Water main location at Millerton Gateway a slippery issue

MILLERTON — The work hasn’t stopped at the corner of routes 22 and 44, the site of the future Millerton Gateway, which will ultimately be the location of a handful of retail stores. Yet busy as it’s been, there has been one matter that’s weighing the project down, and that has to do with water service.

The property’s real estate manager, Bill Flood, appeared before the Village Board at its May 19 meeting to discuss the matter.

"We were under the impression that it would come off the main in front," he said. "I never knew it [wouldn’t]. I don’t know what we can do, or what we have to do to remedy the problem, but we have no water."

"We want water access directly from the main, rather than how it’s going through [the next building]," Mayor John Scutieri said.

Village Attorney Michele Haab said according to a 1966 village law, if the property’s owner wanted to get a permit and open up Route 22 to lay down the necessary pipes, he would have to pay for it.

"So he’s got to pick up the whole cost, basically?" asked Flood.

"If it will cost $20,000 to $30,000 to hook it up, why should other users of water pay for you to pick it up?" Haab returned. "That’s just the way it is."

Flood said the property does not have water because the pipes were removed after they froze. The village’s Working Foreman Larry Merwin said he took the meter out of the building because it froze and broke. The line has since been capped off.

The water meter in the other building reportedly has two meters on one line, and there’s no way to shut the water off to do any work.

"I found an opinion of the state comptroller that said ‘tough luck,’ and called it a branch line, so it couldn’t be that unusual," Haab said.

"But no one knows where that water line is," Flood said.

"Where it comes down to them I haven’t got a clue," acknowledged Merwin. "I pretty much stayed out of it as much as I could."

John Gilmor, who owns the property across the street which houses his business, Gilmor Glassworks, said his water line is south of the traffic light on Route 22.

The Millerton Gateway building relies on getting its water through the adjacent building.

"It’s coming through that other building, and nobody thinks it’s the greatest way to have it," Scutieri said.

"We were under the impression the village would bring it to the curb," Flood said, adding that everything is designed to "go off" from the front of the building.

"They will, but you’ve got to pay for it," Haab said.

"We would contract it ourselves anyway," the mayor said, adding that it would be pretty expensive. Merwin agreed.

"If we had to open cut the road we would have to supply the cops and the flagmen, we would have to tap the main, our machines would have to be there for digging, probably 4 inches of concrete, plus blacktop," he said. "It’s a very expensive proposition, digging in a state road."

"I’ll go back to the owner and see what he’ll want to do," Flood said.

There was some brief talk about drilling a well for the property, which the mayor said would not be allowed because the property is located in the water district.

"You may be able to work something out with the neighbor at the other building, to enclose it, or to improve his line at your expense," suggested Haab.

"We want to help out the best we can, but we can’t spend the taxpayers’ money," Scutieri added.

Flood, however, expressed his displeasure at not being informed of the water main issue earlier.

"We should have been told that months ago. We should have been told that when we started this project," he said. "We knew we needed a water line."