Wallkill Valley Times Jan. 16 2019

Vol. 37, No. 3 3 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019 History comes alive Page 17 3 ONE DOLLAR Much needed win Page 32 w w w .W a l l k i l l V a l l e y T i m e s . n e t Sailfish hearing draws concerned residents By LAURA FITZGERALD [email protected] Town of Montgomery residents brought up numerous concerns, including impacts on stormwater run-off, traffic and wildlife, at two special meetings for Project Sailfish. Located near Interstate-84 (I-84) and the intersections of NYS Route 17K and 747, the $75 million project will turn 188 acres of vacant land into an approximately 1-million-square-foot warehouse with more than 1,000 car parking spaces and 225 truck trailer spaces. The application was submitted on behalf of Bluewater Industrial Partners. The project also includes a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Ownership of the plant will be transferred to the town after construction, allowing for the expansion of the facility for future projects. The treatment plant will be designed to treat raw sewage and will discharge the effluent to surface waters on site. The treated effluent discharged from the WWTP would meet or exceed the effluent requirements required by the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). Bluewater Industrial Partners representative Don Chase said while he could not disclose the warehouse tenant, the building will exist for the fulfillment of consumer goods. There will Continued on page 3 March 26 date set for Wallkill fire vote By TED REMSNYDER R egatta Photo provided Twenty-one teams competed recently in the annual boat races at the Pine Bush High School Pool, as students competed in their own nautical creations and raised money for the school’s annual Holiday Fund Drive. Story, photo on page 17. The Wallkill Fire District is nearing a public referendum vote on its proposed new firehouse on the Borden family property in Shawangunk. Fire District Commissioner Michael Croce noted during a Jan. 12 presentation to the Town of Shawangunk Democratic Party that a tentative date has been set for March 26 on the long-gestating project. District 64 is asking taxpayers to approve $5,582,469 in borrowed funds for the new firehouse, with the district chipping in $1,500,000 in reserve monies to complete the project. Croce, who was joined during the presentation by fellow Commissioner Rich Freer, explained that the tentative late March date was chosen so that residents wouldn’t have to trek out to the polls in the dead of winter in January or February to cast their ballots. The new 17,500 square foot headquarters would be funded via a 30-year bond, and if the referendum is approved, fire taxes in the municipality would increase $1.65 from the current rate per thousand of $6.38 to $8.03. The Town of Shawangunk is potentially interested in purchasing the current firehouse property to act as a new police headquarters if the project is approved by taxpayers. In their presentation, which Continued on page 2 SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL