Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Phillipe Petit at Phoenicia Library benefit
On Saturday 11 November 2017 the Phoenicia Library held a fundraiser. First, appetizers and drinks were served in the Library; after, we all repaired to the Phoenicia Playhouse (formerly STS) to view the film Man on Wire, the story of Phillipe Petit walking on a cable between the Towers of the World Trade Center on the morning of August 7, 1974. After the film, Monsieur Petit answered questions for half an hour.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Phoenicia top-rated tourism spot
If you’ve got plans this summer to vacation in the queenly Cape May, N.J., or some other resort community in the Northeast, consider scrapping them. An even better destination is right here in Ulster County, according to Curbed New York, a real-estate and travel blog. Editors recently ranked Phoenicia, a hamlet in the town of Shandaken, as the No. 1 destination outside of New York City. The bohemian mountain community not only beat out the internationally known Victorian seaside resort, but Mystic, Conn., a historic seafaring village known widely for its tourism appeal.
Bohemian?
Story from Hudson Valley News Network on 6 June 2017: Phoenicia Ranked No. 1 as Tourist Spot
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Microbrewery in Phoenicia
A Daily Freeman story on 4 February 2017 reported Proposed micro-brewery at Phoenicia Plaza faces Shandaken Planning Board review. The location is in Phoenicia Plaza, on Route 28, near the Phoenicia Diner.
Woodstock resident Rick Shobin has his eye on the largest space available at the Phoenicia Plaza on state Route 28 just east of the Phoenicia Diner. Shobin has been talking to planners, most recently as early January, when he laid out his plans. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Town Hall on Route 28 in Allaben.
A story on 15 February 2017 reports Final approval of micro brewery in Shandaken waits on input from NYC environmental department.
The town Planning Board has given conditional approval for a micro brewery to operate in the Phoenicia Plaza on state Route 28, but the board’s chairman says he cannot certify the approval until the board receives input from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The property is in the city’s Catskills watershed, and because the business is to produce a significant amount of wastewater that will need to be hauled away, the department’s opinion is necessary.
The proposal appears to be noncontroversial at the town level. No opposition to it was voiced at a Feb. 8 public hearing, and Planning Board Chairman Don Brewer said last week that the site plan appears to be in order.
But Brewer noted the lack of New York City’s input, and he asked project architect John Wasylyk, of North Engineers and Design Associates, when it can be expected.
Woodstock resident Rick Shobin has his eye on the largest space available at the Phoenicia Plaza on state Route 28 just east of the Phoenicia Diner. Shobin has been talking to planners, most recently as early January, when he laid out his plans. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Town Hall on Route 28 in Allaben.
A story on 15 February 2017 reports Final approval of micro brewery in Shandaken waits on input from NYC environmental department.
The town Planning Board has given conditional approval for a micro brewery to operate in the Phoenicia Plaza on state Route 28, but the board’s chairman says he cannot certify the approval until the board receives input from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The property is in the city’s Catskills watershed, and because the business is to produce a significant amount of wastewater that will need to be hauled away, the department’s opinion is necessary.
The proposal appears to be noncontroversial at the town level. No opposition to it was voiced at a Feb. 8 public hearing, and Planning Board Chairman Don Brewer said last week that the site plan appears to be in order.
But Brewer noted the lack of New York City’s input, and he asked project architect John Wasylyk, of North Engineers and Design Associates, when it can be expected.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Grant money for new Shandaken Town Hall will allow payment of debt to NYC DEP
A story from the Daily Freeman.
The Catskill Watershed Corp. has awarded Shandaken a $114,000 grant to buy land for a new Town Hall.
The better news is the town already owns the land and can use part of the money to repay a debt to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The town applied for the grant over the summer. The watershed corporation’s board of directors voted in favor it earlier this month.
The town now can move ahead with securing the property, where the voter-rejected Phoenicia sewer system was to be created, and can use $70,000 of the grant to pay back the New York City department.
