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Thanks to Gardner and county for acting on Marotta dumpsite
CAROL DUCHESNE Pattersonville

   The people of Pattersonville owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Schenectady County Legislature, and especially to county attorneys Christopher Gardner and Donald DeAngelus, for their conscientious pursuit of the clean-up of a safety and health hazard in Pattersonville.
   The Marotta property on Route 5S has long been a source of complaints As secretary to the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District #4, I filed a written complaint on that group’s behalf with the town of Rotterdam in May 1990 concerning a badly deteriorated house. More complaints from the commissioners, followed in 1991, when the debris from the house was spread over the property and rusted construction equipment began to appear. Over the years more complaints, both written and verbal, were filed. In each instance, the town notified the property owner of violations, but little further action was taken until recently.
   In January 2006, more vehicles, tires, barrels, etc., were brought to the property. According to an article in the Gazette on June 1, Mr. [Michael] Marotta “. ..denied the site was an illegal junk yard.” I am not sure what else to call a property that was littered with tires in piles on the ground and in truck bodies, barrels with unknown contents, truck parts, debris and vehicles, some of which were rusted and had broken windows. In addition, Mr. Marotta pleaded guilty to running an illegal junk yard in Rotterdam Town Court in April. The county health department confirmed the area was being used as a junk yard in July 2006, and ordered a cleanup by December (Jan. 26 Gazette). For the last year and a half, the property owner has ignored every deadline that has been set for cleanup.
   It should be noted that Pattersonville is served by a small volunteer fire department, staffed by residents who have dedicated many hours of their own time to rigorous training to be able to provide protection to their neighbors. They receive no compensation of any kind for their dedication to keeping us safe. Putting a high-risk property such as a junk yard so close to several homes in Pattersonville, is unfair to them. We are all thankful that Chris Gardner has been successful in removing this safety hazard from our area.  

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New concerns at old farm
Large mixed-use project proposed on banks of Mohawk across from historic Mabee site  
  
By JENNIFER PATTERSON, Staff writer
First published: Thursday, June 21, 2007

ROTTERDAM -- Historians and preservationists are concerned that a proposed 63-acre waterfront development planned for across the Mohawk River from the Mabee Farm will ruin the old-time charm and serenity of the historic site.
  
"We don't want it (the development) to wreck a historic view shed," former historical society president Kim Mabee said. "We want to protect our bucolic setting here at the farm, which has been the same for more than 300 years."

Members of the Schenectady County Historical Society and local preservation groups are concerned that the proposed development, which, if approved, would be built directly across the river from the farm, will negatively affect the site.

Delmar resident Ray Marshall wants to build 491 condominiums and town houses on land located about one mile east of the Route 103 connector to Rotterdam Junction. The property was once home to the Gay Valley Airport site in Glenville. Marshall could not be reached for comment.

The development would include a 2,300-square-foot marina, a 45,000-square-foot technology park, a 12,000-square-foot restaurant, a 2,500-square-foot clubhouse, hotel and banquet hall.

The Mabee Farm is the oldest standing home in the Mohawk Valley, bordering the banks of the Mohawk River on Route 5S. The farm is run by the Schenectady County Historical Society as an educational center for the community.

The site holds Colonial events, re-enactments, workshops, tours and educational programs reflecting the historical significance of the early farmstead. Members of the Historical Society are worried that such events won't be as effective if plans for the development are approved.

"This development is of major concern for the Mabee Farm and the residents of Schenectady County," said Neil Turner, president of Citizens Advocating Responsible Development, or CARD, a grass-roots opposition group in Glenville.

"The acreage that is proposed to be developed is on a flood plain, which serves as a surge reservoir, reducing the impact of sudden high flow levels. This is just one of numerous negative issues that are immediately apparent."

Marshall, who owns several apartment buildings in the Arbor Hill section of Albany, bought much of the land for the proposed site along Route 5 last year. Marshall has hired an architecture firm, Synthesis LLP of Schenectady, but his proposed Glencove Harbor development is still in the preliminary stages and faces a long list of hurdles, including approval from the town of Glenville, before plans can move forward. Jennifer Patterson can be reached at 454-5340 or by e-mail at jpatterson@timesunion.com.

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Delmar resident Ray Marshall wants to build 491 condominiums and town houses on land located about one mile east of the Route 103 connector to Rotterdam Junction. The property was once home to the Gay Valley Airport site in Glenville. Marshall could not be reached for comment.

The development would include a 2,300-square-foot marina, a 45,000-square-foot technology park, a 12,000-square-foot restaurant, a 2,500-square-foot clubhouse, hotel and banquet hall.

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ROTTERDAM
Heat sparks watering restrictions
Town reserves dangerously low; system upgrades cited
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.

