LeRay housing plans still on hold
EVANS MILLS — Two unpleasantries, sewage and paperwork, have combined to hamper a proposed housing development, andthe Planning Board did little Wednesday to unclog the pipes and get the project moving again
Walter H. Van Tassel, developer of the proposed Raceway Townhomes project adjacent to his Thunder Alley Speed Park on Route 11, is waiting for information from the village engineer, Kris D. Dimmick, vice president of Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown, about how much additional capacity the village's sewage collection system can accept, before engineering plans can be finalized for the 168-unit project.
But the Planning Board has said Mr. Van Tassel has failed to provide all the necessary information about the development to Mr. Dimmick's firm so that the firm can respond to the request. Mr. Van Tassel has contended he provided the necessary documents but the firm must have misplaced them.
It wasn't clear at Wednesday's meeting whether the engineering firm yet has all the information it needs to make a determination about the additional sewage capacity the village system could accept.
Planning Board Chairman Michael L. Cocco and Mr. Van Tassel exchanged opposing viewpoints about who was at fault in stalling the project, but the chairman told Mr. Van Tassel that if the engineering firm did indeed have all the information it needed to provide an answer, he would ensure it got that answer to Mr. Van Tassel in writing within two weeks.
"I have always got the board what they wanted when they wanted it. Always," Mr. Van Tassel said.
"I think that's debatable," Mr. Cocco replied.
Mr. Van Tassel expressed impatience with the board, and Mr. Cocco requested a little patience.
The proposed project has been stalled for years because the village did not have water system capacity to handle all the potential new users. With a water system improvement project completed in December, Mr. Van Tassel has been eager to move the permitting process forward so the proposal can become a reality.