Before the sewer project was shot down by voters, the town used $70,000 from the department to buy the property. When the project was rejected, the department wanted its money back. The town hoped to sell the property and use the proceeds to repay the environmental department, but a buyer could not be found.
Of the $114,000 awarded by the Catskill Watershed Corp., $105,000 is for the land and $9,000 is for legal and closing costs. The money was authorized under the corporation’s Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program, which helps move to safer ground such “critical facilities” as firehouses, schools, town hall and water and wastewater systems.
The new Shandaken municipal complex is to house the town’s government offices and highway and ambulance departments
Part of the town’s current municipal complex, on state Route 28 in the hamlet of Allaben, was inundated by Esopus Creek floodwaters during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The town then was forced to use an alternate location for day-to-day government operations and to operate a command center for post-flood responses.
The 3.2-acre Allaben site has been designated a Special Flood Hazard Area, with the Highway Department garage actually located in the floodway.
A recently completed Local Flood Analysis for the Shandaken hamlets of Mount Tremper and Phoenicia recommended relocating the Town Hall and highway garage to the 4-acre parcel that was to house the Phoenicia sewer system.
As part of the state-funded NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program, the town engaged Latham-based engineering firm C.T. Male Associates to conduct a feasibility analysis about the planned relocation. The analysis is to be completed in 2017, and the Town Hall move, also financially aided by NY Rising, is anticipated by the end of 2018.
The Catskill Watershed Corp. has awarded Shandaken a $114,000 grant to buy land for a new Town Hall.
The better news is the town already owns the land and can use part of the money to repay a debt to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The town applied for the grant over the summer. The watershed corporation’s board of directors voted in favor it earlier this month.
The town now can move ahead with securing the property, where the voter-rejected Phoenicia sewer system was to be created, and can use $70,000 of the grant to pay back the New York City department.
Before the sewer project was shot down by voters, the town used $70,000 from the department to buy the property. When the project was rejected, the department wanted its money back. The town hoped to sell the property and use the proceeds to repay the environmental department, but a buyer could not be found.
Of the $114,000 awarded by the Catskill Watershed Corp., $105,000 is for the land and $9,000 is for legal and closing costs. The money was authorized under the corporation’s Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program, which helps move to safer ground such “critical facilities” as firehouses, schools, town hall and water and wastewater systems.
The new Shandaken municipal complex is to house the town’s government offices and highway and ambulance departments
Part of the town’s current municipal complex, on state Route 28 in the hamlet of Allaben, was inundated by Esopus Creek floodwaters during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The town then was forced to use an alternate location for day-to-day government operations and to operate a command center for post-flood responses.
The 3.2-acre Allaben site has been designated a Special Flood Hazard Area, with the Highway Department garage actually located in the floodway.
A recently completed Local Flood Analysis for the Shandaken hamlets of Mount Tremper and Phoenicia recommended relocating the Town Hall and highway garage to the 4-acre parcel that was to house the Phoenicia sewer system.
As part of the state-funded NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program, the town engaged Latham-based engineering firm C.T. Male Associates to conduct a feasibility analysis about the planned relocation. The analysis is to be completed in 2017, and the Town Hall move, also financially aided by NY Rising, is anticipated by the end of 2018.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Shandaken Town Hall move could help settle debt to NYC environmental department
Daily Freeman story dated September 14, 2016:
Plans for a new town office complex are taking shape, and a fringe benefit of the project is the town could be off the hook for $70,000 it owes to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The complex, which is to be on land set aside for a Phoenicia sewer project that voters rejected, would house the town’s government offices and highway and ambulance departments.
Before voters rejected the sewer project, the town used more than $70,000 of Department of Environmental Protection money to buy the property. The department asked for its money back after the project failed at the polls.
Shandaken Supervisor Rob Stanley said the town has tried to sell the land but has been unsuccessful, and now the city department is demanding payment, sale or no sale.
