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Lansing officials are now saying they think the Bone Plain Road Water Tank project not require eminent domain proceedings.  A week and a half ago Town officials said they were prepared to institute eminent domain on two small pieces of property for which they had not obtained easements.  After seven months of multiple attempts to get landowners to sign easements, two property owners were the only holdouts blocking the $2,006,500 project that is expected to increase poor water pressure in the eastern central area of the Town, as well as servicing new developments on and around Warren Road.  They were given until last Friday to sign or have their properties expropriated.

"This is the last tool that we have in our tool chest to get this done," Water and Sewer Advisory Board Chairman Dan Adinolfi told Town Board members at their May 20th meeting.  "Members of the committee have been working very hard trying to get the signatures.  We've been just trying to push it through so we can get the project done."

The two-phased project includes a new 0.20MG water tank to be constructed in Dryden, just over the town line on Bone Plain Road, plus an extension of the water main to existing infrastructure on Farrell Road.  It will include about 8,300 feet of 12-inch pipe, including valves and fire hydrants.  Another 1,440 feet of 12-inch pipe will be installed on Warren Road, and another 650 feet will connect the distribution main on Village Circle North and the main on Springbrook Circle.  Private developments including Woodland Park Subdivision, Cayuga Way/Lakeview Subdivision and Village Circle-Village Solars Planned Development Area are expected to benefit.  A pump station will also be constructed near the existing tank on Village Circle.



Town Attorney Guy Krogh said multiple attempts had been contact the two property owners, and one, in particular was proving difficult to locate.

"One resident is away right now," said Supervisor Kathy Miller.  "I think they'll sign when they get back.  We tried to make the other resident understand they're transferring the property from one member of the family to another."

Krogh said that an elderly resident, no longer living on the property, was in the process of transferring it to her daughter, probably for estate planning purposes.  But he said town officials were frustrated because the current owner wouldn't sign the easement even though the daughter planned to comply.

"The daughter is going to sign," he said.  "We haven't been able to say, 'If that's going to happen, why doesn't the current owner just sign it?'  For whatever reason that concept hasn't gained traction."

Miller said they had been given until Friday to sign before eminent domain procedures would be initiated.

This week Krogh said he thought there was one signature left unsigned by the resident who was out of town, but noted that person intended to sign.  He said he hoped and believed that formal eminent domain proceedings would not be necessary.

The project is expected to be completed and on line by next fall.

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