Developer impatient with call for more studies - Amenia

By: Eamon McNiff Harlem Valley Times Februaryb 16, 2006

The town board took its turn reviewing the Amenia Hills project and whether to allow it into the town's water district

The board met in workshop session last Thursday with Gary Bonds, water supervisor, and George Syms, owner of the Amenia Hills' project, and his planners, in attendance.
One thing was clear at the meeting: The town has made no decision about whether it will accept Syms' plan to build a new gravity tank to increase pressure and water output in order to permit his 19-home subdivision into the water district.
Frustration on the part of Syms was also clear and he made his feelings known about how much time it was taking to receive a permit.
As the project moves through the planning board, the big issue is how to supply water to the 19 homes Amenia Hills will build.
Proposed back in 2001, the project will be located off Depot Hill Road in the middle of the town's water district.
As it stands, however, the town's water system has problems, with failing wells and a lack of pressure, to adequately supply the current district with water. The addition of 19 homes would only add to the trouble.
In an attempt to alleviate this problem, Syms and planners from the Chazen Companies told the town he would be willing to take certain steps.
Syms would either build booster tanks on to the existing water tank to increase pressure, or he would build an entirely new gravity tank. The latter would significantly increase the amount of water and pressure to all district residents and would also allow future developments to be included in the district.
Over the past few weeks, the Amenia Hills group has said it would prefer the gravity tank concept, stating it would be a cleaner, better, and more long-term solution for the town.
It seemed that a decision was close to being made, with Amenia Hills consultants presenting studies and bringing engineers to planning and town board meetings during the past few months.
The planning board was in favor of the idea, but left the decision to the town board. However, just when it seemed the town board was poised to make a decision, the board in January established a water committee consisting of citizens living in the district.
That committee is now forming, and wants to review the plans and give its own comments before the town makes any decision, thus delaying further any progress for the project.

Two options
On hand last Thursday was engineer Rob DiGiorgio, who is managing the water-issue aspects of the Amenia Hills project.
"The initial plan for water supply service to the Amenia Hills subdivision was to be booster pumps to provide water service to this area," DiGiorgio said.
"This particular area of town, and an area adjacent to it, has low pressure service from the existing water supply. There are 15 homes adjacent to this 19-home subdivision subject to this low pressure," DiGiorgio said.
"The intent with the booster station is to provide adequate pressure for this development and the 15 homes," DiGiorgio said, adding that in addition to increasing domestic water flow, the boosters would be necessary to give adequate flow and pressure for the fire department.
However, after some consideration and research, DiGiorgio said the firm was now leaning toward building a new gravity tank to replace the old water tank. The new gravity tank would be in the same vicinity as the old tank.
"A new tank would be a gravity tank, approximately 40-feet higher than the existing tank, and has the advantage of providing adequate pressure for, not only the Amenia Hills subdivision but also areas around it, including these 15 homes, and it provides gravity to increase pressure. It is a much better approach to providing adequate pressure to the area," said DiGiorgio.
"Booster pumps have to maintained and operated on over the course of the years," he said.
"Booster pumps are short term, a storage tank is long term," said John Lazerone, an engineer from Morris Associates.
DiGiorgio said Morris Associates put together a memo describing what constructing a new tank would entail. The firm circulated that information to the planning board, the county, and the town board on Dec. 15.

Syms would pay
DiGiorgio said Syms was going to completely pay for the tank and its construction.
"You're going to pay for everything?" asked Supervisor Janet Reagon, to Syms sitting in the front row.
"Yes," he answered.
Lazerone said the current tank holds 200,000 gallons of water. The new one would hold 260,000 gallons and increase pressure across the board by roughly 20%.
"That is a significant upgrade," he said.
"What kind of water district expansion could you have with that?" asked board member Roger Russell, who lives in the district and is a member of the water committee.
"Whatever you can get out of your wells," Lazerone responded.
Russell asked Bonds if the wells could support a 260,000-gallon tank.
Bonds is working to install a new well, because Amenia wells have been having major difficulties the past year, failing and breaking due to old age.
"The wells right now could probably not support this," Bonds said, adding, "If we get the new one online, then yes."
After Digiorgio presented the plan to the board, he made it clear that Syms was looking for approval that night or sometime soon.
"We've presented plans for approval, and we'd like to get that approval as soon as we can," said Digiorgio.

Water committee
However, Russell said before any approval is given, the water committee wants to conduct some tests of its own.
"It seems we need answers to some questions before we move forward," he said, adding the committee wanted to bring in its own engineer to provide a report.
Russell said 10 people attended the first meeting, and at the next town board meeting tonight (Thursday), they would appoint a committee.
He said, so far, the people at the meeting said there were three options to take for Amenia Hills.
"Add them to the district, make a new district for Amenia Hills, or take no action," Russell said.
Reagon agreed with Russell, and said before a decision came, the town wanted to do some studies of its own as well.
This declaration seemed to distress Syms.
"I don't understand why you need another study," Syms said, shaking his head.
"We've done so many studies on this issue. I think Mr. Lazerone gave all the information you need in his letter," Syms said.
"I'd hate to see the town miss up on this opportunity," he said.
"It's been four years of studies. I don't understand the need for additional studies," he said with a grimace.
However, Reagon said she is looking past the Amenia Hills project, to the long-term vision for Amenia.
She agreed Syms' offer was a great opportunity, but the town wanted to make sure everything would work out in its best interest.
"I personally feel this is a great opportunity to do something for the people in the district," she said.
The topic will be discussed further at today's meeting, which begins at 7 p.m.

©Harlem Valley Times 2006

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