Sullivan finalizes Emerald Corporate Park

Legislature fails to site visitor center

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO — Sullivan’s first-ever corporate park took it’s last steps toward finalization last week.

After the Sullivan County Legislature’s Planning and Community Development Committee routinely approved resolutions for construction and the turning over of the project to a permanent management panel on June 7, County Attorney Ira Cohen explained that very little of the Emerald Corporate Center work had been routine. “I’m compelled to point out that these two resolutions are milestones,” Cohen said.

Cohen referred to two resolutions that turned the project over to a local development corporation (LDC), with a county-appointed board to oversee it, and approved a $2.25 million contract with H. Osterhoudt Excavating for the construction of infrastructure at the park. Federal funding picked up $750,000 of the construction contract.

Cohen said that since the purchase of the Rock Hill property two years ago, the county has faced “a myriad of new and complex issues,” including legal issues “surpassed in complexity” only by the Concord bankruptcy.

He credited the legislature, his deputy Cheryl McCausland, division heads Richard LaCondre, Harvey Smith and Alan Sorensen for hundreds of hours devoted to the work. “It couldn’t have been done without that kind of effort,” he said.

Visitor center

Public Works Committee chair Rodney Gaebel (RC-5) said county participation in a proposed Route 17 visitor center was a dead issue, following a deadlocked June 7 committee vote on declaring a site on Shawangunk Ridge, east of exit 114, as the county’s choice for the center.

The center, one of original proposals in the 1997 “Rebuilding Sullivan County” proposal, had won state endorsement and financial backing of up to $4 million.

But final costs are expected to be closer to $6.5 million. The location has remained a political football throughout years of survey work and discussion, with sites from Rock Hill to Bloomingburg competing.

Legislators withdrew a decision to site the center between exits 111 and 112 after sharp community opposition to the limited condemnation proceedings that would have been required.

The site at exit 114 was retained by the county in a tax sale purchase of the former Shawanga Lodge by developer David Flaum. It was preferred by many in Wurtsboro, who felt the center would draw new traffic into the village.

But Robert Kunis (D-8) said he would not support the site, saying the county had not fully explored private real estate that might be available. Kunis, Jodi Goodman (RC-6) and Kathy LaBuda (D-2) opposed the site, while Gaebel, Rusty Pomeroy (D-3) and Leni Binder (D-7) supported it. A primary supporter of the center, Gordon MacKinnon (D-4), is ill and hospitalized.

Tobacco money

Meeting in their Finance Committee on June 7, legislators agreed to let their staff draw up a formal proposal for Sullivan’s planned use of some $13 million in anticipated proceeds from the upcoming bond sale of its future interests in the multi-billion dollar national tobacco settlement.

County Manger Dan Briggs said the bond sale agents, Paine-Webber, have asked participating counties to prepare a formal plan detailing which debts and which capital improvements would be funded.

Briggs said interest in the sale should increase as additional large counties such as Onondaga, Broome and possibly Schenectedy all sign on.

Legislators have tentatively agreed to use 60 percent of the sale to retire three bond issues from 1983, 1986 and 1989, which included funding for highway and county infrastructure. “The other 40 percent [going to new and competing capital projects] is going to be more difficult,” Rusty Pomeroy predicted.

Gaebel asked for another special meeting to decide the capital expenditures, but Pomeroy felt the panel should go with staff recommendations.

“You may not like the final decision, but you’ll be part of it,” committee chair LaBuda told Gaebel.