Last night we were contacted by Schoharie Supervisor Chris Tague about our article Saturday regarding potential jail sites. He emailed us several updates on the project, including updated estimates regarding costs.
In our article we cited figures from Flood Recovery Manager Bill Cherry's October 3rd letter to the members of the Buildings and Purchases Committee and Law Enforcement Committee. In our piece, we wrote, "Water lines would need to be extended either from Schoharie four miles away or five to six miles from Cobleskill. Sewer lines may be extended one mile from Central Bridge depending on capacity. It is currently unknown if the site is still for sale."
Supervisor Tague sent us an email from October 17th, in which he cites information from Jack McDonald, the engineer of record for the Cobleskill to Howes Cave water system and the Central Bridge Water and Sewer District. McDonald's estimate is that running water from the corner of Route 7 and Zicha Road, a distance of 3.8 miles, would cost $2.9 million. McDonald stated that a one mile extension from Central Bridge would cost approximately $686,000. Tague called either "a cheap investment in the possibility of serious economic development to benefit the entire county down the Route 7 Corridor."
For Tague, this is the best possible location for the jail as it is near access points to the Capital District and near the courthouse in Schoharie. He cites the fact that the Central Bridge sewer system is new and the District recently received $5 million in grants for projects expected done by the end of 2017.
In our article we cited figures from Flood Recovery Manager Bill Cherry's October 3rd letter to the members of the Buildings and Purchases Committee and Law Enforcement Committee. In our piece, we wrote, "Water lines would need to be extended either from Schoharie four miles away or five to six miles from Cobleskill. Sewer lines may be extended one mile from Central Bridge depending on capacity. It is currently unknown if the site is still for sale."
Supervisor Tague sent us an email from October 17th, in which he cites information from Jack McDonald, the engineer of record for the Cobleskill to Howes Cave water system and the Central Bridge Water and Sewer District. McDonald's estimate is that running water from the corner of Route 7 and Zicha Road, a distance of 3.8 miles, would cost $2.9 million. McDonald stated that a one mile extension from Central Bridge would cost approximately $686,000. Tague called either "a cheap investment in the possibility of serious economic development to benefit the entire county down the Route 7 Corridor."
For Tague, this is the best possible location for the jail as it is near access points to the Capital District and near the courthouse in Schoharie. He cites the fact that the Central Bridge sewer system is new and the District recently received $5 million in grants for projects expected done by the end of 2017.
1 comments:
Mr. Tague continues to embrace the oft repeated Schoharie County fantasy that water and sewer lines (and the tax money they require to be built) act as magnets for sustainable economic development and the only reason the county is not flourishing is the absence of water and sewer lines in outlying areas. The idea of extending infrastructure outward away from downtown areas is precisely the opposite of best practice standards for community planning and development. (Mr. Tague could affirm that fact by simply consulting with the County's own Senior Planners) By doing so, communities encourage sprawl and discourage revitalization. Mr. Tague should ask himself why areas that already have water and sewer (the villages of Richmondville or at the abandoned Maranatha Building for example) have high commercial vacancy rates. Clearly water and sewer lines are not the determining factor for economic sustainability. Economic development is more complex than pipes in the ground, no matter how easy "water and sewer" slips of the tongue of our elected officals. - Bob Nied
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