Posted on: 06/25/08 Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
Negotiations between the town and local developers for title to a property at the end of East Lucille Lane continue to delay drainage and roadwork projects in the Masullo Estates Neighborhood in Rotterdam.
The town wants to use the parcel for the site of a future storm water system for both the proposed Helderberg Meadows development and Masullo Estates.
Supervisor Steven Tommasone said he reached a verbal agreement with Helderberg Estates developers months ago for either easements to the property or ownership of the parcel, but the town continues to wait for a formal action by the developers’ attorneys.
Tommasone said the town must acquire the land before work can begin in 88-unit Masullo Estates. He said he’s confident that a formal agreement will be reached sometime in July.
“Work needs to be accomplished in Masullo, and it is our No. 1 priority,” said Tommasone.
Highway Superintendent Jim Longo said the first 700 feet of Masullo Parkway, off Guilderland Avenue would have to be totally reconstructed and rebased. He also said the development’s entryway would have to be reshaped.
The rest of the development will be repaved using a NovaChip application after underdrainage is installed, said Longo.
The NovaChip paving process places an ultra-thin, coarse aggregate hot mix over a special asphalt membrane.
Longo said he’s had success using this particular repaving process in areas with previous drainage problems.
Longo also said that the proposed repairs in Masullo are not temporary fixes, but solutions to problems that have plagued residents for decades.
Town officials were also adamant that they were moving forward vigorously to provide long-term relief for the neighborhood.
“We want to emphasize this is not a skim coat that is going to be applied,” said Councilman John Mertz.
Cost estimates for the project are currently unavailable, according to project engineer Brett Steenburgh.
Steenburgh said he would have to wait for the town to acquire the East Lucille property before he could make a proper estimate.
Two other town drainage projects are moving forward more quickly though. Drainage improvements needed in the cul-de-sac neighborhoods of Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Lane will likely cost the town $250,000 less than previously thought.
A redesign of the project by Steenburgh will cost the town $100,000, according to Longo.
“We thought we were going to have to reverse the entire flow on Bluebird Lane, but now we’ve decided we can use the drainage that’s there and adding perforated piping,” said Longo.
Another project on pothole-ridden Houlton Avenue will cost slightly more than projections earlier this month.
Tommasone had roughly estimated that the project would cost $250,000. Estimates suggest the project will actually cost between $300,000 and $320,000.
Tommasone said he’s hopeful all three projects can be completed in a timely manner, although he admitted that the Masullo project will have to go out to bid, which could further delay relief efforts.
Tommasone said that preliminary work in Masullo and the expenditures in Horizon, Bluebird and Houlton will be paid for using the town’s fund reserves in an attempt to speed up the process.
“We’ll use our reserves in the interim and get a bond later on for the Masullo project,” said Tommasone.
Longo echoed Tommasone’s sentiments, in light of soaring costs of petroleum-based asphalt.
“The longer we wait, the more all these projects will cost,” said Longo.
What the heck??? I dont understand the right of way town ownership issue.....you want to build and 'be a good neighbor'----suck it up......we ALL live here
...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
People with water problems on Bluebird and Horizon Lanes don't cheer too loudly about your water problems being fixed until you see the details of the solution.
Ross from the Spotlight is all over this issue lately - way to go Ross!
Personal family matters have prevented me from attending the last few meetings but I was glad to see the Spotlight pick up on the land deal I'd been wondering about. The Town keeps saying how vigorously they are moving but I'm not buying it anymore. We (taxpayers) spent $40,500 on the last study which to my understanding was meant to study land "already locked up" so we could get the estimates needed to move rapidly on drainage work in the Spring. Sewer consideration we were assured would have no impact. We all know what happened. But curiously, the land still has not been acquired and Mr. Steenburgh won't provide an estimate until after that occurs? That's the town's idea of vigorous pursuit? There's another moving part that I can't quite exactly pin down yet but I have my suspicions about what it's rooted in. I don't intend to lay dormant much longer - my grief will soon serve as motivation.
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.
If they aren't going to fix the problem, then why are they wasting our tax dollars on all of these studies? And why the empty promises to those residents. If they have no intentions to fix it, for whatever reason, just say so!
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
If they aren't going to fix the problem, then why are they wasting our tax dollars on all of these studies? And why the empty promises to those residents. If they have no intentions to fix it, for whatever reason, just say so!
why do people get plastic surgery???? it's all about the looks and ------ SHOW ME THE MONEY TRAIL.....
