Incinerator demolition could affect road work

The demolition of Valley Stream’s abandoned incinerator and construction of a state-of-the-art transfer station won’t come cheap, village officials say, but they don’t expect the cost of the work to have an impact on taxpayers.

It could have an impact on drivers, however, as some road construction might be put off to fund the work.

The demolition of the incinerator would be funded through the capital budget, in which the village borrows money on an annual basis for major items such as road repairs, building renovations and the purchase of equipment and fire trucks. As a practice, Valley Stream does not borrow more than it pays off so the village doesn’t add more debt. “There’s $3 million a year to play with in the capital plan,” said Treasurer Michael Fox.

In recent years, money from capital borrowing has been used to renovate the pool complex and to purchase 195 Rockaway Ave., which is being converted into the new court facility and law enforcement annex.

In its 2013-14 capital budget, the village plans to borrow $1.3 million to demolish the incinerator. Fox said that estimate was based on a 2010 environmental study of the property. The project, including abatement of lead, asbestos and vermin, plus the demolition of the smokestack and the adjacent 5,000-square-foot, five-story building, is expected to cost closer to $2 million.

The difference would be made up in the 2014-15 capital budget. Because about $1.3 million is expected to be earmarked for two new fire trucks that year, funding for the incinerator’s demolition would eat into the money that would have been left for road repairs.

In the past two years, four miles of village roads have been repaved by outside contractors, and another two miles are set for 2014. Tom McAleer, the village’s superintendent of buildings, said residents should see less road work in 2015.

Although there are some streets that are in need of repaving, McAleer said, the worst and most dangerous roads have been addressed, most recently Hendrickson Avenue. Should a problem arise, he noted that the village does have its own road repair crew in the Highway Department. “If there’s anything that needs to be patched for a year,” McAleer said, “we have the capability to do that.”

Mayor Ed Fare said the village board will ensure that some money, even if less than recent years, will be put aside for road repairs. The village maintains more than 80 miles of roads.

For construction of a new transfer station, Fox said the plan is to borrow $1.2 million in the 2015-16 capital budget, but that number could be adjusted. The cost of that project won’t be known until the village chooses a design and solicits bids.