Now, nearly 18 months later, YouTube videos have become ubiquitous. A simple search of Haverstraw will bring a flood of content. Interviews with the Mayor, fires, and parades as well as the Little League, stupid pet tricks, and all the Real Estate brokers. I guess for now I can relax, having done my small part to help clean up Haverstraw’s face on YouTube, and seeing Kens excellent work float to the very top of the Google search page, right where it belongs. I guess we must be heading in the Right Direction.

I wrote desalination-or-obscurification-in-north-rockland, a blog about the United Water Suez desalination proposal almost 18 months ago, when I saw the first mentions of a desalination plant as a solution to the P.S.C. Rate Case United Water had recently settled. The Town of Haverstraw, always quick to latch onto a solid ratable, has positioned itself as the siting community. United Water Suez has made a commitment to the project, and are going through the permitting process post haste, and are still running behind their settlement schedule.

The public as always were late to catch on, but they may have waited a little too long to organize real opposition to the project. I say this simply because the arguments made against the project would rarely outweigh the benefits in the eyes of the P.S.C., local government, and the taxpaying public. The other unknown is the future of Ambrey’s Pond if Suez United Water no longer needs the land. Will it be sold and developed?  Will school taxes increase another 20%?  Will the Town of Stony Point and Suez United Water see eye to eye?  Click HERE to see how Suez United has worked with other counties to protect and preserve the environment in and around their watersheds.

So, whats the rush?

The rush is in the numbers. According to historical data, water use in Rockland County is rising. They look at both peak day demand (the highest water use day of the year) and average water use (average daily use for a year). Although conservation methods and other factors apply here, the numbers are increasing every year. There is a link HERE to see Rockland County’s projected water demands.

We got plenty of water, right?

It’s a fact of life, the water supply doesn’t recognize County or State borders, and strictly speaking, United Water doesn’t either. Even though we could argue all day about that, good municipal planning requires cold hard facts. Water demand in Rockland County is rising every year. Even if  we kept all of Rockland County’s capacity we will eventually run out, especially during drought years.

What many conservationist’s don’t acknowledge is that as the supply dwindles, the cost skyrockets. As the cost skyrockets, our local economy must pay the difference. There is no doubt in my mind that the price we pay today for water is well below its true ‘value’, and in the next 20 years or so, we will see the price of water worldwide skyrocket. The problems the world faces with the price of oil today, and it’s associated disruptions, pale in comparison with the looming Water Crisis. The fact is the world’s supply of fresh water is running out. Already one person in five has no access to safe drinking water. In my mind, if United Water can stick their little intake into the Hudson right here in North Rockland, the residents at least won’t be buying water from some where up in Canada, and paying $$millions for the price of poor municipal planning.

Why would we want 2 billion gallons of water above our heads?

Good question. Although the use of dams in this country for drinking water, irrigation, power production and such are de rigueur, who in their right mind would propose putting a dam up in the middle of a suburban New York neighborhood? Does a State where they regulate the kind of grease you can cook your french fries in seem like the kind of State that would permit such a project when there is a viable alternative that doesn’t include a worst case failure plan? My gut reaction is that it wouldn’t happen in a thousand years. Click HERE for regulations regarding dams in New York, and click HERE to read about the poor state of those same dams. Clich HERE for a list of Dams in New York State under construction and the deficiencies noted.

Whats the environmental impact?

If you ask me, it’s minimal. United Water is required, by law, to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. They have done this and you can see it HERE. They have also produced some drawings and conceptual work and have a WEBSITE to inform the public about the plant. So as long as United Suez or the Town of Haverstraw don’t do anything stupid to piss off the DEC, the plan looks somewhat bulletproof. Environmentalists can scream at the top of their lungs about the amount of energy needed to desalinate river water, the impact the water intakes have on the River, and the long term cost of disposing post process waste from the plant. Either way, I find it hard to compare these factors against a major water supply disruption, especially with the projected demand in Rockland increasing every year.

The future of  our groundwater.

