What Will Bulova’s Impact Be?

By Taylor Vecsey

Morgan McGivern George Grosser, who oversees Sag Harbor’s sewage treatment plant, above, told the village planning board he is confident the plant can handle the added use that would come with 81 condominium units at the former Bulova factory.

(04/05/2007)    While the public seems most concerned about securing a few affordable housing units within the proposed condominiums at the old Bulova factory, the Sag Harbor Village Planning Board’s main focus for now must be on the potential environmental impacts of the project.

    Later this year, the board will undertake a mandatory State Environmental Quality Review of the project. That review will not begin until Rich Warren, the village’s consultant, deems the application complete. That may take some time: Mr. Warren said last week that the developers still have many questions to answer.

     Meanwhile, environmental impacts have begun to be discussed in detail. Those impacts can range from the effect a building project might have on air and light quality to increased traffic or parking concerns. At a meeting on March 27, the planning board addressed the potential impact the 81 proposed condominium units might have, specifically, on the village’s sewage treatment plant. Meanwhile, however, the board’s chairman, Jerome Toy, decided to forgo a discussion of asbestos.

    Paul Grosser, a village engineering consultant who oversees the sewage treatment plant, told the board at the meeting that he is confident that the plant, as is, can handle the additional use that would surely come from new residential units at Bulova. In fact, he said, the plant should be able to handle not only 81 more units from Bulova, but also the 20 units already approved for another construction project, on West Water Street, as well as the 28 units proposed to be built at 1 Ferry Road.

    According to Mr. Grosser, the sewage treatment plant contains five basins that handle an output of 50,000 gallons a day, for a total of 250,000 gallons. The plant serves the downtown area and, at present, handles only about 40,000 gallons a day during the winter months, Mr. Grosser said. Usage peaked over Labor Day weekend of 2005, when he calculated 190,000 gallons a day were processed. At that time, he said, the plant only needed to operate on three basins; the other two were backup.

    With three new sets of condominiums on the horizon, Mr. Grosser said, he projected the peak flow to be about 230,000. Jack Tagliassacchi, a board member, wanted to be sure “there’s still a safety margin.” Mr. Grosser said there was, although it is a smaller one. “It’s nice to have that extra basin” as a backup, he said.

    The plant is still fairly new, having been last improved in 2000. Mr. Grosser said that although he believes it can meet the needs of the new projects, the village will need to be “more sensitive” to any further large developments that come down the pike.

    “If that’s the case,” Mr. Tagliassacchi said, questioning the volume of sewage that can safely be processed, “how do you explain the odor?” During summer months, especially, residents and business owners have complained of a bad smell on Main Street.

    “The operators don’t know of any odors,” Mr. Grosser replied. “This is the first I’m hearing of an odor.”

    Maud Mason, a resident of the village, addressed Mr. Grosser: “You should come every holiday during the summer.”

    Sag Harbor Village Mayor Greg Ferraris said yesterday he had never heard about an odor problem, either. “In five years there hasn’t been one complaint,” he said. “There hasn’t been a complaint lodged with the clerk’s office.”

    Sandra Schroeder, the clerk, confirmed that she had not received any complaints. “A few years ago, after a big storm, there was rotting seaweed that people complained about, but that was all over in Noyac and Long Beach,” said Ms. Schroeder, who reads every complaint her office receives. “I know no one is being ignored.”

    Mr. Grosser did offer some possible explanations. Once a week, he said, a truck picks up sludge from the plant to bring it to a larger plant in Riverhead, where it can be processed; that transfer can release an odor. Also, he suggested, clogged grease traps can be the culprit: If restaurants do not properly maintain the traps, they can begin to smell. Regardless of the cause, Mr. Grosser said, those who smell something foul should complain about it and document the problem so it can be investigated.

    Members of Local 78 of the Asbestos, Lead, and Hazardous Waste Laborers union made a trip out to Sag Harbor from New York City for the same meeting. Eli Kent, the director of organizing, wanted to tell the board that the asbestos abatement company hired by the developers has a history of safety violations.

    Mr. Toy, however, would not let Mr. Kent speak. It was, he said, “not the time” for Mr. Kent to try and make a bid for the project.

    David Kronman, the project manager for the developers, said his company had accepted bids from 10 union firms and 5 nonunion firms, but his company had a budget that the union firms could not meet. “The unions are, they just seem a little bit angry,” Mr. Kronman said.

    The developers have hired an environmental construction company and an independent air monitoring firm to oversee the asbestos and lead abatement, set to begin in the next few weeks. “Between those three firms we feel comfortable we have enough oversight. . . .”

    The interior asbestos and lead abatement will last about 10 weeks, but will not be too noticeable from the outside, Mr. Kronman said. All the windows and open spaces will be boarded up. During a separate phase, outdoor abatement will be completed on the roof and some partially collapsed areas of the old factory.