be a long walk, so for that I’m not sure if I’d use it. Although, it is useful for people my age because we can’t drive yet (soon) to go to Beacon ourselves.” -Polina Buslovich, sophomore

“Building a fence along the river would block access to local wildlife, who need access to the river. On top of that, though people may claim this is a form of protecting wildlife, this is development like any other, and just shouldn’t happen. We need to leave the wild places alone, and I could care less if the traffic annoys you. Deal with it. “-Anonymous

“I feel that the Fjord Trail would be a great addition to our area. I would love to be able to go running on this trail. It could also bring tourists to the town which is necessary for businesses to thrive (although I understand people who live in Cold Spring generally dislike having higher amounts of tourists). On the other hand, however, I feel that the trail is difficult to maintain and I believe it may be a waste of money and resources if it is constantly needing repairs. I don’t have a preference of if it is built or not, either way I won’t mind.” -Una Lentz, sophomore