It took eight years, but the town has finally reached a draft agreement with New York City to take over the wastewater treatment plant on Mud Pond Road directly across the street from Town Hall.
Town officials say the development is a “game changer” as it will allow the town to extend sewer service down Route 6 in the Mahopac Business District (Sewer District No. 1), allowing businesses there to expand their commercial footprints and grow the economy.
"It will help improve commercial development there, so the tax burden isn't just on the residential homeowner," said Supervisor Mike Cazzari. "I mean, they can't go crazy; it has to be done gradually and stay within town codes, but this is a good thing, especially for future generations."
The town has been negotiating with the city since 2017 to transfer ownership.
“I know the previous boards have worked on this project to try to get it so we could expand the plant and expand the district and increase our sewer capacity so that we can have more business in the town,” said Cazzari at the Town Board’s June 11 meeting.
The treatment plant’s capacity would have to be increased if the town was to take over; Cazzari said the issue was at the heart of the delay in reaching a deal with the city.
“On Friday, June 6, the New York City Water Board approved a draft agreement that our legal team and the city’s legal team came to in which [the city] will give us $76 million to do the work [to increase capacity and maintain the facility],” Cazzari said. “We would then expand the [sewer] district all the way down to Society Hill Condominiums and the Mahopac Village Center.”
The town takes ownership of the plant free of charge.
Cazzari said that one of the sticking points in the negotiations was that the city wanted Carmel to do the renovations and increase the capacity of the plant before the city gave the town the money.
“That was something we were able to negotiate—where we get the $76 million first, whether or not we complete the expansion,” the supervisor said. “Because if you know anything about the city of New York or the state, they like to move the goalposts, and we’d end up holding the bag. So, this is a great accomplishment, and our team did a great job getting this done.”
The upgrade, Cazzari noted, will mean a capacity of 499,000 gallons per day.
That expansion will require a state environmental quality review (SEQR). At the June 11 meeting, the board voted to be the lead agency in the review.
“Tonight, we have the SEQR determination where we declare ourselves the lead agency while this goes back to [the city’s] legal team for them to take a second look with their corporate counsel before the New York City Charter signs the agreement,” Cazzari said.
Cazzari extended thanks and congratulations to board members Suzy McDonough and Frank Lombardi, who were both on the board in 2017 when the plan first unfolded.
“[For me], it’s been 10 grandbabies later, but we finally got this done,” McDonough said. “I want to thank [Supervisor Cazzari] for continuing it. It is a long process. There are still some things that need to get done, but it is going to be very, very good for the community.”
Town attorney Greg Folchetti said a pilot study to examine the plant's capacity capabilities will take 10 to 12 months to complete.
“That is something that is done at the front end of the project so that you know where your top end of the expansion will be and how much flow you can take,” he said.
It is estimated that it will take about two years before the plant is ready to come online.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here