Our ground water is safe, clean, and available today and it will be in the future. There is no doubt that United Water will continue to use the wells and lakes it uses today, and will not replace these sources at a much higher cost, just because they build this plant. That is why all of North Rockland should demand that United Water Suez leave the Ambrey’s Pond property as open space, for the simple reason it is our watershed, and we expect it to remain our main source of supply.

The desalination concept is one of replenishment and added capacity to existing supplies. Like having a ‘rainy day on demand’.  To think they will close all the low cost wells  just to start producing river water makes no real sense since desalination costs  far more than pumping and filtration. So as long as there is a cheaper alternatives, and the P.S.C. continues to regulate prices to reflect this, I would expect the public would be protected. The real time bomb here is that the PSC won’t have a chance if the water company needs to import the water. The cost of transporting the water is the wild card and the market will set that price, and we know how volatile those markets tend to be.

If  you ask me, I’d rather have a safe steady supply of water using a combination of wells, lakes, and the Hudson River to make us water independent before demand surpasses supply, and water costs $2.00 a gallon. I can’t afford a $20 shower.

Take a quick ride around the eastern shore of Ambrey’s Pond below.

Information is getting very hard to come by in North Rockland lately, and what little sources we do have need attention. If I wanted a groundhog, I’d have voted for Phil. At least he sticks his head out a little more than some local politicians do. Either way, there is a real need for the local municipalities to begin to share the business of the day with the taxpayers.

My personal view is that all of the County, Town, and Village data, from property to zoning, forms and permits, applications and town records should be online on an intranet version for use by town employees and the general public. That includes applications for basic services or minutes from all board meetings. Decisions get made behind closed doors too often in North Rockland, and a little transparency goes a long way in reassuring skeptical constituents. Integrated systems allow employees to be more productive and the public be better informed, and are guaranteed to give you a return of investment. Either way, something as simple as the Minutes of the previous Town Board meeting really should be available to anyone the moment they have been read and accepted by the Board.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ralph Goldsmith, a longtime Stony Point resident who witnessed the original dedication of Stony Point’s Farley Bridge in 1922, drove a vintage fire truck over the newly rebuilt James A. Farley Memorial Bridge.

The first phase of the project began in April with the demolition of the original 360-foot-long, 87-year-old bridge through the use of explosives. The new bridge accommodates three lanes of traffic: northbound and southbound through-lanes and a northbound, dedicated left-turn lane. The bridge also provides four-foot shoulders and sidewalks on both sides.

While the bridge has been opened to vehicular traffic and the detour has been lifted, work to complete the project continues in the construction area on Route 9W.

When completed, the new bridge will have brick-faced parapet walls with decorative pedestrian fencing mounted to the top of the parapets. Brick detailing will be incorporated into the design to match the local architecture and decorative street lighting will extends the entire length of the bridge to enhance pedestrian access and safety. The project will also incorporate bridge-approach roadway enhancements, drainage, landscaping and pavement markings.

The second and final phase of the project, planned for construction in early 2011 and expected to take a year to complete, will improve the adjoining intersection of Route 9W with Main Street in Stony Point.

I sat down today to write about how so many things have changed in North Rockland in the past 20 years, and I realized that the one place that hasn’t changed is Beach Road in Haverstraw. I think it’s time has finally come.

Beach Road has become a weekly and sometimes daily destination for many local residents, especially in summer. Boaters, fishermen, kayakers, jet skiers,  park walkers, and eagle watchers all spend big chunks of time down by the river. Hundreds of people visit local restaurants in North Rockland every weekend, and it seems like they all drive along the river on the way in or out. Just like 100 years ago when the swim clubs co- existed with the brick yards, nothing ever changes down by the river. If you have a way to get down there on a hot sunny day, then you wont leave until the sun goes down. And if you give people something to do, who knows how busy it would be.

Knowing full well that Mr Phillips has long talked about reclaiming big chunks of this unincorporated section of the Town, it’s not his fault that the Mirant deal went south, that the real estate market tanked and half the Town is lining up for a re assessment. But what could happen, and I think what should happen, is that we as a community step up and make something happen down here.

