Rockledge Sewer District in Bloomingdale closer to formation

BLOOMINGDALE | On May 27, the Town of St. Armand hosted a public hearing regarding the formation of the Rockledge Sewer District, which is now one step closer to becoming a reality. "Currently, we have a dozen or so households that have their own sewer mains, which is just not a good fit for today's modern society," said Town of St. Armand Supervisor Davina Thurston about the subdivision situated along Rockledge Lane, Saranac Lane, and Forest Hill Avenue. "So, we have been working with the residents there for years, and they want us to do this. They want us to establish the district and take over so that we can start collecting money to repair, replace, and upgrade the infrastructure there." The Rockledge Park Subdivision was established in 1911, and for decades, the water and sewer lines operated without a formal written agreement or a taxing district, leaving homeowners responsible for their own water and sewer lines. In response, residents petitioned St. Armand to establish a formal sewer district, and the town agreed to advance the initiative. The town hired M.J. Engineering and Surveying to develop the map and plans, and held several public hearings and presented several resolutions. Now that the latest public hearing is complete and the resolution to create the Rockledge sewer district, including the Rockledge Park Subdivision, has passed, the town must obtain approval from the Office of the New York State Comptroller. Once approval is secured, establishing this district will allow St. Armand to finally manage the infrastructure, levy appropriate district taxes to fund system upgrades, and apply for grants to make necessary repairs and improvements. The Village of Saranac Lake provides water and removes wastewater. "As it stands currently, the village charges Rockledge residents three times the village rate for sewer because they're outside the district," Thurston shared. "Once complete, Rockledge residents would be taxed by the town, so their sewer bills would be reduced to twice the base village rate instead of three times the base rate." According to the resolution, the existing collection system infrastructure will remain in its current configuration and condition, so no capital improvements are immediately anticipated as part of the proposed district formation. Thurston is hopeful that approval will be given within a one-year span, and once that happens, the town can begin to pursue grant funding to update not only the sewer, but water, mains, as well, which will affect residents in the towns of St. Armand and North Elba and the Village of Saranac Lake. Another public hearing regarding the formation of the Rockledge Sewer District is scheduled for June 22 at 5:30 p.m. For more information or updates, visit townofstarmandny.gov.

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Rockledge Sewer District in Bloomingdale closer to formation

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