Posted on: 06/18/08 Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
Deteriorating roads and drainage problems in three separate Rotterdam neighborhoods could cost the town approximately $2 million in repairs, according to Supervisor Steven Tommasone.
At a Town Board meeting on Wednesday, June 11, the board unanimously agreed to allocate up to $10,000 to hire engineer Brett Steenburgh to prepare documents, specifications and bidding services for improvements to the storm sewer system in the cul-de-sac neighborhood along Bluebird Lane and Horizon Boulevard.
That project, Tommasone said, could cost $250,000, though the supervisor said he is hopeful the town’s highway department may be able to do some of the work itself. Tommasone said the town is currently trying to ensure that it has the proper easements in the neighborhood so that it can repair a malfunctioning outflow pipe that leads to a storm pond off Bluebird Lane.
An additional $250,000 will likely be spent to repair pothole-ridden Houlton Avenue between Crane Street and Altamont Avenue. Tommasone said that Houlton Avenue currently presents “a safety issue” because of its deterioration caused by ground water.
The third, and most costly, project will entail road reconstruction and drainage work in 88-home Masullo Estates. Residents have been lobbying the town for repairs for years.
Earlier this month, Masullo residents overwhelmingly voted against a sewer district extension to the neighborhood.
The town had been waiting on results of the referendum vote to commence with repairs.
The long-awaited Masullo project could cost the town an estimated $1.35 million, and Tommasone said the town would be moving aggressively to provide residents with drainage relief.
“We’ll have to borrow some money to get these projects done, but the longer we wait, the more it’s going to cost us,” said Tommasone, citing the rising costs of construction.
Tommasone also said that work in Masullo Estates and Bluebird Lane and Horizon Boulevard could occur simultaneously in an attempt to reduce the town’s costs.
He said that work could begin in Masullo Estates before the end of this construction season.
“I’ll be talking with the highway superintendent to see what we (the town) can do and what we can’t do,” said Tommasone.
Tommasone noted that the Masullo project could require bidding services, which would take some time. The town is also attempting to obtain ownership or an easement to a small parcel in Masullo Estates that would make the project easier, according to Tommasone.
The board’s lone Democrat, John Silva, agreed that the Masullo project is a top town priority.
“We need to begin to take immediate steps in the summer and fall toward the reduction of drainage issues that have plagued residents for a long time,” said Silva.
In other business, the board set a public hearing for 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 25, at Town Hall for the establishment of a sewer district extension to the proposed 261-unit Heldeberg Meadows neighborhood.
The developers of Heldeberg Meadows would fund the extension and any upgrades to the town’s sewer plant, if approved.
The people in Masullo Estates had better find out what the town plans to do about the storm water drain that's dumping it's water from Netherlands Village into Masullo Estates and not into the Thruway drain where it was designed to go. This question has been brought up to the Town Board on numerous occasions and they never seem to want to answer the question. B4 all the work is complete and the construction is finished this problem should be dealt with at the same time the rest of the drainage problems are fixed. PS: if the Town Board had bothered to take a walk over to Bluebird Lane they would have found that there isn't a stilling pond for the water to drain into as it was never constructed and the drainage pipe goes nowhere but out into a field that there is no easement to allow them to fix the drain pipe at this time. Past sins coming back to bite this current administration who had nothing to do with many of the towns current water problems.
The people in Masullo Estates had better find out what the town plans to do about the storm water drain that's dumping it's water from Netherlands Village into Masullo Estates and not into the Thruway drain where it was designed to go. This question has been brought up to the Town Board on numerous occasions and they never seem to want to answer the question. .
Well I think this issue has to be addressed!! Otherwise all of the work and money spent will be of no benefit.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I probably should refrain from commenting but I can't help myself.
Here are a few of the things I find interesting about the reported comments:
Blubird Lane - hopeful the town can do some of the work, effort to get easements, concern about malfunctioning outflow pipe. My advice to those affected residents is BEWARE! If you think action will be swift, don't. These are all the things we in Masullo Estates have heard since 2004. Shadow has already made the point that the town, despite the $73,500 spent on studies in Masullo Estates to date, have continued to ignore the problems with the Netherlands stilling pond. This is probably THE most obvious aspect that could've/should've been addressed by now but hasn't. Why?