Some are sure to ask why now is the time to makeover Beach Road. The extortionist in me says  that if United Water wants to site a water plant down there, tear up a mile of road, and drag us into a pissing match with outfits like Clearwater, than the least they can do is help Howard clean up a few acres of scrub. But that’s not what I was thinking. I was thinking more of a community commitment to this project, up to and including applying for grants and funding for remediation where environmental issues exist and lease agreements with property holders in exchange for public use. I’m talking about new and innovative recreational business models, much like the Rotella golf course and Haverstraw Marina were 30 years ago, that would draw business and seasonal jobs to the area, while improving the aesthetics of this 21st century road to the dump.

Ball fields for one hold true to this vision. Although many leagues pay and play at our local school yards, there is yet another level of leagues who would play and pay dearly if the facilities consisted of a little more than a rusty 55 gallon drum chained to the backstop. Restrooms, snack bars, lighting, and lockers cost little to maintain yet bring big revenue on game day, which is every day in the leagues. MiniGolf courses, which today is nothing like most have ever seen, bring high tech bells and whistles to a game that is for all ages. Plain old fields, where you can hold carnivals, car shows, flower shows or boat shows. All serviced by a centralized snack bar and comfort station, all right next to the marina, the county park, and all those fishing spots.

There’s no doubt that today is the day we need to start thinking of new and innovative ways to develop the riverfront corridor in the Town of Haverstraw. A project like this would bring needed jobs to our high school kids and give them a little something to do on a Saturday night. It would draw new people to the area, boost revenue in local business, and give our leagues and organizations the facilities and parking they need to have a top notch event,  down by the river. Not only that, the Town might make a buck or two and clean up one of the nicer part’s of  the Town.

The James A  Farley Bridge job is moving at along at a breakneck pace, and with a large majority of the bridge completed as we write this post. Working overtime and weekends, Harrison and Burrowes have certainly worked hard to get this job done in a fast and efficient manner. Many thanks to the Town of Stony Point officials, the NY State Department of Transportation and Rockland County Highway Department for making this job as painless to the public as possible.

Detours and distractions are the norm when you demolish a bridge on a State Highway, and the plan to redirect the Route 9W traffic around the bridge seemed to work like a charm. The simple fact that the the local plants and quarry’s are running at 25% capacity due to economic conditions also played into this scenario, but when all is said and done, the plan to demolish the span and rebuild it in place was the winning hand.

The rebuilding process, which was taken on as an emergency project for NY State D.O.T. region 8, looks like it may be done in early November 2009. The above is a video of the steel girders being delivered to the job site in August. This video is part 5 of the PilotCar.TV coverage of the Over Dimensional moves needed to make this bridge job possible. Again, Kudos to all involved and we hope for a safe finish to this emergency rebuild.

The story in Haverstraw Village lately is the Ginsburg property debate. Simply stated, the developer has yet to secure additional grant money so a clause goes into effect that allows for an additional tax to be levied in the development. I’m happy to note that as a taxpayer in the Village, there was enough foresight back then to protect my interests, and Kudos to all involved. There was bound to be a controversy over this money, and the Village is simply fulfilling its obligations.

I agree with Mayor Kohut in that it will be an intense meeting Wednesday night, but legally the homeowners are obligated. It’s just another example of how the housing bubble has torpedoed so many different real-estate deals, and how so many otherwise brilliant minds just turned to shit when it came to buying property. Some people seem opened to learning more about the district, others will probably finally get a chance to read the offering this week. Either way, its clear to see in the Fine Print.

I for one support the Village here, and take a bit of offense that we have to defend our actions against these particular homeowners, even if it is only a story in the JN. I hope the intensity on Wednesday doesn’t include some shyster lawyer threatening to sue. Either way, these residents should put their ‘big boy’ pants on, pay the bill , and be done with it.  The way I see it, your beef is with Martin anyway.

Two weeks after demolition of the Farley Bridge, there is no doubt this job is running full speed. Even though traffic patterns have changed, it looks like the fragile economy and general lack of activity in the quarries and plants around Stony Point has made this the perfect time to do this job. Now, if only the weather holds out……

Here’s a video of the bridge demolition.

What more can I say, a great Haverstraw Restaurant.

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