Some Stony Point business owners say a nearby construction project is taking too long and is cutting into their profits.

Rocky Alexander, owner of the clean-eating restaurant Rock's Kitchen, brought together about 20 Stony Point business owners, along with his state senator, to figure out a survival plan.

Leaders of the North Rockland Chamber of Commerce told News 12 that at least 10 businesses reported losses of 50% since early July, when daytime construction of the Champlain Hudson Power Express began on Route 9W.

The construction on the town's main drag created confusion for drivers, blocked traffic, and discouraged some drivers from returning.

"We survived inflation costs. We survived COVID-19," Alexander told state Sen. Peter Harckham during the meeting. "We survived all of these things just to now get crushed by a company that we benefit zero from."

The CHPE is a state-commissioned project that will deliver hydropower from Quebec to New York City beginning in 2026.

Stony Point town officials said CHPE executives originally agreed to schedule the construction work at night, when most businesses are closed, for minimal disruption.

A CHPE spokesperson told News 12 Monday that the plan has not entirely worked out because some other companies with whom the CHPE team has had to collaborate — including Orange and Rockland Utilities — have only been able to work on site during daytime hours.

Harckham said the president of the CHPE project told him on Monday that the team is working with those other companies to schedule more work during nighttime hours.

Harckham also said he "encouraged" the CHPE leader to offer more emergency assistance to businesses affected by the CHPE construction. So far, the CHPE team has pledged $100,000.

"They understand the disruption this is causing in the community," Harckham said. "They do want to be better neighbors, and hopefully those discussions will bear fruit."

A CHPE spokesperson pointed out that project leaders have given more than $8 million to the Town of Stony Point for capital and road projects, $500,000 to local community programs and $2 million to help fund full-day kindergarten in North Rockland.

The Chamber of Commerce still wants CHPE executives to put more, potentially millions more dollars, into an emergency fund to save the businesses.

"Emergency funds that will close that gap...," chamber president Stephanie Melowsky said to the group of business leaders, "because obviously there's the big problem of the traffic that's deterring your customers from coming."

Melowsky said the chamber is also tallying what future losses the businesses might incur, since construction is expected to last into November and cleanup at the site may extend into the spring.

If talks about the scheduling changes and emergency relief were to fall apart, Harckham said his next step would be to file a complaint with the state Public Utilities Commission.

Harckham says CHPE representatives appear willing to negotiate with the chamber and businesses themselves in good faith, and does not currently see a need to file a complaint.