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NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:43 pm
by dave
New York City DEP has presented a draft of their future plans to run thru 2022 for purchasing land.

This is the first of many documents to be forthcoming from the NYC DEP. This document focuses on the purchasing of land in the Catskill watershed area. Many citizens of the Mountaintop have become increasing concerned on the DEP's increased ownership of land and ever increasing restrictions of their neighbors.

Local governments are becoming concerned about how it will affect their tax base, and how they will be able to operate their towns without significantly increasing taxes on the existing citizens. Local builders are concerned that their ever increasing regulations are making it impossible to build new homes or improve existing ones. Local citizens are concerned that they will be driven out of the communities that they love and cherish. Some of the wealthier citizens are using the opportunity to drive out poorer citizens to create a Billionaire playground in the Platte Clove Valley.

NYC DEP has opened up some limited amounts of land to limited public use to reduce public outcry of oppression and locking out of NYS land purchases to the Forest Preserve. But, the condition of this policy is that the DEP changed the policy as a, "We'll see how it works out". Over the past 100 years, NYC has made concessions to the local community when they wanted something from the public. But, after they got what they wanted, they removed those concessions. There are many who believe that this concession is only temporary. Based upon history, this is probably will turn out to be true.

There is a significant amount of State land that is essentially "land-locked", and the DEP purchases will probably have a significant impact in the future.

The NYC DEP continues to allege that the significant amount of land purchases in the Catskills is for water quality control. The DEP has stated that they are purchasing the land in lieu of building a new filtration plant. Instead they have chosen to become enriched at the expense of local residents. It is the DEP's goal to control all human activities on all land in the Catskills either by direct purchase of land, or by forcing local residents into a written agreement.

Presently NYC DEP now owns or controls approximately 10 percent of the land, and they plan on increasing this to 24-to-34 percent.

The NYC DEP in now proposing that they will continue the follow plans thru 2022:

1. Continue to purchase land thru real estate companies and by direct solicitation of land owners.

2. Increase the percentage of land ownership and control of land to approximately 24-to-34 percent from the existing 10 percent.

3. Create new and better selection process to land purchases to maximize their goals.

4. Work with local communities to help achieve their above stated goals.

5. Create new and better goals of to promote the use of these lands for the long term.

The NYC DEP plans on achieving these goals by:

1. Create a program where they contact existing land owners more often to pressure them into selling land to the DEP.

2. Focus on purchasing land next to existing owned DEP land thru smaller land purchases.

3. Allow more conservation easements, but reduce existing land use.

The three areas that the NYC DEP will focus on will be the Schoharie, Pepacton and Cannonsville water basins. Theses three basins represents a majority of the land that supplies water to NYC and surrounding areas.

The Schoharie Basin has approximately 200,895 acres, and the DEP has acquiring 19,001 acres ($57,385,000.00) They will acquire approximately another 40,000 acres thru 2022. They will have a high focus on the Schoharie creek and tributaries, and the Johnson Hollow Brook.

The Pepacton Basin (along Rt 28) had 18,531 acres ($40,602,000.00) purchased since 1997.

The Cannonsville Basin had 12,791 acres ($37,465,000.00) purchased since 1997.

In 2006 NYC DEP stated that they had the need for new water sources. They have yet to mention where this new reservoir would be located. Rumors continue that this location will be from west of Tannersville and continue west to the junction to Spuceton Valley. There are also rumors that when Orville Slutskey dies, Hunter Mtn will be purchased by the DEP. But, Hunter Mtn is now moving to add more slopes and chair lifts to meet future needs. Over the past couple of years, it has been open knowledge that Hunter Mtn was for sale. But, it now appears that it may no longer be fore sale. If Hunter Mtn was sold to the DEP this would open the door to the purchase of the rest of the valley by Eminent Domain. Wealthy people have been purchasing land in the Platte Clove Valley in anticipation of the possibility of a new reservoir. Only those with assets of a Billion dollars will be welcome. No matter what happens, there will be winners and losers in this game of speculation. People who live along Rt 16 in Platte Clove have been receiving letters with offers to purchase their land and homes. Another rumor is that Tannersville will have to increase taxes on local residents, and this will drive them out of the area.

