The town of Rotterdam is studying the feasibility of encouraging development in the areas surrounding the town’s three exits 25, 25A and 26 in order to increase the town’s tax base.
`These areas are underutilized and underdeveloped,` Supervisor Steven Tommasone said.
The studies are being paid for with three separate grants from the Capital District Transportation Committee’s Linkage Program, totaling $85,000.
According to the CDTC’s Web site, the Linkage Program helps municipalities with long-term planning. The Linkage Program has given out more than $3.3 million in federal, state and local grants since its inception in 2000.
Tommasone said he believes the areas around the exits are best suited for development because the roads can already handle the extra traffic. He pointed to other local munici-palities such as Clifton Park that has developed near I-87.
The greatest impediment to development in the areas surrounding exits 25 and 25A is the lack of sewer lines.
`Prospective developers come in, and the first thing they ask is if there is a sewer line,` said Tommasone. `You tell them no and they leave.`
Tommasone said town officials are trying to get private developers to build a sewer line that runs down Burdeck Street and out to Route 7 and then another line that runs down Hamburg Street and out to Curry Road.
Town Planner Peter Comenzo said Altamont Avenue has been quickly developed because there is a sewer line that businesses can connect to.
`Altamont Avenue was all farm land when I was younger,` Tommasone said. `I know if you talk to older folks, they’ll tell you that Hamburg Street used to be a vibrant area.`
Tommasone said the problem with running a sewer line down Hamburg Street is that Rotterdam’s sewage treatment plant wouldn’t be able to accommodate the extra users unless it was upgraded, which would cost too much money.
Tommasone said he plans to contract with the city of Schenectady to have the line connect with the city’s sewer treatment plant because it has excess capacity.
Tommasone and Comenzo both said once a sewer line is built, developers would come in to revitalize those areas.
`In the last several years, I have had a dozen calls about the vacant lot that Grand Union once occupied,` Comenzo said.
The town has recently received $35,000 to study the land use around Hamburg Street. Comenzo said the study should be completed by June.
Currently, commercial and retail areas are mixed, with residential developments along Hamburg Street. The study will help town officials define the area and plan for potential development and revitalization.
`The small business and residents along Hamburg Street are going to have the ability to define their neighborhood and make it something they can be proud of,` Comenzo said.
The state Department of Transportation is also planning to install a roundabout for the intersection of Curry Road and Hamburg Street. Construction for that project should begin in 2008.
A $25,000 CDTC grant was used to pay for a study of the Burdeck Street corridor and the areas surrounding Exit 25A. That study was completed in November 2004. Town officials are currently working to implement the study’s recommendations.
Tommasone said an office park would be best suited for the area to increase the tax base, especially for residents within the Schalmont School District.
`You need something where people come in after the kids go to school and leave after the kids leave. An office park with related amenities such as a coffee shop and small eatery would be perfect for this location,` he said.
According to town Assessor John Macekja, Schalmont school taxes are nearly double town taxes. Last year, residents within the Schalmont School District paid $613 per $1,000 of assessed value in school taxes and $370 per $1,000 of assessed value for town, county and highway taxes.
The town received a $25,000 grant this year from CDTC to study the area surrounding Exit 26 near Rotterdam Junction.
Officials say the water tank in the Junction needs to be replaced before any development can occur, a project that is going to cost residents about $2 million.
`The planning board would be irresponsible to approve large-scale development in the Junction without forcing the developer to contribute to the cost of replacing the water tank,` Tommasone said.
Tommasone sees Rotterdam Junction as an area with great potential for recreational activities because of the proximity to the Mohawk River and Erie Canal.
In addition to money from CDTC, the town has also received $40,000 from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to update Kiwanis Park and is applying for a $150,000 brownfields grant.
`The two things I really want to do while in office is help revitalize Hamburg Street and Rotterdam Junction,` Tommasone said. “