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.

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.

You really have to hand it to the Rockland County Highway Department and the New York State Department of Transportation. If you take a little ride along County Road 108 in North Rockland, you will see a widening and improvement project that has been planned in anticipation of, instead of reaction to, the Route 9W bridge replacement.

After an emergency closure and repair of the 9W bridge in Stony Point last summer, the Beach Road/Route 108 detour was a key to relieving most of the 9W congestion. Stony Point Town officials asked for assistance as temporary closures forced traffic onto Lowland Hill, East and West Main Streets in Stony Point, and onto otherwise local routes.

As plans for a Route 9W closure and a full-time detour via Route 108 for the eventual bridge replacement came together, the RC Highway and NYS DOT sat down and planned this rehab project. The various improvements being made now will make a world of difference to those who regularly travel this riverfront and commercial corridor. When the replacement project starts, now scheduled for Spring of 2009, the road should be ready for the added volume and larger sized trucks that are sure to use the road. Its good to see the County Highway Department and NYS DOT have combined forces and committed to widening and improving this busy North Rockland route and getting it done before we need it.

Funding for the improvements, which come at a time when funding is scarce, are borne mainly by the New York State DOT, and rightfully so. The Farley Bridge is a major DOT problem here in the Hudson Valley, and they need to get this right. The rehab includes a widening of turns, improvements in lines of sight, guardrails, drainage, and signage that is sure to improve safety.

You have to give a big hand to Skip Vezzetti at the RC Highway Department and Sandra Jobson of New York State DOT for taking this job on. As I have said here on many occasions, these major public works jobs need to be managed in an intelligent and cooperative manner and from the looks of it, the James A Farley Bridge job has gotten off to an excellent start. Thanks to all involved.

Editors Note: The bridge bids are in. Assuming they award to the lowest bidder.

Read more on Harrison and Burrows HERE

D261034               COUNTY : Rockland Co.
PIN: 8239.41          FA#: L1C0-8239-413
Replacement of Route 9W Bridge (composite girder) over
Cedar Pond Brook in the Town of Stony Point

________________________________________________

HARRISON & BURROWES      $ 11,063,110.63
ECCO III ENTERPRISES          $ 13,708,000.00
DEFOE CORPORATION            $ 13,754,214.80
YONKERS CONTRACTING     $ 14,811,881.50
LAWS CONSTRUCTION           $ 17,686,491.40

Traveling around the Village lately I have seen that many people, old and young, have no clue about the dangers around them. Mothers walking babies in strollers down the middle of Maple Ave, schoolkids dodging out on Broadway on the way to school, jaywalkers at New Main and Maple, and residents crowding Main Street on Saturday night make for driving conditions that are getting much too dangerous. There is no doubt that we need to address this issue before someone gets hurt, and an educational campaign is needed, and sooner than later. The cops can’t be expected to enforce laws that people never heard of, especially if the community as a whole has ignored them for so long. I remember as a kid that local government and the schools both took great care to teach and reinforce the simple message,  ‘Cross at the Green and Not Between’ .

I think its time we got back to it.  Not only that, It’s the Law §1152

Rockland County Traffic Safety Data

As we all know, traffic in North Rockland is getting worse but there are a number of new jobs in the offing that will help reduce the strain. The problem is getting the job done in a reasonable and organized manner. Some of the most recent infrastructure jobs in both Haverstraw’s lacked some finishing touches, like detour signs and flagmen, which would boost the cost of the job. We know it only takes one bad flagman, or lack thereof, to put traffic to a standstill.  We mentioned here before the need for local government require at least a barebones traffic plan in all bids and we hope they heard us.

What worries me is that the biggest projects haven’t started. Farley Bridge, Short Clove Rd, The Ferry Dock, and Gurnee Ave all have yet to be awarded, and our most recent experience here in North Rockland wasn’t pretty. The Old Rt 210 job in Stony Point was a low bid gone bad. The PIP exit 13 debacle is another bid issue, or some such thing, and we are left with a real mess. It takes strong, well funded companies to manage the costs of these multimillion jobs, and the bidding reflects this to a certain degree. The problem is that the State is blind at times to the way the companies intend to complete the job. Look at the Tappan Zee deck job. The contractor had to take into account the weight and size of the panels in every facet of the job, but he still made arrangements with a sub-contractor to avoid the expense, taxes, and fee’s related to over-dimensional moves, and they got caught doing it.  I guess its the contractors job to cheat and the taxpayers job to catch them.

Either way, the bids for Short Clove are in and there is a $6 million gap. There is no way we as a community should just accept this without getting a real good look at the differences. This job, if it goes bad, could cause major traffic issues in North Rockland and it deserves a close inspection from all of our elected representatives.

Read the Bid Sheet

Route 9W, Elimination of Railroad Grade Crossing of Short Clove Road over CSX, relocation of Short Clove Road including the construction of a new intersection and two new bridges (concrete) and reconstruction of Route 9W, Village of Haverstraw.

THE DELANEY GROUP   $24,124,000.09

ECCO III ENTERPRISES $30,253,000.00

BEN CICCONE INC $31,917,799.60

A SERVIDONE     $33,695,451.80

The menu offers Latin-inspired dishes and Latin-infused takes on Continental standards, frequently with a great deal of success. It’s not a total culinary makeover, but well-known dishes are freshened with new accessories. Owners Paulo Feteira and David Martinez come with sterling credentials, but the food, service and the wine list are still evolving. Even so, this is an exciting addition to Haverstraw’s growing culinary scene.

Read More HERE