But thanks to the Catskill Watershed Corp., which provides funding to relocate municipal buildings out of floodways, the town could be able to both keep the land — which is on Route 28 in the hamlet of Phoenicia, just east of the Phoenicia Plaza — and pay back the New York City department.
The current town office complex is on Route 28 in the hamlet of Allaben, on land within the Esopus Creek floodway.
The Town Board on Monday agreed to file a funding application with the Catskill Watershed Corp. If the application is approved, the town will use the money to pay back the Department of Environmental Protection.
Asked what would happen if the funding is approved but the town office move fails to materialize, Stanley said it would be better to owe money to the Catskill Watershed Corp. than the Department of Environmental Protection.
Plans for a new town office complex are taking shape, and a fringe benefit of the project is the town could be off the hook for $70,000 it owes to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The complex, which is to be on land set aside for a Phoenicia sewer project that voters rejected, would house the town’s government offices and highway and ambulance departments.
Before voters rejected the sewer project, the town used more than $70,000 of Department of Environmental Protection money to buy the property. The department asked for its money back after the project failed at the polls.
Shandaken Supervisor Rob Stanley said the town has tried to sell the land but has been unsuccessful, and now the city department is demanding payment, sale or no sale.
But thanks to the Catskill Watershed Corp., which provides funding to relocate municipal buildings out of floodways, the town could be able to both keep the land — which is on Route 28 in the hamlet of Phoenicia, just east of the Phoenicia Plaza — and pay back the New York City department.
The current town office complex is on Route 28 in the hamlet of Allaben, on land within the Esopus Creek floodway.
The Town Board on Monday agreed to file a funding application with the Catskill Watershed Corp. If the application is approved, the town will use the money to pay back the Department of Environmental Protection.
Asked what would happen if the funding is approved but the town office move fails to materialize, Stanley said it would be better to owe money to the Catskill Watershed Corp. than the Department of Environmental Protection.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Tiso’s was Mount Tremper institution
Column written by Stan Fischler, renowned sports columnist.
Author-columnist-commentator Stan “The Maven” Fischler resides in Boiceville and New York City. His column appears each week in the Sunday Freeman.
The former Tiso’s Restaurant in Mount Tremper. Tania Barricklo — Daily Freeman
Author-columnist-commentator Stan “The Maven” Fischler resides in Boiceville and New York City. His column appears each week in the Sunday Freeman.
This one isn’t about sports — as in games — but it is about sports, as in good people, and a very special restaurant in Mount Tremper with a sporting background.
I am telling you all about this because that venerable trattoria called Tiso’s has closed its doors. That’s an awful shame for the people between here and the Isle of Capri who love this place.
Like myself, everyone wants Tisos to remain open forever.
Many of us Tiso-lovers remember the original Tiso of Tiso’s. That would be Joe’s father, Emilio, also referred to as Jack or Butch.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Escape Brooklyn, go to Phoenicia
By chance, found this item on the Web. Poor grammar and spelling and a plethora of apostrophes aside, it makes for (somewhat) interesting reading.
Phoenicia, New York
Phoenicia is a beautiful and sleepy little town in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Between it’s scenery (it’s in the middle of a state park) and close proximity to NYC, it can get touristy in the summer. But with only a handful of hotels with small capacities, Phoenicia holds it’s own with awesome, friendly locals and weirdo townies.
It's an its and an it's.
Where to stay: As far as hotels go, the go-to for New Yorkers is The Graham & Co. The structure is an old-school motel that’s been totally renovated by a team of designers based in NYC. Rooms are designed to be simple, but beautiful; think “Donald Judd meets outdoorsy.”
Upon check-in, expect stellar treatment from the impossibly cool staff, and a can of Budweiser with your room key.
I thought one was given PBR.
