Work is starting on the fire tower! The Bramley Mountain Summit Trail and the trail from the Quarry to the Summit will be closed temporarily starting October 3rd.
click here to see pictures and learn more about the progress….
Working to turn
We dug the footer holes at the very end of August, and we completed the footer construction September 24th.
CONSTRUCTION DELAYS ON THE PROJECT
We were hoping that the construction of the fire tower would begin in May, but there have been delays in the permitting process, and we are now aiming for construction to begin in late summer/early fall.
When we applied for our building permit, the Delhi Town Code Officer required several variances and so referred our application to the State Codes Committee.
Having our application go to the state committee was an unforeseen delay, but the Chair of the State Codes Committee has been extremely helpful in pinpointing the steps needed to be granted the variances. Another hearing on the variances will happen in mid-July, and, once we are granted the variances, we are hopeful that The Town of Delhi can process our building permit application quickly.
We are now aiming for tower construction to begin in August or September, and we will keep you posted.
LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD……TOWER STEWARDS!
We are now recruiting Tower Stewards who will staff the tower on weekends, from opening day until Indigenous Peoples Day. We have a number of enthusiastic volunteers already signed up, but we need more.
Are you interested in serving one or more weekend days this summer on the summit of Bramley Mountain, greeting visitors to the new tower? If you’d like to join our group of Tower Stewards, please email us at info@bramleymountainfiretower.org and let us know. More information can be found on our Tower Steward page ….and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
We have met the recent generous matching challenge from William and Katharine Aubrey! Thank you to everyone who helped us over the finish line and to Bill and Katharine for their generosity and support!
Livestock matching gift challenge achieved! A big thank you to everyone who helped us earn this $5,000 gift!
To help raise the final 10% and to bring the project to the finish line, the Livestock Foundation has pledged a $5,000 matching donation to the effort. We’ re so thankful for their support and hope you’ll help us meet this match!
BRAMLEY FIRE TOWER SKI CAPS ARE BACK IN VIBRANT NEW COLORS! NEW T-SHIRTS TOO!
These high quality, fleece lined hats are selling for the amazingly low price of $20!
It is not too early to start thinking about the holidays, and we guarantee that anyone who loves the outdoors will be absolutely thrilled to receive one of these hats as a holiday gift. Last year’s caps sold out fast, so get yours while they last. Buy online here or Main Street Card and Gifts at 96 Main Street in Delhi.
Wicking shirts are $25, including tax and shipping. Buy online here.
MAJOR STEPS FORWARD FOR THE BRAMLEY MOUNTAIN FIRE TOWER PROJECT
December 1, 2023 Press Release
Over the past two months, The Bramley Mountain Fire Tower Project has taken many positive steps forward.
In October, the A. Lindsay and Olive O’Connor Foundation approved a $10,000 grant towards the construction of the fire tower.
On November 8th, the owners of EIGHTYMAIN, James Arafut and Will Johnson, put on a fundraising dinner for the tower. At the dinner, a tasting menu which featured dishes using flora and fauna that can be found on Bramley Mountain was served. Over 40 people attended the dinner, and over $2500 was raised for the tower.
During the first half of November, NYC DEP workers improved the Summit Trail Road, a former logging road so that the fire tower components and the equipment needed to build the tower can get up the mountain more easily. They also cleared the summit area to make room for the construction of the tower. Finally, they built a second parking lot just uphill of the existing trailhead and parking area on Glen Burnie Road.
FUNDRAISER AT EIGHTYMAIN was a most enjoyable success!
We want to give a big thank you to James Arufat and Will Johnson for dreaming up and putting on this extraordinary event at EIGHTYMAIN restaurant in Delhi. James and Will and their staff put on a fundraising dinner for the tower on November 8th. At the dinner, a tasting menu which featured dishes using flora and fauna that can be found on Bramley Mountain was served. The tasting menu was creative and, most importantly, delicious. The staff at EIGHTYMAIN could not have been any more friendly or attentive. Over 40 people attended the dinner, and over $2500 was raised for the tower. There was an amazing amount of positive energy, and many fire tower supporters who had never met discovered that there were surprising connections between them.
We are excited to report that Delaware County Supervisors have voted to work with us on restoring the Bramley Mountain Fire Tower! We have a lot to do, but we are planning on construction in 2024! Read more about it here
We’ve been asked why does it cost so much to return the tower to Bramley Mountain when we already have all the parts of the tower and they are in good shape? Good question! Here are some of the things we need to pay for to restore and reconstruct the tower :
- 12 to 14 cross brace pieces that have pack rust because of insufficient galvanizing at the time of the original construction need to be replaced
- All tower components need to be picked up from the Clark Farm and brought to a facility to be sand blasted to remove the old paint and then hot dip galvanized to insure they will withstand the elements for decades to come. Of course, they then need to be transported back to Delhi.
- New supporting footers need to be constructed for the tower
- All bolts and fasteners will be replaced with new ones to insure strength and safety
- Wooden stair treads and landings will be replaced with non-skid metal treads and landings, again for safety as well as for longevity
- Safety fencing needs to be purchased for each flight of stairs
- We also need to pay for labor and equipment to transport the tower components and other materials to the top of the mountain and to do the reconstruction work.
