Southern Ulster Times, Wednesday, August 14, 2019
3
Marlborough approves $1.2 million pier bond
Continued from page 1
on the November 5 ballot for residents to
vote.
If this does not occur Lanzetta expects
the town will move forward in September
and spend about $200,000 to fix the pilings
on the pier by going into the bedrock of
the Hudson River. This is time sensitive
because they do not want to disturb some
fish that may be spawning.
At that time Lanzetta will be speaking
with bond counsel to firm up the legal
details and what the interest rate will be
during the 20 year payback period. He
is hoping the rate will fall somewhere
between 3.5 and 4 percent.
“The more you do a bond resolution
the lower the interest rate,” he said.
Lanzetta said the Town Board feels
that reconstructing the old pier is a great
opportunity for the town, “to have an
economic source, not only for the town but
for the county.” He said tourism is Ulster
County’s largest economic driver and he
is anticipating that Marlborough can tap
into that in the years to come. Visitors to
Marlborough can take in 7 wineries and
a distillery, visit pick-your own orchards
in the summer and fall seasons, tour
the SportsDome, avail themselves of the
many eateries in town and be entertained
at the Falcon Music Club.
“We just put in for a CFA
[Consolidated Funding Application]
grant for the Landing and we’re hoping
the development brings in tourism
because of the river.” He pointed out that
Marlborough is a designated part of the
Empire Water Trail; “We’re one of those
stops and we have a deep water port. This
pier will not only allow for tourism but for
education about the river by having the
Woody Guthrie, the Clearwater and the
S.S. Columbia dock here.”
Lanzetta said in 2009 he obtained
funding to purchase the pier just before
he left office after losing the election.
“At the very last minute I signed
the papers because the person that was
coming in was not in favor of that being a
park,” he said.
Lanzetta explained the reason for
funding the project rather than relying
on volunteers.
“We can’t afford the time with this pier.
If we have a bad ice storm this winter and
it wipes all of that out, we’ll never build
anything there because the Department
of Environmental Conservation won’t let
you.” he said. “This will be a great thing
and it won’t cost the taxpayers that much.”
Estimates to pay for the pier will increase
taxes to residents by $33.50 per year on a
home assessed at $250,000.
The southern Milton pier in its present state.
An architectural rendering of a reconstructed southern Milton Pier.