Houlton Ave, etc - pothole repair caused by groundwater. Good luck! One other thing that I don't like is the continued use of the amount $250,000. That was the amount originally used that would solve Masullo Estates problems. That was the amount supposedly set aside for our roadwork. My point is that they cuff that number...it's a phantom amount that sounds like a lot of money when you really don't know what it takes. We soaked it up at first too.
Rolling it up with these other areas is the first I think I've heard that notion. Before that we've always been tied up with what Helderberg Meadows wanted. Will they ever just address our problem honestly and straightforwardly on it's own merits?
Then there are the oddities. The parcel they are still attempting to acquire. WHAT? We spent $40,000 to study this land that we "already have all locked up." Go back earlier in this thread and read the article for yourself. Does the town control it or not? If not, why did we study it? Funny how the sewer angle found it's way in there in between...ponder that.
Lastly, does anyone other than me find it odd that Masullo Estates voted on a sewer extension that would tie into a sewer line that doesn't yet exist that will serve Helderberg Meadows when that sewer line extension is only finding itself on the agenda now? It's backwards, in my opinion but moot now anyway. My point is that anyone who thinks that our fortunes are not directly influenced by the desires of the Helderberg Meadows project is out of their mind. We've not been dealt a straight hand from the beginning and it's just not right. So I wonder where the next delay comes from?
I intended to address these things at the last meeting but was unable to. Perhaps I will at next meeting. I'm nearly four years deep in this issue. Good money has been spent without tangible results. I want some straight answers but I'm not expecting any.
I heard from a reliable source over 1 1/2 years ago that the town had it's mind made up and would opt for a quick, easy, and cheapest fix that it could possibly get away with whether it solves the drainage problem or not. I also believe the reason for not hiring a hydrologist to do a study of the storm water/drainage problem in Massulo Estates was they didn't want to really know what it would take to fix the problem because it was going to be too expensive to fix it properly.
An additional $250,000 will likely be spent to repair pothole-ridden Houlton Avenue between Crane Street and Altamont Avenue. Tommasone said that Houlton Avenue currently presents “a safety issue” because of its deterioration caused by ground water.
There is a dry line that goes from Hamburg St through a section of Coldbrook and out to the gully next to taco bell-----this is what I was told by someone......now we can either sink lower than we are or get it together and fix it.....where are the sewers for Hamburg st......
as for Michael's comments about a shady hand------I AGREE--- >
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I think that it is time that the town board comes clean with the residents in Masullo Estates. If they truly are NOT going to fix this problem in it's entirety, then they not only owe the truth to the residents of Masullo, but to all of the taxpayers that helped pay for all of these studies that go no where. I don't think that anyone care about spending tax money to help out their neighbor, but when the powers that be are spending the money that is not going to resolve the issue, then we all have a right to complain just as much as the residents who live in Masullo Estates.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
well the problem with Steve S is that he is a good man afraid to stand up and lead a lot and listens to Mike Greaseimer (in the very same and like manner by which for years he paid attention to Johhnyboy Macjecka reguarding the reval') instead of just leading with the bully pulpit he has been awarded by the people of the town. He can be an asset if he grew a pair but he is becoming incresingly a singer of the song 'Don't rock the boat, don't tip the boat over' Afraid and afraider by the day I would say. Study, study, study...check, see, maybe, if you will, perhaps, if you will. Greaseimer says this, Greasimer says that. All hail Greasimer. If you will.
If Steve is listening to Mike it's no wonder that this town never gets anything done. You know the old saying a little knowledge can be dangerous will that's all Mike has is very little knowledge and he always sides with the developers and doesn't seem to worry about the residents needs.
Look, we all know that Steve is a nice guy. He really seems to try to appease everyone. You can tell that he does love this town. BUT...it is coming across as nothing more than lip service. Steve was elected not just once, but TWICE!! And we did that because we thought we would feel comfortable in a leadership position to bring this town out of the 80's. We know he can do it. Like Sal said...he has to grow some big ones.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Senders-Why would we know where your sign is? Maybe your kids hid it or your husband or whatever. We don't even know what lawn is yours. Try a lost and found ad or if you have a realtor, just ask for another one since they should give it to you lickity zip.
My point is---we vote folks in to get things done.....study study study study study......we're so heavenly minded we are no earthly good.......I dont know about anyone else but, I'm getting older just as fast as everyone else......
do I like paying taxes---OF COURSE NOT.....and certainly not taxes so that folks that work for 'the system' for the good of the people can have a 'guaranteed' cushy landing........but, infrastructure is infrastructure.......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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