...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
ROTTERDAM Houlton Avenue project to cost less than thought BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Rotterdam appears to have caught a bit of a break on the cost of a drainage project set for Houlton Avenue. Town officials are expected to award the drainage and road reconstruction project to the Altamont-based Carver Construction Inc. The company was the lowest among four bidders for the project with $183,716, which was significantly lower than originally anticipated. Last month, Supervisor Steve Tommasone warned work on the road could cost the town in excess of $250,000. He said he was pleased to learn his estimate was off when the town opened bids for the project last week. “It’s been a good time to put projects out to bid,” he said Thursday during the Town Board agenda meeting. “The competition is working for us.” Poor drainage has caused the pavement to crumble along the quarter-mile-long stretch of road between Altamont Avenue and Crane Street. Some of the nearly two-dozen homes along the road are also affected by flooding, because years of paving projects have raised the street elevation above the level of some residences basements. The Houlton Avenue project is among three slated throughout Rotterdam. Later this month, town officials are expected open bids on a project to alleviate groundwater problems in the culdu-sac neighborhoods of Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Estates. Cost estimates for the work range up to $220,000 Tommasone said the town’s Highway Department has begun preliminary road work on the long-awaited Masullo Estates project. But he said the project remains stalled until the town can receive permission to work on a property located at the end of East Lucile Lane.
ROTTERDAM Bond approved for drainage projects $350,000 will fund work in two neighborhoods BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Rotterdam officials Wednesday approved a $350,000 bond allowing work to begin on two major drainage projects. The bond, which was unanimously authorized by the Town Board members, should more than cover the cost of the Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Estates drainage project, as well as similar work slated for Houlton Avenue. Both projects are expected to begin sometime this fall, town officials said. Drainage improvements at the cul-du-sac neighborhoods on Horizon Boulevard and in Bluebird Estates will cost $135,000. The work was awarded to William Larned & Sons. Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the estimate is still far short of the initial $200,000 the town anticipated but much higher than the $109,000 bid the town received late last month. Rotterdam officials needed to rebid the Horizon and Bluebird project after an error prompted the town clerk to open bids four hours earlier than originally advertised. After rebidding the project last week, it came in roughly $25,000 higher than the lowest estimate submitted during the first round. Despite the unanticipated price increase, Tommasone said, the overall cost of the two projects — Horizon and Bluebird plus Houlton Avenue separately — is still much less than originally estimated. In June, the cost to complete both projects was thought be in the range of $500,000. “It did work out to our advantage to put these bids out at this time,” Tommasone said during the board meeting. Still outstanding is a long-awaited project to alleviate groundwater problems in the Masullo Estates development. The $1.35 million road reconstruction and drainage project has been stalled for nearly four years, causing some residents in the neighborhood to speculate about the holdup. Town officials maintain that the Masullo project can’t move forward until they acquire either an easement or the deed to a small parcel of land at the end of East Lucille Lane. In November 2007, they began discussing a three-way deal with property owner Carmen Masullo and the Helderberg Estates developers. The amount of elapsed time didn’t escape Michael O’Connor, a Masullo Estates resident and vocal proponent of the project. He lauded the town for moving forward on the other two projects but reminded board members of his own neighborhood’s plight. “It’s four years later and I’m standing here again,” he told the board. “I don’t want to be standing here anymore.” O’Connor also asked the town to provide residents with a reason why the land deal hasn’t been completed with the results of a $40,500 study commissioned by the board last year. The study was among four conducted by the town totaling roughly $73,500. “We don’t have very much to show for it,” he said. “I know what we do have to show for it, and it’s mostly on paper.”
O’Connor also asked the town to provide residents with a reason why the land deal hasn’t been completed with the results of a $40,500 study commissioned by the board last year. The study was among four conducted by the town totaling roughly $73,500.
the taxpayers of Rotterdam should join the residents of Masullo Est in their effort to finally fix the drainage problem. Every taxpayer has helped pay that almost $100K. All of the taxpayers in Rotterdam should be asking for a return on this money spent.
