The issue of sewage has been a hot topic in the Town of Hyde Park for years. Residents in the town’s Route 9 corridor, its main commercial and business center, have been clamoring for a central sewer system for more than 20 years, during which time development – and overdevelopment – have swept into the area, stretching infrastructures to their breaking point and doing nothing to lessen the need for a town sewer.
But high costs and disagreements about who should foot the bill have always kept the prospect of a central sewer district on the back burner – until now. Developer Pierre Gagne, who is currently designing the St. Andrews at Historic Hyde Park development across from the Culinary Institute of America, has agreed to build a sewer treatment plant at the proposed development. He would bear the $13 million cost of the plant, taking the funding responsibility out of the town’s hands. Seems like a win/win situation, doesn’t it?
But questions from several members of Hyde Park’s Town Board have halted progress on the development and cast doubt on the possibility of a central sewer system. To their credit, town board members are proceeding cautiously with respect to the size and scope of the St. Andrews development, citing its impact on neighboring wetlands as well as numerous revisions to the project’s plans. But some residents and business owners have accused the board of ignoring the interests of their constituents in favor of its own concerns. Board member Valerie Hail (D-2nd Ward), the owner of Le Petit Chateau, a bed and breakfast on Dorsey Lane adjacent to the site of the proposed development, has previously voiced concerns that rock blasting and excavation at the site might deter customers from her inn. Fourth Ward representative Richard Perkins has said that he prefers multiple sewer systems in town rather than one central set-up, and board member Hannah Black (D-3rd Ward) has also said that she needs more time to evaluate the plan.
Due diligence is always a good thing, particularly when the project in question has the potential to seriously change Hyde Park’s southern end. But according to Eveready Diner President Gus Serroukas, more than 60 percent of village property owners have petitioned for the sewer service, and judging by the sentiments expressed by business owners at a Town Board meeting this week, many of them want the town to move forward with sewer plans, and quickly. With Gagne’s promise to pay for the sewer system, and the real desire of business owners to create a central district, the board should not delay much longer in approving the plan. Patience is indeed a virtue, but providing for the needs of the people of Hyde Park is a job the board should embrace.