It’s déjà vu. It’s unfortunate. I feel bad for the affected residents because like us, they have been patient, trusting, and reasonable. It’s sad.
This “cheap fix” will wind up costing a fortune. Its money ill spent because it doesn’t appear likely to “fix” much if anything. Plus, it requires a pretty steep connection fee…and that’s if you’ve already got the French drain. If not, get your checkbook out for a major expense. And yet, the Town stands willing to shell out roughly $250,000 (there’s that magic number again.) Incredible!
Again, I’ll lay money that the work isn’t done by fall. In fact, I smell another study. By the way, whatever happened to that idea floated recently that all the drainage work of the various affected neighborhoods would go out to bid together so maybe money could be saved? I didn’t expect that but mention it only to illustrate the double-talk that serves to delay all these repairs.
I’m beginning to accept that we’re all out of luck because the only thing drying up is the money.
Didn't any of those home have French drains installed? I heard that the guy who spoke at the meeting last night actually use to work for Charlew when they were building that development. I don't know if that is totally accurate or not. If it is true, than he should have some first hand information.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
They have sump pumps installed in the basements but one of the problems I learned by talking to some of the residents is during heavy rains when the soil is saturated when the sump pumps ore running water is forced into another neighbors basement. When the original storm water drainage system couldn't be built as designed by the developers engineer why was it not sent back to the planning board and the developer made to redesign the system so that it would actually work.
ROTTERDAM Houlton Avenue project to cost less than thought BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Rotterdam appears to have caught a bit of a break on the cost of a drainage project set for Houlton Avenue. Town officials are expected to award the drainage and road reconstruction project to the Altamont-based Carver Construction Inc. The company was the lowest among four bidders for the project with $183,716, which was significantly lower than originally anticipated. Last month, Supervisor Steve Tommasone warned work on the road could cost the town in excess of $250,000. He said he was pleased to learn his estimate was off when the town opened bids for the project last week. “It’s been a good time to put projects out to bid,” he said Thursday during the Town Board agenda meeting. “The competition is working for us.” Poor drainage has caused the pavement to crumble along the quarter-mile-long stretch of road between Altamont Avenue and Crane Street. Some of the nearly two-dozen homes along the road are also affected by flooding, because years of paving projects have raised the street elevation above the level of some residences basements. The Houlton Avenue project is among three slated throughout Rotterdam. Later this month, town officials are expected open bids on a project to alleviate groundwater problems in the culdu-sac neighborhoods of Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Estates. Cost estimates for the work range up to $220,000 Tommasone said the town’s Highway Department has begun preliminary road work on the long-awaited Masullo Estates project. But he said the project remains stalled until the town can receive permission to work on a property located at the end of East Lucile Lane.
ROTTERDAM Typo could drive drainage cost up Project must go out to bid a 2nd time BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Town officials are hoping that a clerical error in opening bids doesn’t drive up the cost of a drainage project on Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Lane. Supervisor Steve Tommasone said a typo on the project cover sheet prompted Clerk Eunice Esposito to open the five bids four hours earlier than had been advertised. He said the lowest bid was among three that came in before the deadline, creating a situation in which the town could be accused of impropriety. As a result, members of the Town Board reconvened for a special meeting Wednesday to reject all of the bids received on Aug. 15 and to set a new deadline for project proposals at 2 p.m. Sept. 5. Aside from the inconvenience, Tommasone said the error could result in the project cost increasing from the original low bid, which was significantly lower than the $200,000 the town-designated engineer had originally estimated. “But in order to do this right, we need to rebid the whole project,” he said. “My fear is this is going to drive the cost up.” Rotterdam officials are proposing to run an 8-inch perforated pipe through the right of way along the two cul-du-sac neighborhoods to help alleviate groundwater problems the residents have experienced for more than three years. Groundwater collected in the pipe will then be diverted to an area between two vacant lots on Bluebird Lane where the town holds an easement. Tommasone said the town would like to start the project before the construction season ends this fall. The project is among three to alleviate poor drainage in Rotterdam neighborhoods; the town is also planning groundwater remediation projects on Houlton Avenue and in Masullo Estates. In other business, board members appointed a part-time typist to Esposito’s office after deputy clerk Sue Madia submitted her resignation last week. Tommasone said the town will eventually hire a full-time worker to replace Madia, who recently moved from the area. Board members also accepted the resignation of David Leon, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He was replaced by Stanley Marchinkowski, who will finish out the remaining two years of Leon’s term.
