Feehan said the DEP allowed him to put in a temporary fix to his cesspool because of the plans for the sewer system. Now he fears his only option will be a pump-and-haul system, which could cost him $1000 or more per month for the liquor store and the upstairs apartments.
Furthermore, he can’t rebuild on the Phoenicia Hotel lot until a sewer system is in place. “It’s extremely disappointing,” said Feehan.
No referendum set
In 2005, the DEP funded the design of a conventional sewer system that was rejected by voters in a public referendum. Since then, the town has explored various alternative options that the DEP found inadequate, until the CWC took over the process, finally obtaining approval from DEP for a membrane bioreactor system.
However, a group of citizens, led by restaurant owner Mike Ricciardella, continued to express concerns about the costs and liabilities involved, fearing much of the burden of operations and maintenance would be shouldered by businesses. Ricciardella has been vocal in demanding that the city pay a larger share of the construction and operation and maintenance costs.
The town board recently voted, 3-1, to table a resolution on the creation of a sewer district, the next step in moving forward with the project. The vote came at the last possible moment to still have enough time to create the district by the deadline. But having missed that crucial deadline, Stanley asked the city for another extension, provoking Strickland’s June 1 letter.
“This is very unfortunate and distressing,” commented John Parete, the Ulster County legislator representing Shandaken. “Control and management of sewers and waste is a public health issue. Does anybody up in that town really want this? I’m not blaming the city of New York. They’ve offered many times for a decade. Can anything be salvaged? Maybe nothing can be salvaged.”
“People’s position that the only way they’re going to take it is if New York City pays for everything just doesn’t fly,” said Harry Jameson, owner of Town Tinker Tube Rental. “New York City offered the same deal to 21 other communities, a good percentage of which have taken it. To think the DEP is going to turn around and cut Phoenicia another deal — that makes no sense at all. The bottom line is, I believe the costs per user were going to be very economical. Residents billed $100 a year is a really good deal.”
As pointed out in the DEP letter, New York City has built similar systems at its expense in Hunter, Fleischmanns, Windham, Andes, Roxbury, Prattsville and Pine Hill. The latest one began operations last year in Boiceville.
Jameson expressed concern about the future, in view of the town’s construction, several years ago, of a filtration gallery for town water at the behest of the EPA. “What’s to say the EPA doesn’t come in here in five to ten years and say you have to build a sewer treatment facility? We’d have to float a $20 million bond — that’s ultimately what could happen.”++
Rob Stanley was in receipt of this letter prior to the town board meeting yet failed to mention a word about it. A member of the audience asked if he had heard any response to his request for an extension and he lied. The Freeman reporter stated he received the letter Thursday; Rob had the letter by Monday not Thursday. Rob had months to get this offer to referendum yet waited until the deadline loomed and went on vacation during the last possible meeting to schedule a public meeting to hold the referendum. He requested his last extension by getting the CWC to study all possible problems with the promise a referendum would be held. Maybe the city is tired of all his lies.