Shopping: After you get off I-87, you’ll drive into Phoenicia on NY-28 which is practically lined with barn sales, antique shacks, thrift stores and the like. One of our very favorite places is the antique barn somewhere between Kingston and Phoenicia, pictured above.. It’s on the right side of the road coming into town about 10 miles outside of Phoenicia.
Somewhere.
Eating & drinking: There aren’t many options in Phoenicia, but fortunately the few options are all good options. Probably the best meal in Phoenicia is breakfast because you can have your pick. First up, Sweet Sue’s is an impossibly cute breakfast and lunch joint with pancakes that will blow your mind. The Phoenicia Diner is also awesome; the design feels straight out of Brooklyn but has a great mix of locals and vacationers at all times.
Straight outta Brooklyn. (And, remember, Sweet Sue's is now closed.)
Phoenicia, New York
Phoenicia is a beautiful and sleepy little town in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Between it’s scenery (it’s in the middle of a state park) and close proximity to NYC, it can get touristy in the summer. But with only a handful of hotels with small capacities, Phoenicia holds it’s own with awesome, friendly locals and weirdo townies.
It's an its and an it's.
Where to stay: As far as hotels go, the go-to for New Yorkers is The Graham & Co. The structure is an old-school motel that’s been totally renovated by a team of designers based in NYC. Rooms are designed to be simple, but beautiful; think “Donald Judd meets outdoorsy.”
Upon check-in, expect stellar treatment from the impossibly cool staff, and a can of Budweiser with your room key.
I thought one was given PBR.
Shopping: After you get off I-87, you’ll drive into Phoenicia on NY-28 which is practically lined with barn sales, antique shacks, thrift stores and the like. One of our very favorite places is the antique barn somewhere between Kingston and Phoenicia, pictured above.. It’s on the right side of the road coming into town about 10 miles outside of Phoenicia.
Somewhere.
Eating & drinking: There aren’t many options in Phoenicia, but fortunately the few options are all good options. Probably the best meal in Phoenicia is breakfast because you can have your pick. First up, Sweet Sue’s is an impossibly cute breakfast and lunch joint with pancakes that will blow your mind. The Phoenicia Diner is also awesome; the design feels straight out of Brooklyn but has a great mix of locals and vacationers at all times.
Straight outta Brooklyn. (And, remember, Sweet Sue's is now closed.)
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Shandaken might sell 4-acre parcel to NYC DEP
Story in the Kingston Daily Freeman:
The department has expressed interest in a 4-acre parcel between the Phoenicia Diner and the Phoenicia Plaza on the south side of state Route 28.
The town bought the land several years ago as a location for a planned Phoenicia wastewater treatment plant. But buying the land is as far as things got. The town ultimately dropped the construction plan amid community opposition, and the land remains vacant.
“After the project was closed, the town had the property appraised and placed on the market for sale,” said Shandaken Supervisor Rob Stanley. “There have been no takers ... and now the DEP would like to know how the town wishes to proceed.”
The city department is interested in the parcel, now appraised at $107,000, because it can be developed. It also abuts parcels owned by the city department and the state.
The department has expressed interest in a 4-acre parcel between the Phoenicia Diner and the Phoenicia Plaza on the south side of state Route 28.
The town bought the land several years ago as a location for a planned Phoenicia wastewater treatment plant. But buying the land is as far as things got. The town ultimately dropped the construction plan amid community opposition, and the land remains vacant.
“After the project was closed, the town had the property appraised and placed on the market for sale,” said Shandaken Supervisor Rob Stanley. “There have been no takers ... and now the DEP would like to know how the town wishes to proceed.”
The city department is interested in the parcel, now appraised at $107,000, because it can be developed. It also abuts parcels owned by the city department and the state.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
No septic, no loan: Phoenicia Pharmacy sale falls through
Woodstock Times article, by on Sep 18, 2014 • 5:00 pm
(Photo by Dion Ogust)
Pharmacist and WellCare founder Ed Ullman’s plans to buy the Phoenicia Pharmacy have been scotched by the refusal of the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) to grant him a low-interest loan for renovating the property. Ullman’s is the second application to the CWC since the Phoenicia town board’s failure to act on the sewer system proposal resulted in New York City’s withdrawal of funds from the project in 2012. Both Ullman and the previous applicant, Mike Ricciardella, who was seeking a loan to renovate the former Al’s Restaurant, were turned down by the CWC.