The bad part of the project is the fact that the town is going to try to correct the builders poorly engineered storm water drainage problem with a glorified leach field just like you have with a septic system. When there's a heavy rain for an extended period of time the ground will become saturated and the water will still backup into the basements, some fix. I hope we'll see something done to fix Masullo Estates in our lifetime.
I hope so too shadow, but highly doubt it. It will cost far too much money to fix the water problem correctly. They have spent far too much money already on studies. Yes, they are at least 'addressing' the issue, but that is about as far as it goes.
There are soooo many existing problems in Rotterdam, they (the town board) should just concentrate on ONE issue at a time and resolve it.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
You're right Bumble the town should take one issue resolve it then move on to another one. I think that they're overwhelmed by all the problems this town has and will never raise taxes to get the money needed to resolve said problems for fear of losing votes. Too many politicians and not enough people on the board who truly care about what's best for the residents.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
It’s déjà vu. It’s unfortunate. I feel bad for the affected residents because like us, they have been patient, trusting, and reasonable. It’s sad.
This “cheap fix” will wind up costing a fortune. Its money ill spent because it doesn’t appear likely to “fix” much if anything. Plus, it requires a pretty steep connection fee…and that’s if you’ve already got the French drain. If not, get your checkbook out for a major expense. And yet, the Town stands willing to shell out roughly $250,000 (there’s that magic number again.) Incredible!
Again, I’ll lay money that the work isn’t done by fall. In fact, I smell another study. By the way, whatever happened to that idea floated recently that all the drainage work of the various affected neighborhoods would go out to bid together so maybe money could be saved? I didn’t expect that but mention it only to illustrate the double-talk that serves to delay all these repairs.
I’m beginning to accept that we’re all out of luck because the only thing drying up is the money.
Well, well...yet another Fall promise. It is absolutely incredible to me that NONE of this work is getting done. I laughed out loud at the line in the article that says this is one of three drainage projects the town has undertaken...in 4 years we haven't gotten a shovel in the ground in Masullo Esates but have found a way to move on to one of the other projects. Apparently, in the same fashion...we're ready to go only to be delayed somehow.
Pick a project...any project...and see it through properly. One completed initiative is worth 10,000 promised ones.
ROTTERDAM Bond approved for drainage projects $350,000 will fund work in two neighborhoods BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Rotterdam officials Wednesday approved a $350,000 bond allowing work to begin on two major drainage projects. The bond, which was unanimously authorized by the Town Board members, should more than cover the cost of the Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Estates drainage project, as well as similar work slated for Houlton Avenue. Both projects are expected to begin sometime this fall, town officials said. Drainage improvements at the cul-du-sac neighborhoods on Horizon Boulevard and in Bluebird Estates will cost $135,000. The work was awarded to William Larned & Sons. Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the estimate is still far short of the initial $200,000 the town anticipated but much higher than the $109,000 bid the town received late last month. Rotterdam officials needed to rebid the Horizon and Bluebird project after an error prompted the town clerk to open bids four hours earlier than originally advertised. After rebidding the project last week, it came in roughly $25,000 higher than the lowest estimate submitted during the first round. Despite the unanticipated price increase, Tommasone said, the overall cost of the two projects — Horizon and Bluebird plus Houlton Avenue separately — is still much less than originally estimated. In June, the cost to complete both projects was thought be in the range of $500,000. “It did work out to our advantage to put these bids out at this time,” Tommasone said during the board meeting. Still outstanding is a long-awaited project to alleviate groundwater problems in the Masullo Estates development. The $1.35 million road reconstruction and drainage project has been stalled for nearly four years, causing some residents in the neighborhood to speculate about the holdup. Town officials maintain that the Masullo project can’t move forward until they acquire either an easement or the deed to a small parcel of land at the end of East Lucille Lane. In November 2007, they began discussing a three-way deal with property owner Carmen Masullo and the Helderberg Estates developers. The amount of elapsed time didn’t escape Michael O’Connor, a Masullo Estates resident and vocal proponent of the project. He lauded the town for moving forward on the other two projects but reminded board members of his own neighborhood’s plight. “It’s four years later and I’m standing here again,” he told the board. “I don’t want to be standing here anymore.” O’Connor also asked the town to provide residents with a reason why the land deal hasn’t been completed with the results of a $40,500 study commissioned by the board last year. The study was among four conducted by the town totaling roughly $73,500. “We don’t have very much to show for it,” he said. “I know what we do have to show for it, and it’s mostly on paper.”
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