by Bea Peterson
The Hoosick Falls Village Board meeting on Tuesday, July 13, began with a Public Hearing on the acquisition by NYS DOT of the house and property at 38 High Street. Four NYS Department of Transportation gentlemen were on hand to discuss the project. Project Manager Richard Filkins explained to the many people in attendance that the ground, anywhere from 25 to 50 feet below the roadway is unstable. The new sidewalks near the house and going toward the Village on that side of the road
have sunk in some places, cracked in others and, at one point, the curbing has virtually disappeared and is now covered with blacktop. The storm drain put in that area during the 2007 reconstruction of Route 22 is completely twisted and sagging. The most reasonable solution to the problem, said Filkins, is slope flattening. The plan is to remove the house, which is being undermined, and, starting from there, reduce and widen the slope all along that property and the adjoining Village owned property. The reduced weight should help stabilize the underground.
Filkins was followed by Don Roberts from the NYS Office of Real Estate who explained the eminent domain procedure. Filkins then answered questions regarding the project. He stated no other properties have been affected by this problem and it will have no affect on the planned Greenway in that area. Once the excavation is completed the ground will be reseeded with native type vegetation. Since this is an underground problem, removing the trees from the surface did not add to the problem. The Village water and sewer lines on the opposite side of the street have not been affected. The work will begin in the spring of 2012 and will take a couple of months. During that time there will be one lane of alternating traffic in that area. Written comments on the project must be submitted to DOT by July 23.
The Hole Will Remain
In response to a question from the floor Mayor Matt Monahan said the owner of the former Dougherty lot, Alex Koks, was unable to secure financing for the bed and breakfast he had proposed putting on the site. The Mayor said since the grant application has been re-purposed once, from one owner to another, with no project financing available and the tight financial situation in the State, the $600,000 grant it received almost six years ago may disappear. It is quite possible the lot will be filled in and grass planted again. Mayor Monahan pleaded for some investor to come forward and save this project.
Dollar Deals Opening July 24
Angelo Benardo again asked the Village for $3,000 through the Village Revolving Loan program. The Mayor apologized to him and said they are establishing new guidelines for the program and he would let Benardo know as soon as possible regarding his loan.
Benardo said the Dollar Deals store will hold a Grand Opening on Saturday, July 24, at 9 am. The Mayor said that was good news and that the new Ferrara’s Restaurant was scheduled to open this week as well.
Water Meter Billing Will Begin Next August
Mayor Monahan said working with the Village water billing system has “been a nightmare” and that metered billing will not begin until August 2011. He said they need good readings to establish a residential rate. He expects all the meters should be in and new laws in place by March. After that residences will be billed by use. He said the sliding scale for apartment buildings is being changed and they should know more in that regard by the September meeting.
August Meeting And Public Hearing
The next meeting of the Village Board will be a week later than usual, on August 17. The meeting will begin at 6 pm with a Public Hearing on a Local Law regarding installing water meters and replacing broken water meters.