TRR photo by David Hulse Sullivan County is negotiating the purchase of this 28-acre Route 17B site for a new public works garage. (Click for larger image)

Sullivan wants power authority property

By DAVID HULSE

MONGAUP VALLEY, NY — Sullivan County legislators want to move the county’s Department of Public Works (DPW) operations out of Harris and into Mongaup Valley.

Last week the Public Works Committee agreed to a $750,000 offer to purchase 28 acres of New York Power Authority (NYPA) property in the Town of Thompson, just east of the Bethel boundary.

NYPA has a seven-bay garage facility on the property, which adjoins the Marcy-South power lines crossing of Route 17B.

NYPA would retain about 20 acres for any future development needs along the power lines.

Negotiations for the purchase are said to be very close.

The new property would house DPW facilities, now on an 11-acre site between Route 17 and old Route 17 in Harris, and would include development of a new bus garage, for which Sullivan has won a $2.1 million federal grant.

Initially the Town of Thompson was interested in the property as well and had outbid the county’s $750,000 offer, but the town has since withdrawn its offer.

Committee chair Rodney Gaebel (RC-5) said the site has several advantages in its central location on 17B and in the available acreage.

“We’re boxed in at Harris. There is no place to expand.”

The neighboring Center for Discovery, the county’s largest employer, is said to be interested in acquiring the existing Harris property.

With acquisition, the property would require the installation of additional storage and fueling facilities and a salt shed.

“It’s not a turn-key operation,” DPW Commissioner Peter Lilholt said.