By Stephen J. Bronner
“This is a real win-win for the residents of Lawrence and Cedarhurst,” Toback said. “They’re saving money on upgrading their facilities, and it’s better for the environment. It’s a really great project for everyone in the county, especially for residents of Lawrence and Cedarhurst.”
The bill was approved 11-8, mostly along party lines, with Republican Denise Ford (R-Long Beach) joining Democrats in support of it.
A pumping station will be built in Lawrence to send the sewage to Inwood, then to the Bay Park facility, according to the county’s commissioner of public works, Ray Ribeiro. Gravity would take the sewage from Cedarhurst toward Inwood, he explained, and then it would be pumped into the Bay Park facility as well. The Bay Park plant processes sewage more efficiently than the other two plants, Ribeiro said, removing 95 percent of solids, 10 percent more than the local plants.
Upgrading the treatment facilities in the two villages would have cost $30 million. The approved plan will cost $18 million, which will cover Lawrence’s pump station, Cedarhurst’s gravity pipe and upgrades to the Inwood facility. Federal stimulus money will be used to pay for up to half of the total cost of construction, Toback said, but the county will not find out how much the federal government will pay until the end of the year — around the same time construction is set to begin.
The rest of the project’s costs will be covered by 30-year bonds worth up to $12 million and $14 million issued by Cedarhurst and Lawrence, respectively. The project is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2012.
Residents of Lawrence will see a projected reduction of 20 percent in their sewer taxes, according to Lawrence Mayor C. Simon Felder. Lawrence’s and Cedarhurst’s sewer rates were also locked in with this deal — their rates will not change even if the rest of the county’s does.
Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew Parise said he was happy that the legislation passed, but disappointed that political lines were drawn. He added that the plan was not meant to be a political issue, saying, “It’s the right thing to do.”
Comments about this story? SBronner@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
