The Town of Dover and the Dover Knolls Development Company make a Joint Application for Federal Stimulus dollars
February 22, 2009
The Town of Dover and the Dover Knolls Development Company (Dover Knolls) created a Joint Public-Private Partnership to apply for federal stimulus funds to aid in the demolition of abandoned buildings on the site of the former Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center (HVPC) in WIngdale, NY. The property is owned by Dover Knolls, and the developer is currently engaged in the SEQRA process having filed a preliminary DEIS on December 24, 2008. A Draft Application for stimulus funds was submitted on February 2, 2009, to the Town for review and is linked below.
The partnership is seeking approximately $20mm in federal stimulus funds to demolish 11 buildings. The proposed benefits are threefold: Dover would get a jumpstart on the eventual teardown of buildings identified as not worthy of rehabilitation and which many residents consider eyesores; an estimated 355 jobs would be created in Dover for local and regional residents; the developer would save $20mm of already budgeted Construction and Demolition (C&D) costs to raze these buildings and dispose of the debris.
CRGD has always been concerned with on-site burial of HVPC C&D debris given the presence of asbestos and lead paint, and the existence of the area’s water supply so close by. Given the haste with which stimulus funds (if obtained) must be spent, and considering that the Dover Knolls DEIS is still under SEQRA review, CRGD has requested the Town Board declare all C&D debris associated with this Application to be “environmentally suspect” and make arrangements for disposal off-site.
We reiterated these concerns to Congressman John Hall at a public forum in the Town of Beekman, NY, on February 21, 2009. CRGD suggests that to the extent funds are made available for this project, the Joint Partnership reapportion some of the cost of demolition to cover the cost of removing all associated C&D debris.
– Please see Harlem Valley Times article by Jen Barry, “Dover to apply for federal stimulus aid” covering the Town Board meeting on January 28th, 2009 to discuss the Application.
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