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
ROTTERDAM Planning board OKs condo plan 100 units to be part of Helderberg homes site BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
The town Planning Commission approved plans for 100 condominium units proposed as part of the Helderberg Meadows project Tuesday, bringing the development one step closer to breaking ground. The 252-unit proposal also secured approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation this month, meaning the construction could begin soon. Project engineer Brett Steenburgh said the Helderberg Meadows developers are nearing an agreement with a local builder, which will bring the project to fruition after more than a decade of planning. As part of the deal, more than 20 acres surrounding the Masullo Estates development will be transferred to the town in lieu of the roughly $170,000 the project would have contributed to the town’s park land fund. Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the acquisition of the land will allow the town to move forward with a long-awaited drainage project in the Masullo neighborhood, which has chronic high water table problems. “We’re moving in the right direction,” Tommasone said Tuesday. Tommasone anticipates the town will solicit bids for the drainage work sometime this winter, provided the land is transferred to the town. In addition, he said, the land transfer will also assure the Masullo residents they’ll retain a buffer of conservation land between their homes, Helderberg Meadows and the nearby Thruway. “This is a phenomenal deal for the town and it’s a phenomenal deal long term because it gives a buffer for the residents there,” he said. But the final approval for the condominiums didn’t come without a small hitch. Planning Commission member Thomas Yuille contested the plans for having a lack of parking per unit. Initial plans for the condomini- ums included separate clusters of 32 units and 68 units, each with a single-car garage and driveway. Yuille argued the eight spaces for the smaller cluster and 28 spaces for the larger cluster weren’t sufficient overflow parking for the development. “I think you’re woefully under the number of parking spaces,” he said, citing his own experiences as a condominium owner in the recently constructed Putnam Woods. “It’s a major issue we’re running into.” Steenburgh agreed to increase the spaces by 10 in the smaller cluster and 15 in the larger cluster. Commission members supported the move and approved the development. Once a deal is reached, Steenburgh said, the builder will fi rst construct the arterial road through the 314-acre development and install the infrastructure. He said the condominiums are likely to be built at the same time as the first group of homes. Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
ROTTERDAM Town gets drainage project land Parcel will allow construction to fix Masullo Estates water woes BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
The developers of Helderberg Meadows have given Rotterdam the deed to 15 acres of forest land off East Lucille Lane that will allow the town to move ahead on a long-awaited drainage project in the groundwater-plagued Masullo Estates development. Donald Zee, an attorney for the developers, said the parcel was purchased for $100,000 from Carmen Masullo in late December, and then conveyed to the town on New Year’s Eve. Masullo had attempted to develop 16 homes on the property in 2004, but scrapped the idea after the town Planning Commission ordered a costly engineering study of the project. Town officials are expected to accept the property at the same time they send the project out to bid early next month. Brett Steenburgh, an engineer representing both the town and the Helderberg Meadows developers, said the property was the last remaining piece Rotterdam needed to advance the Masullo drainage project into the construction phase. “It’s kind of a key component,” he said. The town project will rebuild the badly pock-marked roads through Masullo Estates and install functioning drains that will divert groundwater toward a basin built at the end of East Lucille Lane. The basin will be lined with clay so that the runoff it catches won’t re-enter the area’s already high water table. Steenburgh said installing functioning drains along the roadway may help alleviate some of the basement flooding experienced by a number of the development’s 88 homes. Work on the project could begin as early as April and is expected to wrap up sometime in September. Word of the property’s impending transfer was welcomed by the neighborhood’s residents, who have waged an exhaustive effort aimed at getting the town to repair their badly deteriorated roads. East Lucille Lane resident Michael O’Connor was tempered in his reaction to the news, but was pleased by the apparent progress. “I’ve come to realize that it’s going to move slower than I ever anticipated,” he said of the project. “But if we’re moving forward, that’s a good thing.” In January 2007, Masullo attempted a three-way subdivision of the property. But when a perspective buyer voiced an intention to develop the two largest pieces of the land, commission members suspected the subdivision was an attempt to subvert the 2004 ruling. The Planning Commission eventually allowed Masullo to subdivide a sliver of the land, which was sold to a resident of the neighborhood. The remaining subdivision was scrapped after members of the commission voiced skepticism about Masullo’s intent. Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the town will create a land conservation easement on the property once the drainage project is complete. The land will join roughly 190 acres the Helderberg Meadows developers are slated to give the town as part of their project. “The only plan we have for that property is to use it to alleviate the drainage problems in Masullo Estates,” he said. “There will be no development on that property.” Within the next couple weeks, Zee expects................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01100
I doubt this will make anyone happy since it won't solve the problem 100%. The real solution is to pay to have everyone's house built on stilts since the development is in the middle of a swamp, and much to the surprise of humans (who believe that nothing ever changes and if it does then there must be a sinister reason for it), the earth is constantly changing and in a state of flux. what was dry for 100 years becomes wet, and what was wet for 400 years dries up, what had a low water table for some years all of a sudden has a high one. People believe there is always someone else to blame for soil and water conditions, and sometimes there is. But what happens geologically and hydrology-wise sometimes is beyond the control of people. The earth and it's eco-system is bigger than us.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
So was Masullo Ests built on wet or dry land originally? If it were 'wet lands' the homes either........ (A) Not been built....or (B) Provisions should have been made for the geological situation.
If the homes were originally built on dry lands.........then it would clearly be a geological change with no one (human)should be to blame or be expected to resolve.
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
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