Dumping the dump continues stupid policies

By ALAN SORENSEN

Once again, the Sullivan County Legislature has embarked on a mission to shoot the county in the foot. Within hours of Governor Paterson signing landmark legislation authorizing the incentive package for the redevelopment of the Concord Resort, the county leadership is embarking on a mission to sell the Sullivan County Landfill to the highest bidder—presumably a private landfill operator.

The primary access to the new Concord Resort will be via Exit 106—the same exit that will be used by garbage trucks to supply the soon-to-be-privatized and expanded Sullivan County Landfill. Perhaps I am missing something, but why in the world are my fellow legislators considering privatizing and expanding the dump directly across the street from the World Class Resort that holds promise to revitalize the entire county. The elected leaders in Saratoga wouldn’t site a landfill across from SPAC and the folks in the Berkshires wouldn’t situate a dump across the street from Tanglewood. But in Sullivan County, we are on track to expand the dump across the street from the Concord Resort.

It is now clear that the dump has been an economic failure: $40 million in bonded debt, net operating loss of $20 a ton ($2.3 million annually) and over $5 million spent in the pursuit of the Phase II Permit Leprechaun. That is all behind us. The time has come to think outside of the box and look to other beneficial uses for the Sullivan County Landfill and adjacent Apollo Plaza. This is especially true given the proximity of these properties to the new resort, and being situated within the Empire Zone.

Here is what I propose. Rather than selling the landfill property to the highest bidder to build the Freshkills Landfill Clone across the street from the new resort, why not redevelop this property for real economic and recreational purposes? Rather than sell to the highest bidder, why not sell to the developer who will provide the highest and best use for these lands? This is the process that Orange County is pursuing with the sale of the Camp La Guardia property—perhaps we should follow their lead. I envision a revitalized East Broadway off the new Exit 106 Interchange, with a new shopping plaza modeled after Woodbury Commons, along with offices and mixed-use developments with workforce housing. These are land uses that will complement the development on the Concord site, expand our tax base and create jobs for area residents.

The expanded dump will be off the tax rolls, pollute our environment, congest our highways with garbage trucks and deter would-be investors from buying homes within the Concord Resort.

I also envision that the county would continue to operate a recycling center and transfer station on a portion of the former landfill property, and we would cap Phase 1 so that it could be redeveloped as parkland. Don’t laugh; Croton Point Park in Westchester County is built upon their former landfill and New York City is in the process of converting the Freshkills Landfill into one of the largest parks in the city.

I ask my fellow legislators to consider the long-term benefits that our community could realize if we think outside the box rather than in the landfill cell. The proposed Phase II expansion of the Sullivan County Landfill is ill conceived due to fiscal realities of the Phase I Operation and proximity of the landfill to nearby residents. With the new resort on the horizon, lets take the time to ensure that the landfill property is redeveloped in a manner that will benefit our community for years to come. Governor Patterson has given Sullivan County the golden opportunity to revitalize and reinvent the Sullivan County Catskills with the development of a premiere destination. We shouldn’t blow it by expanding the dump.

(Alan J. Sorensen is the Sullivan County Legislator for District #9.)