By Andrew Coen
Lawrence village trustees approved a resolution 3-1 at their Sept. 8 board meeting to make the moratorium a new local law in response to concerns that the village's water pollution control plant is exceeding its capacity as the area's population continues to grow. The new law will be in effect for six months, but it can be rescinded at any time, according to village officials.
Lawrence follows neighboring Cedarhurst in putting a temporary stop to large construction projects that require huge amounts of water.
Lawrence resident Stanley Kopilow, a District 15 school board trustee speaking on behalf of the board, urged the trustees to hold off on the moratorium, since such a law could hinder a deal the school board may get for selling the former Number One School property. The school board voted to close the elementary school in June 2004 as part of a consolidation plan to save the district money. "I think they are undercutting the school district and the taxpayers for getting the best price for that valuable piece of property," said Kopilow in a phone interview after the moratorium was approved.
Kopilow criticized the moratorium at the meeting, saying it is unfair, since it does not apply to expansions or renovations of one- or two-family homes or to developers who were recently issued building permits and were approved by the village board of zoning appeals. "[The moratorium] turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to what happens in a one- or two-family home," said Kopilow. "It targets the school district."
The idea of the moratorium was first raised by village Trustee Joel Mael earlier this year, when he learned that apartments or condominiums could be constructed at the former site of the Number One School that would increase the amount of water usage in the village and risk exceeding the water pollution control plant's maximum capacity of 1.5 million gallons a day. The plant handles all sewage in the village, while stormwater is held in various drains throughout the village, according to officials.
Marty Oliner, the lone trustee to vote against the moratorium, said he did not feel one was needed and that more studies should be done before such a move is made. "I think a moratorium is not necessary at this point," said Oliner just before the vote.
Kopilow accused some of the board members of having agendas - wanting certain schools to move into the Number One School site - that would be helped by a moratorium, which would dissuade private developers from purchasing the property.
Officials from the village's engineering firm, Cameron Engineering, who attended the meeting, are in the process of studying flow meters recently purchased by the village to determine the impact on the system during rainy days. The village has also been studying whether any of New York City's water system is creeping into Lawrence, which would complicate the problem of limited capacity.
Mark Wagner, a representative of Cameron Engineering, said that updating the plant, which was last done in 1968, would cost between $3 million and $5 million. Wagner said the plant's operation at close to its capacity is due to a population increase in Lawrence in recent years, periods of heavy rains and a rise in the groundwater level. "If we were in Arizona and it would never rain again, we would not be looking at increasing the system," said Wagner.
"A moratorium such as this would make this property virtually unsellable," said Kopilow.
According to Mael, there were many days last year when the village processed 1.4 million gallons of water, dangerously close to the 1.5-million-gallon capacity, and he has said he does not feel that holding construction companies responsible for paying to increase water capacity would be enough to solve the problem. Mael said at a meeting on July 14 that the moratorium would give the village time to study the plant to determine what needs to be done in the future without any harmful results.
A dispute arose between Kopilow and Mael during the hearing, when Kopilow asked Wagner if he felt that the village was in an emergency situation, and Mael jumped in to say he did not feel it was a fair question, since the word emergency can be a vague term. In the ensuing debate, Wagner never answered the question. "How could [the village board] determine it was an emergency when the key witness is not on the record saying it was an emergency?" said Kopilow in a phone interview.
Village officials said there have been 23 days this year when the plant had a flow of more than the 1.5-million-gallon maximum, with 16 coming in April. "I've heard an old song that April showers bring May flowers. I've never heard that April showers bring a moratorium," said Kopilow.
Mael has estimated that if 100 apartments were to be built at the Number One School property, they would require between 35,000 and 45,000 gallons of water a day.
The next Lawrence village board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m., at Lawrence Village Country Club.
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
