The State Department of Environmental Conservation has decided against issuing emergency stream repair permits for lakeshore property damage in the Town of Skaneateles, backtracking on a promise made to the Town Board last month, according to a report (in absentia) by Town Code Enforcement Officer Debbie Williams to the Town Board at its June 2 meeting. Permits only will be issued if a structure is in danger of collapse, the DEC decided. Residents instead must go through the normal repair process at the town level. High winds and lake levels in April affected numerous town residents with shoreline property damage, about which Williams already has received numerous calls. Town Supervisor Terri Roney told the Board that the town will continue to move quickly to attend to damages of property owners. This was one of multiple town repair issues addressed by the Board last Thursday.
Highway Superintendent Jim Card reported that the damage to the pavement on Lacy Road at the town boat launch has been repaired. The high lake level caused water to seep under the blacktop and create a sinkhole, which the Highway Department patched. The Board on June 2 also accepted a bid for $20,500 from contractor Josall of Syracuse, Inc., to remove and replace the gutters and downspouts on the Austin Park Pavilion with new commercial-grade equipment of the same color with a 20-year finish and stainless-steel bolts. Although numerous proposals for the contract were offered with a range from $31,000 to $14,000, Josall was the only contractor to actually bid. The Board, however, was pleased with the figure and approved the contract 3-0, with Councilors Keyes and Greenfield absent. Recently at the Pavilion, 5,700 square feet of concrete was laid by K-Crete, Inc. in the arena to replace cracked and uneven floors and improve the transitionway from the lobby to the rink area. Board members expressed approval of the work done, and the parks department said that tennis court resurfacing in the park soon will begin, causing the courts to be closed probably until July 4. Also discussed at the meeting was the fate of the town-owned house near the Skaneateles Transfer and Recycling Station. The tenant has moved out and Habitat for Humanity will soon go in and salvage anything worthwhile. The town then plans to have the fire department do a controlled burn of the house, and also to re-seed both driveways to return to grass. Summer upkeep, repairs, and renovations also have begun in the village of Skaneateles, some due to age and others to violent spring weather. “Much of it is just talk so far,” said Mayor Martin Hubbard about the upcoming village projects. The major endeavor in the village is a new roof for the Hubbard Chapel in Lake View Cemetery, which has begun to leak due to age and normal wear and tear. The chapel was built in 1926. Last month the village board of trustees approved a $20,000 appropriation for the task and is currently accepting bids from roofing contractors, which will be in by June 15, Hubbard said. Also on the village to-do list are repairs to the stone seawall near Clift Park, which sustained heavy damage in April due to high winds and lake water levels. Portions of the walk near the water had to be closed to pedestrians as a safety precaution. The village recently received authorization for the seawall repair from the State DEC, is waiting for a visit by representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and has applied for extra FEMA funding for the work. The high water levels must subside before any actual work can begin, however, Hubbard said.