Rockland revives $30M plan to build new highway complex

CHESTNUT RIDGE – Rockland County is reviving a long-stalled $30 million project to move its Highway Department from New City to a complex just north of Thruway Exit 14.

The project would give the department easier access to different parts of Rockland and would have enough space to store all the equipment indoors and out of the elements, official said.

During his State of the County address, Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced his ambition to move "full steam ahead" with the project.

Rockland — which was deemed the most financially stressed county in New York by the state Comptroller's Office in September 2013 — is still working its way back to financial health.

But Day said he's confident that borrowing money for this project is within the county's means despite its debt of more than $90 million.

"The key here is the money spent now is going to absolutely save millions of dollars for the operational cost, and, down the road, equipment costs," Day said. "We are not looking to spend one penny more than we need to."

The plan to move the Highway Department from the New City government campus to the county-owned 27-acre property in the village of Chestnut Ridge has been discussed since at least 2000.

After many revisions, the plan, whose price tag ballooned to more than $30 million, was put on the shelf in 2008 after the county's financial condition deteriorated.

Day said the proposed site — which the county bought years ago from the state for $1 — is better positioned to access different parts of Rockland and will make the highway operation more efficient. At the aging facility in New City, a majority of the equipment has been stored outdoors. At this new location, equipment would last longer because it would be stored indoors, he said.

Day added that this project would enable the county to pursue a variety of revenue-generating possibilities, such as building a compressed natural gas filling station on site through a public-private partnership, establishing inter-municipal agreements with Bergen County and vacating a portion of the New City campus.

Superintendent of Highways Charles "Skip" Vezzetti said the design for the new complex will remain within the same footprint as the plans developed in 2007, although the L-shaped main building would be two stories rather than three. The upper floor would house administration, the engineering and traffic safety divisions and the drainage agency. The lower floor would be occupied by mechanics and fleet maintenance personnel, while offering much-needed garage/storage space, he said. The design will be updated to bring it up to code and find more savings, he added.

The complex would also include three smaller buildings for things such as a car wash and salt storage.

Like any other county initiatives, the project can't move forward without the Rockland Legislature's approval for borrowing the money.

Legislator Michael Grant, D-Garnerville, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, said upgrades to the aging highway facility are "much needed," but legislators would have to "take a very careful look at" the plan before giving it their approval.

"It's a significant project," Grant said. "We want to make sure that it meets our needs at least for the next 20 years or more, and that we can afford it."

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