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Cold Spring Considers Water Issues
Drainage problems at Springbrook Condo and water bills among issues discussed
by Kevin Foley
The Cold Spring Board of Trustees weekly workshop meeting took on a decidedly aquatic tone on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 as the members dealt with several waterrelated matters.
No doubt, washed out themselves from the fulminations over budget issues that resulted in a tax increase the week before, the trustees conducted a subdued, relatively short meeting before an audience of ten people.
Several of those people were from the Springbrook Condominium Board of Directors who were present to press their case for better village water drainage to alleviate flooding on their property. The condos are located at the bottom of a long downward slope that begins in Nelsonville and therefore catches abundant water from its namesake brook as it arrives at the property.
Fran O'Toole, chair of the condo board presented the trustees with photographs depicting damage to the grounds with washed up refuse and gravel, ripped shrubbery and generally muddy conditions. "We have had to hire people to clean up the property several times in the last year,' said O'Toole.
O'Toole said that Springbrook also received runoff from nearby Back Brook and further that the Haldane school district playing fields were another major source for excess water. "I know we are private property but the problem is being caused by the lack of a drainage system in the village," said O'Toole.
Mayor Anthony Phillips was empathetic to the Springbrook residents' plight, which he acknowledged was long standing. He said there were some recent positive developments that would hopefully alleviate some, but not the entire problem.
Phillips said Haldane officials had brought in a firm to clean out their drainage system, which he said was the source for the gravel on the Spring Brook property. "They found a break in their line, but I don't know what they plan to do about a repair,' said Phillips. In response to O'Toole asking if the residents should appeal to school officials, Phillips suggested that Haldane management be invited to a village meeting so everyone could share their concerns and issues. "I think the current administration will work us," said the Mayor, who has often been critical of the school district in the past.
Phillips also reported that Assemblywoman Sandy Galef had secured $25,000 in state funding to correct drainage problems on Route 9D, which should also offer some relief to the Springbrook problem. "I'm never going to be able to tell you water won't run through your property. We have to live with water in the brook but we'll do what we can," said the Mayor.
O'Toole said the residents of Springbrook had also been in contact with Trees for Tribs, an organization that promotes the planting of trees to protect against erosion.
Verizon, the telephone and cable utility, also came in for criticism for problems with a telephone pole in need of repair at Spring Brook and for others around the village. According to the Mayor the company has ignored numerous communications about the condition of their poles in Cold Spring. He said he would bring up the issue at the next informal monthly meeting of all Philipstown officials.
Before leaving, the Springbrook residents were reminded by village Water and Sewer Superintendent, Greg Phillips, that two dormant fire hydrants on their property were in need of replacement. Phillips said the situation was not just a matter of adequate fire protection but that the turned-off hydrants were preventing the flushing of the water system, which he said would cause problems with their water usage in the future.
The trustees continued with water issues by following Greg Phillips' recommendation that the water bill for the old Butterfield Hospital property be significantly lowered while the developer Paul Guillaro works on plans for his new project. Phillips reported that little water is currently being used and that the old assessment reflected Hudson Valley Hospital long-standing desire to reopen the site as a hospital.
The conundrum of how to collect revenue from people who have not paid their water bills after being threatened with shut off was also discussed. Greg Phillips pointed out that heretofore the village had never really had to shut off water access to residents or businesses as people usually paid after pressure was applied. However, he brought up two cases where the threat of water turn off and the fact that shut off must take place on the owner's property posed particular problems.
On one abandoned commercial property, Fair Gate, the owner believed the shut off threat was real and therefore didn't worry about water continuing to run through the pipes during a winter freeze causing bursting with subsequent flooding.
On another Peekskill Road property a recalcitrant owner is apparently avoiding the threat of shut off because at this site the water system is tied through a network of public and private systems that link to other properties, which would be affected by a shut off. In this case the village attorney will be consulted before future action is taken.
Continuing with water-related business, the trustees voted to dilute the repayment schedule of a $39,000 loan the village general fund made in December 2006 from the separate village Water and Sewer fund. Instead of the original two-year schedule, the village will now pay it back in four years of equal payments beginning with the new fiscal year beginning June 1. An audience member challenged whether that was proper under state law but the trustees said they were following the advice of the board's outside auditor as to their prerogative in the matter.
The trustees also made a number of minor budget adjustments which included moving $1,600 from the village master plan line into general funds in order to help meet the current payroll. The members smiled sheepishly at Comprehensive Plan Special Board chair Carol Casparian offering her a collective "sorry."
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