Rumor raises town’s gas concerns again

DAVID HULSE
Posted 8/21/12

ELDRED, NY — By state high court decision, Highland and neighboring river towns are free of natural gas drilling, but outgoing Supervisor Andrew Boyar says a gas transmission line may prompt …

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Rumor raises town’s gas concerns again

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ELDRED, NY — By state high court decision, Highland and neighboring river towns are free of natural gas drilling, but outgoing Supervisor Andrew Boyar says a gas transmission line may prompt another new concern.

Admitting that he had only “rumors” to go on, Boyar reported on December 8 that Columbia Gas may be planning to build a compressor station in northern Highland for its Millennium Pipeline.

Boyar introduced the issue by recounting news coverage of an Orange County homeowner who recently abandoned his family’s $250,000 home in the Town of Minisink after a controversial new Millennium Pipeline compressor station began operating one-quarter mile away from the home.

The pipeline crosses State Route 55 about one mile south of the Bethel-Highland border.

Boyar, an attorney who has frequently handled real estate transactions, said his concern was based on an 82-acre land transaction in the area.

“It may be rumor or it may be true. Our zoning doesn’t allow it. It’s the very thing our zoning was designed for,” he said.

“If it is true, the utility should know they’re going to have a battle on their hands. Maybe they thought they were big enough to push it through… Let’s be vigilant,” Boyar said.

In 2014, the state Court of Appeals affirmed a lower-court ruling, saying that towns can use zoning ordinances to ban hydraulic fracturing. Highland approved its ban in 2012, joining Bethel, Tusten, Lumberland and Forestburgh in prohibiting “fracking.”

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has since adopted similar statewide regulations to ban the controversial gas extraction method.

Separately, Councilman/Supervisor-elect Jeff Haas reported that he attended a meeting with county officials preparing plans to share sales tax revenues with Sullivan towns and villages. Haas said the plan would not take place until 2018, and sharing would not begin until the county collected $40.5 million. Forty percent of excess collections beyond that amount would be shared according to a formula involving population and property values. He estimated that the program could net Highland $30,000 or more.

Haas also met with representatives of a state contractor erecting 125 automatic weather reporting stations statewide, who wants to place one near the Highland Senior Citizens Center in Eldred. The station would be solar powered, employing a tower less than 40-feet in height. It’s output would initially be available to highway and emergency services, Haas said.

Haas further reported that a new gate had been installed at the DEC’s Barryville river access, which opens to additional parking in a River Road cul-de-sac accessing the site.

In other business, after a public hearing the board, following earlier county legislative approvals, approved a local law providing sequential senior property tax exemptions of five to 50% on primary residences for persons 65 and older, with gross incomes of $20,500 to $28,000.

The board similarly approved a second local law providing tax exemptions for Gold Star parents of children killed in military service to the country.

A third public hearing was followed by approvals of new annual funding contracts for the Yulan and Highland Lake fire departments, the American Legion Ambulance Service and the Sunshine Hall Library.

Boyar closed the session with parting remarks, crediting each of the town board members individually and as a group. He gave special plaudits to Town Clerk Doreen Hanson. “Every one of our town clerks has been great. But Doreen Hanson is the finest public servant I’ve met in 46 years in government,” he said.

In addition to his 20 years as supervisor, “throw in two terms as town justice and a few as town attorney… It’s been quite a run,” he said.

He asked to stay on as town delegate to the Upper Delaware Council, but leaving the rest behind, Boyar closed, “It’s been an honor and a privilege.”

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