Ricciardella succeeded in obtaining private financing for his new restaurant, now renamed The Phoenician and scheduled to open this fall in its expanded building on Main Street. Ullman pointed out that Ricciardella, as owner of three other restaurants in town, has plenty of collateral, and The Phoenician is not in the floodplain. Ullman, doubtful about the prospects of getting a private loan for the pharmacy, has withdrawn his purchase offer.
Pharmacist and WellCare founder Ed Ullman’s plans to buy the Phoenicia Pharmacy have been scotched by the refusal of the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) to grant him a low-interest loan for renovating the property. Ullman’s is the second application to the CWC since the Phoenicia town board’s failure to act on the sewer system proposal resulted in New York City’s withdrawal of funds from the project in 2012. Both Ullman and the previous applicant, Mike Ricciardella, who was seeking a loan to renovate the former Al’s Restaurant, were turned down by the CWC.
Ricciardella succeeded in obtaining private financing for his new restaurant, now renamed The Phoenician and scheduled to open this fall in its expanded building on Main Street. Ullman pointed out that Ricciardella, as owner of three other restaurants in town, has plenty of collateral, and The Phoenician is not in the floodplain. Ullman, doubtful about the prospects of getting a private loan for the pharmacy, has withdrawn his purchase offer.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
New York City’s watershed land buyout program raises concerns among Shandaken town planners
The Shandaken Planning Board is expected to take a long, hard look at
the details of a controversial plan to allow the New York City
Department of Environmental Protection to buy homes and businesses in
local hamlets and villages.
Ashokan Reservoir fountain in Olivebridge off until mid-August
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
No trespassin' means no trespassin'
From a story in the Daily Freeman:
WEST HURLEY >> A New York City Department of Environmental Protection officer was treated for shoulder and arm injuries Tuesday after a scuffle with a man found urinating on city property near the Ashokan Reservoir not far from state Route 28, according to a spokesman for the city agency.
At about 10:50 a.m. Tuesday, the officer approached the man, who appeared to be “trespassing and urinating simultaneously” at the Woodstock Dike near Route 28, according to agency spokesman Adam Bosch.
Emphasis added.
WEST HURLEY >> A New York City Department of Environmental Protection officer was treated for shoulder and arm injuries Tuesday after a scuffle with a man found urinating on city property near the Ashokan Reservoir not far from state Route 28, according to a spokesman for the city agency.
At about 10:50 a.m. Tuesday, the officer approached the man, who appeared to be “trespassing and urinating simultaneously” at the Woodstock Dike near Route 28, according to agency spokesman Adam Bosch.
Emphasis added.
Monday, August 13, 2012
A story from the Woodstock Times: Work in Stony Clove Creek may help with flooding, turbidity.
(L) Before — an eroding streambank in Chichester near Silver Hollow
Road, before stream modification. Photo courtesy of Ashokan Watershed
Stream Management Program.
(R) After — the new streambank, redesigned to prevent flood damage to roads, properties, and Phoenicia’s Main Street. (photo by Violet Snow)
*
(R) After — the new streambank, redesigned to prevent flood damage to roads, properties, and Phoenicia’s Main Street. (photo by Violet Snow)
*
Thursday, July 26, 2012
City that Drinks the Mountain Sky
Story from PostStarNews.com:
On Saturday July 14, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) hosted a production of the Arm-of-the-Sea theatrical troupe’s production of “City that Drinks the Mountain Sky.” This play uses masks and puppets to tell the story of the Catskill Mountains and the development of the NYC Watershed.
