- By Dan Veaner
- News
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 (Left to right) Andy Sciarabba, Attorney Mary Chappell, Town Supervisor Steve Farkas, Sewer Committee Chairman Bud Shattuck, Engineer Jim Blum, Town Engineer David Herrick, Village Trustee Frank Moore, Town Councilwoman Connie Wilcox |
The cost is higher on Route 34 because it is a State road, subject to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations governing which hours construction can take place, traffic management and removal of construction equipment on a daily basis. Village Mayor Don Hartill had hoped to convince the DOT to allow the Town to close the road by providing a traffic study showing how traffic could be rerouted on Cayuga Heights and Triphammer Roads. He and Town Supervisor Steve Farkas met with DOT officials Friday to try to get them to relax regulations that added $400,000 above the cost of building on Cayuga Heights Road.
But the meeting had the opposite effect, bringing the difference between the routes up to $550,000. Farkas reported, "They put additional constraints on protecting equipment and construction, cement barriers at specific angles, the amount of time." He said that the issue has been sent to DOT's legal department, which has concerns about leaving construction equipment out over night on a state road that could bring the cost even higher.
Committee members expressed frustration over the Village's inaction in planning for alternatives to Route 34. Andy Sciarabba told Village Trustee Frank Moore, "There are probably no more than 20 or 30 people in the Village of Lansing that give a damn about which way this thing goes. You're one of them because you live on the road. That's what it's coming down to, it's a 'my back yard' situation. We're willing to do what you want, but you haven't offered to pay for it." Others accused the Village of not making a decision, knowing that the cost of building on 34 would probably be prohibitive. Moore replied that the Trustees had made their decision. "Our position, I think, has been pretty consistent that we favor Route 34," he said.
Farkas told the committee, "My interpretation is that the DOT is reluctant at best to allow us to go down 34. We should plan on Cayuga Heights Road and let the chips fall where they may." In an around the table poll, the committee agreed.
With the route settled Attorney Mary Chappell, of Allardice & Associates, the Town's financial advisor, produced figures on what the project will cost the town and residents in the sewer district. The total project cost is estimated at $18,240,000. The Town's portion of that is $11,857 once you apply the bond act money and a grant Watch Tower, which owns Kingdom Farm, committed to the Town.
With the trunk line extending to Myers Point, the cost per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) within the initial benefit district would be an annual $743, split approximately 50-50 between the cost to build the project and Operation and Maintenance. Those in the sewer district but outside of the area that would get service in the first phase would pay $111.
The Town says that is too much, so a subcommittee of Sciarabba and Noel Desch has devised a plan to get donations that would bring the average household cost down to $548 per year. They are modeling their strategy on that used by the County when they lured Northwest Airlines to the Tompkins/Ithaca Airport. In that deal the County promised a subsidy to the airline if they didn't reach a specific level of profitability. As it turned out the airline did quite well and no money was needed from the County.
Sciarabba says he wants to get donors to commit to a certain amount. As more homes are built within the sewer district the amount per EDU is lower because more units are sharing the cost. This would go to lower donor's contributions first, because their participation has already lowered homeowners' costs. For example if a donor pledged $3 million to the project they might only end up paying $2 million. He said this approach will make donating much more palatable to the potential donors he is approaching.
With the route chosen the committee will be able to make decisions and develop a plan to explain the benefits to the public. We'll continue to go forward," Shattuck said. "Next week the Village has a meeting. Should they come up with something extraordinary that defrays the cost then I'll call an emergency meeting of this committee and we'll come back together and discuss that. Without that happening we're going forward on Cayuga Heights Road."
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