- By Dan Veaner
- News
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Construction on East Shore Drive would be more expensive because strict regulations on construction hours, keeping the road open, traffic control and getting equipment off the road each day apply to State roads. The cost difference was estimated at around $900,000. On January 12 Town Supervisor Steve Farkas, Village Mayor Don Hartill and Jim Blum, of Stearns & Wheler, LLC, an engineering firm hired by the Town, met with State Department of Transportation (DOT) officials in Syracuse to negotiate the easing of State regulations for the three month period needed to lay the sewer line.
At that time it was estimated that the difference in costs between the routes could be reduced to $400,000, half for traffic control and half for the purchase of land on which to build a pumping station to bring effluent up the cliff to the Cayuga Heights treatment plant. Mayor Hartill disputed that cost, saying that while he agreed that half would be needed for land acquisition, he thought the remaining $200,000 was in question.
Hartill agreed to commission a traffic study to see if the DOT would agree to forgive more restrictions in the hope that it would lower costs enough to convince the Town to build on East Shore. Hartill hoped the study would support his contention that a detour onto Triphammer Road would be able to handle traffic diverted from East Shore. Town officials were left with the impression that the study would take two weeks and that it would be commissioned immediately after the meeting with DOT.
This proved to be a misunderstanding, as Hartill didn't ask Village Trustees to fund it until February 6. Village officials now say it will be completed by the end of February. Town officials have been frustrated as they have pushed back deadlines for the Village at least four times in the last six months.
Meanwhile the State wants to know why the Town isn't building its sewer. State officials prompted the formation of "The Gang of Six" municipalities to reduce the number of treatment plants on Lake Cayuga. $4.9 million of bond act money was awarded to the Town in 1998, but it took years for the municipalities to come to an agreement. Then the Town wanted to give the Village a choice of route, since the trunk line would have to go through the Village to get to the Cayuga Heights treatment plant.
While Village Trustees have concerns about disruption of neighborhoods and odors that might come from a sewer along the Cayuga Heights Road route. But engineers, including the Village Engineer Dave Putnam have said that if it is constructed properly there should not be noticeable odors.
The village, one of the six municipalities, already has sewer, and will be able to hook up areas not currently served when the Town trunk line is built. With mounting pressure from the State and dwindling value of the bond act money the Town has decided it must go ahead with the route that will cost taxpayers the least amount of money.
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