On Saturday July 14, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) hosted a production of the Arm-of-the-Sea theatrical troupe’s production of “City that Drinks the Mountain Sky.” This play uses masks and puppets to tell the story of the Catskill Mountains and the development of the NYC Watershed.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Shandaken mulls sewer flush
Another story in the Woodstock Times about the (apparently) never-ending saga of the sewer, Shandaken, and NYC.
Photo © S. Weir
Shandaken supervisor Rob Stanley expressed disappointment with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), not only for pulling the remaining $15.8 million in funding for the proposed Phoenicia sewer but also for failing to respond to any of the concerns Stanley noted in his request for an extension on the timeframe for the project’s development.
The DEP’s letter of June 1, notifying Stanley that they were dropping the project after 15 years of trying to get a Phoenicia sewer system into the ground, caught the town board by surprise and caused widespread dismay.
Restaurant owner Mike Ricciardella, who has been a leader of the opposition to settling for the city’s offer, remarked, “The city wanted us to sign on to an open-ended agreement. The proposal didn’t have a concrete accounting of the costs, and the board said they needed more time to make it complete. It’s a shame the city backed out. The board did a good job. As a business person, you want to have all the costs made clear before you make a decision.”
Ironically, Ricciardella is having difficulty getting a loan to purchase Al’s Seafood Restaurant because of issues with the town’s septic systems. “I’m applying through the CWC,” he explained, “and they had concerns about the general conditions of septic systems in town,” such as the violation against Sweet Sue’s last year that resulted in the restaurant’s owner, Sue Taylor, having to install a new septic system after Main Street flooded in 2010.
Phoenicia realtor and water commissioner Rick Ricciardella commented, “The sewer system is a good idea, but if the city needs it to protect their waterways, they should pay for everything. We don’t need it — the systems we’ve had have worked for 200 years. We have good soil for filtration, sand and gravel. I have a septic system the city put in for me ten years ago, and it works fine.”
Photo © S. Weir
Shandaken supervisor Rob Stanley expressed disappointment with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), not only for pulling the remaining $15.8 million in funding for the proposed Phoenicia sewer but also for failing to respond to any of the concerns Stanley noted in his request for an extension on the timeframe for the project’s development.
The DEP’s letter of June 1, notifying Stanley that they were dropping the project after 15 years of trying to get a Phoenicia sewer system into the ground, caught the town board by surprise and caused widespread dismay.
Restaurant owner Mike Ricciardella, who has been a leader of the opposition to settling for the city’s offer, remarked, “The city wanted us to sign on to an open-ended agreement. The proposal didn’t have a concrete accounting of the costs, and the board said they needed more time to make it complete. It’s a shame the city backed out. The board did a good job. As a business person, you want to have all the costs made clear before you make a decision.”
Ironically, Ricciardella is having difficulty getting a loan to purchase Al’s Seafood Restaurant because of issues with the town’s septic systems. “I’m applying through the CWC,” he explained, “and they had concerns about the general conditions of septic systems in town,” such as the violation against Sweet Sue’s last year that resulted in the restaurant’s owner, Sue Taylor, having to install a new septic system after Main Street flooded in 2010.
Phoenicia realtor and water commissioner Rick Ricciardella commented, “The sewer system is a good idea, but if the city needs it to protect their waterways, they should pay for everything. We don’t need it — the systems we’ve had have worked for 200 years. We have good soil for filtration, sand and gravel. I have a septic system the city put in for me ten years ago, and it works fine.”
Friday, June 8, 2012
Phoenicia without a paddle
A story in the Woodstock Times (Without a paddle: City pulls the plug on Phoenicia sewer), details the fate of the funds NYC had set aside for Phoenicia.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has withdrawn its participation in the proposed Phoenicia sewer project, rejecting the Shandaken Town Board’s request for an extension of the deadline to establish a local sewer district. In a letter to Shandaken supervisor Rob Stanley, dated June 1, DEP commissioner Carter H. Strickland, Jr., stated that the $15.8 million block grant that has been reserved for the Phoenicia sewer for the past 15 years will be released to other towns, and that the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) “intends to terminate its contract” with Shandaken.
