Negotiations between the town and local developers for title to a property at the end of East Lucille Lane continue to delay drainage and roadwork projects in the Masullo Estates Neighborhood in Rotterdam.
The town wants to use the parcel for the site of a future storm water system for both the proposed Helderberg Meadows development and Masullo Estates.
Supervisor Steven Tommasone said he reached a verbal agreement with Helderberg Estates developers months ago for either easements to the property or ownership of the parcel, but the town continues to wait for a formal action by the developers’ attorneys.
Tommasone said the town must acquire the land before work can begin in 88-unit Masullo Estates. He said he’s confident that a formal agreement will be reached sometime in July.
Work needs to be accomplished in Masullo, and it is our No. 1 priority, said Tommasone.
Highway Superintendent Jim Longo said the first 700 feet of Masullo Parkway, off Guilderland Avenue would have to be totally reconstructed and rebased. He also said the development’s entryway would have to be reshaped.
The rest of the development will be repaved using a NovaChip application after underdrainage is installed, said Longo.
The NovaChip paving process places an ultra-thin, coarse aggregate hot mix over a special asphalt membrane.
Longo said he’s had success using this particular repaving process in areas with previous drainage problems.
Longo also said that the proposed repairs in Masullo are not temporary fixes, but solutions to problems that have plagued residents for decades.
Town officials were also adamant that they were moving forward vigorously to provide long-term relief for the neighborhood.
`We want to emphasize this is not a skim coat that is going to be applied,` said Councilman John Mertz.
Cost estimates for the project are currently unavailable, according to project engineer Brett Steenburgh.
Steenburgh said he would have to wait for the town to acquire the East Lucille property before he could make a proper estimate.
Two other town drainage projects are moving forward more quickly though.
Drainage improvements needed in the cul-de-sac neighborhoods of Horizon Boulevard and Bluebird Lane will likely cost the town $250,000 less than previously thought.
A redesign of the project by Steenburgh will cost the town $100,000, according to Longo.
`We thought we were going to have to reverse the entire flow on Bluebird Lane, but now we’ve decided we can use the drainage that’s there and adding perforated piping,` said Longo.
Another project on pothole-ridden Houlton Avenue will cost slightly more than projections earlier this month.
Tommasone had roughly estimated that the project would cost $250,000. Estimates suggest the project will actually cost between $300,000 and $320,000.
Tommasone said he’s hopeful all three projects can be completed in a timely manner, although he admitted that the Masullo project will have to go out to bid, which could further delay relief efforts.
Tommasone said that preliminary work in Masullo and the expenditures in Horizon, Bluebird and Houlton will be paid for using the town’s fund reserves in an attempt to speed up the process.
`We’ll use our reserves in the interim and get a bond later on for the Masullo project,` said Tommasone.
Longo echoed Tommasone’s sentiments, in light of soaring costs of petroleum-based asphalt.
`The longer we wait, the more all these projects will cost,` said Longo.“