   Rotterdam officials temporarily tightened summer watering restrictions Wednesday, after low-water level alarms were touched off twice this week.
   Residents will be prohibited from watering lawns during the evening hours with the Rotterdam Police strictly enforcing the ban, according to a release from the town. The augmented restrictions will continue until Sunday, when the ordinary schedule will resume.
   Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the town pumped more than 8.7 million gallons of water Monday and nearly 5.5 million on Tuesday. The result has been a depletion of the total 5 million gallon stored water in the town’s six storage tanks.
   “The pumps we have are working nonstop the last few days,” he said. “If we can have residents not water in the evenings just for a dew days, it can allow us to get the tanks back up to normal levels.”
   Tommasone said the restrictions are to ensure the town has enough capacity in the event of an emergency. He said the normal pattern for watering is likely to return after the heat wave breaks this weekend.
   “We have to be careful from a [fire district] perspective,” he said. “These levels are getting very low.”
   Water Plant Supervisor Clark Collins said the town uses about 3.5 million gallons on average. But as soon as the heat cranks up this usage often increases by 5 million gallons.
   “That extra 5 million gallons we’re pumping is basically for outdoor use,” he said.
   To control this extra usage, town rules only allows watering from 7 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. between May and September. But with the increased restrictions this week, only even-numbered house numbers will be permitted to water in the morning today and Saturday, with odd numbered houses allowed to water in the morning Friday and Sunday.
   Were residents to abide by the ordinary restrictions, Collins said there probably wouldn’t be a problem with the storage supply. But often times, he said the summer watering hours are ignored.
   “You can hear the sprinklers running [after the hours],” he said.
LARGER ISSUE
   Tommasone said the recent shortage isn’t uncommon for the time of year, but that it shows the need for Rotterdam to upgrade its water infrastructure in certain areas. For instance, Rotterdam Junction’s water supply isn’t connected to the rest of the town’s system, so that any pump failure there could cause significant troubles during an emergency or peak usage time.
   “If that tank goes down, there’s no way to get water to the Junction,” he said.
   The town is planning to replace Rotterdam Junction’s decades-old tank off Leggerio Lane before the end of the year. Cost estimates to replace the 200.000-gallon tank are between $1.4 million and $2.1 million, which would be raised through bonding and paid for by the 577 users in water districts 3 and 4, according to figures presented by the town in February.
   In addition to connecting Rotterdam Junction, Tommasone said the town has preliminary approval to reconnect a similar hookup that once existed with the city of Schenectady. He said such a hookup could deliver water to the town in the event of rupture or failure somewhere in Rotterdam’s system.
   “We cannot push these upgrade off to future years,” he said. “Our water system is something that is imperative to upgrade.”  

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MABEE FARM FESTIVAL
   ROTTERDAM JUNCTION — The Mabee Farm Historic Site will host a free two-day music festival as part of the regional celebration of Canal Fest 2007 on July 14 and 15.
   Folk balladeer Rich Bala will perform at 11 a.m. followed by Red Molly at 12:30 p.m.
   The bluegrass band The Riverview Ramblers will play at 2 p.m., followed by Sara Milonovich and Greg Anderson at 3:30. Sunday’s lineup will include Mooncat, Kevin & Katie McKrell, The Ramblin’ Jug Stompers and Bill Staines at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30, respectively.
   Music workshops will be offered by the performers.
   There will also be a hay ride, an exhibit on Recreation on the Mohawk River, artisans, and the building of the 1614 boat the Onrust.

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New engineer for water tank plan
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

   Rotterdam Town Board members approved a $14,100 contract with Barton & Loguidice Wednesday to complete a design for a proposed 520,000-gallon water tank in Rotterdam Junction. The study will investigate placing the new structure near either the town’s well head on Main Street or on land off Pattersonville-Rynex Corners Road.
   Lamont Engineering already conducted a preliminary cost and time
ROTTERDAM
analysis for the project. But after receiving these results, town offi - cials decided to expand the scope of the study.
   “We’re changing the focus a bit, but the goal is the same,” explained Supervisor Steven Tommasone.
   Once the study is completed, the company will send mailers out to the 577 users in water districts 3 and 4, who will ultimately pay for the tank through bonding. Estimates to replace the aging tank were originally placed between $1.4 million and $2.1 million.
   Board member Robert Godlewski was the sole vote against hiring a new company. He questioned the logic of changing engineering companies now.
   But Tommasone said expanding the scope was necessary to move the project forward promptly.
O’CLAIRS HONORED
   In other business, the town board presented Rotterdam’s fi rst Outstanding Citizen Award to the O’Clair family for waging a campaign to pass Timothy’s Law. Signed into law last year, the legislation requires insurance companies to cover mental disorders as they cover other medical disorders.
   Accepting the award was Tom O’Clair, whose 12-year-old son Timothy committed suicide after being diagnosed with a mental illness his family’s medical insurance would not cover. He thanked the board members, as well as the town for standing behind the family’s plight to get the law passed.
   “It truly felt like we had the whole town behind us,” he said.

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Board member Robert Godlewski was the sole vote against hiring a new company. He questioned the logic of changing engineering companies now.