The Times Herald Record reports: An unauthorized walkway that caused County Route 44 to be closed last week may be allowed to remain if village officials block it with concrete barriers and seek permission for a permanent sidewalk, Orange County Executive Ed Diana said today.

Diana had ordered the boardwalk removed and threatened $1,000-a-day fines on Thursday, a day after county officials discovered it and shut the road.

They claim the work has loosened 500 feet of guard rail, posing a safety risk for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Diana said he adjusted those orders after meeting Sunday night with village officials. He said the village will still be fined and must pay the county roughly $5,000 for the time its employees spent looking into the problem.

Route 44 will stay closed until the village installs concrete barriers, applies for a permit and provides a timeline for the construction, Diana said.