In his letter to the town, Strickland noted that the city has spent $1.9 million over the past 15 years to study and design a wastewater treatment plant for Phoenicia, granting several timeframe extensions, as the community considered various options.
“However,” he wrote, “with many missed milestones for action by the Town of Shandaken, it has now become clear that the community is not prepared to take the concrete steps necessary to advance a project to completion…While we view this outcome as unfortunate, DEP can no longer justify reserving funds for a wastewater treament plant (WWTP) for Phoenicia.”
The letter concludes with an expression of willingness to continue working with the town on “stream restoration projects, our septic program, and enforcement of watershed regulations.”
As pointed out in the DEP letter, New York City has built similar systems at its expense in Hunter, Fleischmanns, Windham, Andes, Roxbury, Prattsville and Pine Hill. The latest one began operations last year in Boiceville.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has withdrawn its participation in the proposed Phoenicia sewer project, rejecting the Shandaken Town Board’s request for an extension of the deadline to establish a local sewer district. In a letter to Shandaken supervisor Rob Stanley, dated June 1, DEP commissioner Carter H. Strickland, Jr., stated that the $15.8 million block grant that has been reserved for the Phoenicia sewer for the past 15 years will be released to other towns, and that the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) “intends to terminate its contract” with Shandaken.
In his letter to the town, Strickland noted that the city has spent $1.9 million over the past 15 years to study and design a wastewater treatment plant for Phoenicia, granting several timeframe extensions, as the community considered various options.
“However,” he wrote, “with many missed milestones for action by the Town of Shandaken, it has now become clear that the community is not prepared to take the concrete steps necessary to advance a project to completion…While we view this outcome as unfortunate, DEP can no longer justify reserving funds for a wastewater treament plant (WWTP) for Phoenicia.”
The letter concludes with an expression of willingness to continue working with the town on “stream restoration projects, our septic program, and enforcement of watershed regulations.”
As pointed out in the DEP letter, New York City has built similar systems at its expense in Hunter, Fleischmanns, Windham, Andes, Roxbury, Prattsville and Pine Hill. The latest one began operations last year in Boiceville.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Muddying of beloved creek last straw for city reservoir neighbors
For years, the resentment simmered as residents of Ulster County endured development bans, flooded basements and ruined crops, all for the sake of protecting New York City’s water supply. But the last straw in a string of grievances was the browning of a cherished tributary that is vital to recreation and agriculture in this corner of the Catskills. Discontent has given way to full-throttle fury against the city, which has always called the shots on reservoir management in the region.
The browning of a cherished tributary link is to a document issued by the Ulster County Executive Hein that includes an announcement of Ulster's filing of a lawsuit against NYC's DEP for polluting the Lower Esopus.
The tipping point was a two-year-old decision by New York City environmental officials — with state support — to allow frequent releases of muddy water from one of the city’s major upstate reservoirs, the Ashokan, into the waterway, the 34-mile-long Lower Esopus Creek. The purpose of the discharges is to rid the reservoir of clay particles and other materials stirred up by rainfall, ensuring that the water supply for nine million people downstate remains pristine.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Watershed acquisition program
A story appeared in The Daily Mail, a Greene County newspaper, that might be of interest.
Watershed stakeholders issue new land acquisition program
Click on the headline of this post for the full story.
Watershed stakeholders issue new land acquisition program
Document would extend DEP authority through 2022
By Jim Planck - Hudson-Catskill Newspapers - Published:
New York City’s land acquisition program in its Catskill Mountains watershed region — officially known as the West of Hudson Watershed — has been one of the Big Apple’s shining stars for water quality protection since its inception in 1997.Click on the headline of this post for the full story.
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