Development of Frankfort site delayed by water and sewage
By
Pat Bailey
Story Created:
Jan 16, 2008 at 6:13 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jan 17, 2008 at 7:07 PM EDT
FRANKFORT - In his speech today, Governor Eliot Spitzer singled out Herkimer County, and its need for economic development. The governor said the county has plenty of land, but only a few acres of it is ready for development.
The head of the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency would love to see the pumpkin patch site in Frankfort start development.
"That park is nearly on the border of Oneida County," said Mark Feane, Executive Director of the Industrial Development Agency of Herkimer County. "So anyone who is employed there won't be restricted to Herkimer County residents. We're talking about economic development for the Mohawk Valley."
Feane says the hold-up is water and sewer - the site doesn't have any. However, he says the county has $2.8 million available to them to bring water and sewer into the site.
But Feane says the Town of Frankfort won't allow for the proper applications to be handed over to the necessary state agencies.
"It's a permitting issue that needs to be addressed at the Town of Frankfort level," Feane said. "There's activities that need to occur immediately."
Town officials say they wont get involved in any future developments on that site unless their certain the future county jail wont be put there.
"Until we find something concrete...relative to locating the proposed jail, and the possible construction of the new county garage elsewhere...the Town of Frankfort will proceed with extreme caution regarding the water supply application to provide water to the pumpkin patch site," said Joe Kinney, the Frankfort Town Supervisor.
Feane says he would like to get the town cooperation as soon as possible, because the county has a contractor ready to put in water and sewer lines.
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