Re: NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:57 am
by mike
Pretty much confirms what we already know. Thanks for the update. I will be interested in the rest of the documents. I did go to their site looking for them, but couldn't find them. I am sure they will be buried in there somewhere, where they are hard to find.

Re: NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:09 pm
by mtnclimber
Sounds like they are looking to build another reservoir.

Re: NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:25 pm
by mike
I have heard that Hunter Mtn is going to put in a couple more slopes next to K-27. This is a very nice section, and will make some great slopes.This has been a hidden ski area of locals. They are going to put in a new high speed lift. The existing lift keeps breaking down.

Re: NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 9:10 pm
by dave
New York City's water supply permit expires January of 2012. DEP officials sat down with the public to discuss their 10-year plan. NYC must present their plan (Environmental Impact Statement) to the Federal EPA for approval. A draft will be presented on May 28, 2010. Public hearings will be scheduled for July of 2010. The final version of the plan will be presented to the EPA in the Fall of 2010. The EPA will then accept or reject the plan.

Needless-to-say, concern and anger is growing among local people who see the DEP driving them out of mountaintop. In the next ten years, the amount of land owned or controlled will easily double. Some say that the land grab will not stop in 2022. Some are concerned that this is the modern way of NYC building another reservoir and destroying entire valleys. Many remember vividly how the Ashokan Reservoir was built.

The DEP states that this is a cheaper way of solving their water issues with the EPA. People in the Catskill Mountains want NYC to just filter the water. This would solve all the problems. The DEP states that this would be a more expensive solution. Some local people say that the DEP is becoming enriched by their plans, and local people are being damaged. Some local people say that they DEP is intentionally restricting the construction of new homes.

The DEP states that the land of most concern is land next to reservoirs. Land further out is secondary. But, most secondary owned landowners feel that they are being restricted.

What has not been mentioned so far, is the safety of the water in the reservoirs. It could easily be contaminated and become useless. The DEP has not response to this threat. Many feel that if the NYC pulled the water from the ocean, and filter it, it would be much safer. This leads many people to believe that the primary issue is a new reservoir. Obviously, letters could be sent to the EPA protesting the acceptance of the plan. The DEP does expect the EPA to eventually to reject this long term plan. They are just buying time.

Re: NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:13 am
by kkayaker8
I am curious as to who these "billionaires" are who are buying up property in Platte Clove.....just wondering...

Re: NYC DEP announced future plans thru 2022

Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:42 pm
by mtnclimber
There is a lot of old money people floating around the area. Many of them are in Elka Park, Onteora Park, and Twilight Park. Others have homes hidden in the woods. Others are investors from outside the area. The idea is that if NYC puts a reservoir in the Schoharie Valley (where Hunter is), then the the Platte Clove area would be prime real estate. To me it is a scam. There is no way the DEP is going to let these people have a "lakeside" house, or even visit the reservoir. The DEP has sent letters to some residences in Platte Clove offering to buy their homes at a premium.

You might want to check out http://www.hunterfoundation.org/ . One name you might see floating around the site is Royce (as in Rolls Royce). The Royce family have a lot to say in the area. They are the primary force in updating Tannersville. You will see that many of the larger buildings are now owned by the foundation. This includes the 2.4 million dollar theater, which will only be open 30 days per year. All of this...Thanks to your tax dollars.

If you look around the site some more, you might see the Hathaway House was acquired with Royce money. The Hathaway house was owned by RH Macy (as in Macy's department stores), and is located up on rt 25.

Many of the wealthy people just want to blend in, and don't want to be identified. But, this should get you started.