Schenectady County, N.Y.  — The Schenectady County Legislature is continuing its efforts to protect the aquifer, clean-up derelict sites, and expand parkland by considering a resolution at its April meeting to clean-up and then dedicate to the Town of Rotterdam .58 acres next to the 67 acre Great Flats Preserve.

The resolution will allow for the clean-up of a tax foreclosed property on West Campbell Road, and then transferring the property to the Town of Rotterdam to expand the 67 acre Great Flats Preserve.  The parcel contains two long vacant and blighted homes that are abandoned and in poor condition.  The resolution authorizes spending $70,000 to remove asbestos from the vacant buildings and demolishing them.

“This is a great opportunity to clean-up a major eyesore in Rotterdam that is very close to our water supply,” said Angelo Santabarbara, Schenectady County Legislature from District 4 representing Rotterdam.  “As water becomes more and more important as a natural resource issue, Schenectady County continues to take steps to protect its abundant clean water supply by continuing its efforts to preserve and protect the Great Flats Aquifer.”

The cost to the County is $35,000.  The County will also use $35,000 that it received from SI Group as part of a NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) consent order signed in 2006.  The County is holding this funding in a dedicated account as it must be used for an environmental benefit project.  DEC has signed off on using this funding to help fund the demolition of the two vacant houses as the project expands parkland and helps to protect the aquifer as the site is located in Zone 2 of the aquifer recharge zone.

The Schenectady County Legislature has invested more than $2,000,000 since 2004 to improve and expand parkland and greenspace throughout the County.  Schenectady County has also been a leader in remediating former brownfield sites and other derelict properties working in partnership with its unified economic development team.