Fourth Ward’s TCE contamination thwarts efforts to terminate railroad’s PILOT
NORWICH – The Chenango County Industrial Development Agency agreed last week to postpone taking steps that would alter a 1982 tax agreement held with the New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad.
Consulting attorney James Downey said if the agency wanted to change or terminate the payment-in-lieu of taxes agreement this year, it would have to do so by March 1. “Do it today or don’t do it,” he said during the meeting Feb. 20.
The IDA’s economic development activities have been thwarted ever since the 2006 flood shut down rail transportation through most of the county. And, because of its inactive status, officials have been revisiting the agreement which exempts the railroad from taxation.
Downey has advised only a partial termination of the agreement, however. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation funds are currently being used to clean up an old, trichloroethene spill on a portion of the railroad bed in the City of Norwich’s Fourth Ward. Without the IDA’s ownership of the right-of-way, it is prohibited from tapping into remediation funds.
The DEC has been investigating and installing toxic fume filtration systems in homes and businesses near Lee Avenue since 2005.
IDA Chairman of the Board Hugh Kearney, a former supervisor of the Town of Bainbridge, said he didn’t think the agency should get involved in terminating the PILOT agreement at this time. “There’s no pressure to do it,” he said.
Executive Director Maureen Carpenter said such a move would be “premature.”
“The railroad has been very cooperative by giving us time to study our options for the tracks,” she said. “They could file for abandonment any time.”
Chenango County contracted with a consultant last fall for $30,000. The consultant has been asked to explore whether to keep the railroad tracks for future economic development, develop them into pedestrian and biking trails, or create a scenic railroad that would link the county to tourist attractions in the Adirondack Mountains. The study could take six months.
Consulting attorney James Downey said if the agency wanted to change or terminate the payment-in-lieu of taxes agreement this year, it would have to do so by March 1. “Do it today or don’t do it,” he said during the meeting Feb. 20.
The IDA’s economic development activities have been thwarted ever since the 2006 flood shut down rail transportation through most of the county. And, because of its inactive status, officials have been revisiting the agreement which exempts the railroad from taxation.
Downey has advised only a partial termination of the agreement, however. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation funds are currently being used to clean up an old, trichloroethene spill on a portion of the railroad bed in the City of Norwich’s Fourth Ward. Without the IDA’s ownership of the right-of-way, it is prohibited from tapping into remediation funds.
The DEC has been investigating and installing toxic fume filtration systems in homes and businesses near Lee Avenue since 2005.
IDA Chairman of the Board Hugh Kearney, a former supervisor of the Town of Bainbridge, said he didn’t think the agency should get involved in terminating the PILOT agreement at this time. “There’s no pressure to do it,” he said.
Executive Director Maureen Carpenter said such a move would be “premature.”
“The railroad has been very cooperative by giving us time to study our options for the tracks,” she said. “They could file for abandonment any time.”
Chenango County contracted with a consultant last fall for $30,000. The consultant has been asked to explore whether to keep the railroad tracks for future economic development, develop them into pedestrian and biking trails, or create a scenic railroad that would link the county to tourist attractions in the Adirondack Mountains. The study could take six months.
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