New York Power Authority Trustees Approve Land Transfers to St. Lawrence County Towns

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Bob Hadler
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bob.hadler@nypa.gov

July 24, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MASSENA—New York Power Authority Trustees Tuesday approved the formal transfer of nearly 800 acres of land from the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project to Massena, Louisville, Waddington and Lisbon to fulfill a long-standing commitment and get the land back into productive, tax-paying use.

"When Governor Pataki was here in May to announce the plan to return this land, he said that we were making good on a promise that the Cuomo administration had failed to keep 10 years ago," said Joseph J. Seymour, chairman and chief executive officer of the Power Authority. "Now, I am pleased to say, the deal is done. The Power Authority trustees have formally voted to turn over 800 acres of land to the towns for use as they determine is best."

Seymour said that the trustees approved the transfer of 670.4 acres to the Town of Waddington; 66.8 acres to the town of Massena; 40.4 acres to the Town of Louisville; and four acres to the Town of Lisbon. They acted during a meeting today at the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project in Massena. Actual deeds will be transferred when environmental assessments, requested by the towns, are completed.

"We have been working very hard to resolve a number of issues with our neighbors in the North Country and this is a good example of that hard work paying off," said Seymour.

"Today's announcement makes good on an unfulfilled promise made to the people of the North Country more than 10 years ago. By transforming this land, the Governor has once again demonstrated his commitment to working to address the concerns of North Country residents as the relicensing of the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project moves forward," said U.S. Representative John McHugh. "Much remains to be done, but this is just another example of the progress that has been made in recent months."

"The goal of the land transfer was to place excess land under local control where it can best be utilized for the benefit of the local communities," said State Senator Jim Wright, "The completion of the transfer, as proposed by Governor Pataki is being achieved today."

"This land transfer is a long time coming. It is an important step toward returning the land to a state that will prove productive to the businesses and citizens of St. Lawrence County. I commend Governor Pataki and the New York Power Authority for making good on the promise made to the citizens of New York State," said State Senator Ray Meier.

"The formal land transfer fulfills Governor Pataki’s promise to return this valuable acreage back to our community," said Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava. "This is a significant community enhancement because it returns municipal control over the lands, which will be used for important projects. I look forward to working with town officials and the public to produce a sensible usage plan for this land."

Jack Sauve, supervisor of the Town of Massena, said "I want to thank Governor Pataki, Chairman Seymour and the Board of Trustees, the State agencies and my local government task force colleagues for their hard work in making the return of this land a reality. This is another major hurdle cleared in putting land back into productive uses and creating jobs and opportunities in our local communities."

Town of Louisville Supervisor Larry Legault said, "I recognize that the return of this land would not have been possible without the willingness of the Governor, the trustees and all the parties to come together, work hard and find sensible solutions to some very difficult issues. Our success in placing this land back into the local tax base demonstrates that there can be a balance between environmental concerns and economic development."

Roger Watters, Lisbon's supervisor, said, "I am very pleased and want to thank Governor Pataki and the Board of Trustees for today's action to close out the remaining details to transfer this first group of parcels to our local communities. I also look forward to similar success in resolving all the outstanding issues that will result in the Town of Lisbon being removed from the project boundary."

Reggie Greene, Supervisor of the Town of Waddington, said, "There were times I was sure this land would never be returned to the towns. So I am especially pleased with the action taken here today by the board of trustees. Again, I want to thank everyone from the Governor on down for working together and making this possible. The potential for development and use of these parcels provides a tremendous opportunity for the residents of the Town of Waddington."

The Mayor of the Village of Waddington, Elizabeth Phillips, said, "Making the North Country a better place to live and work is what this is all about. And the return of this land provides the local communities with a valuable tool to do just that. I want to thank Governor Pataki, Chairman Seymour and all those involved for sitting down and listening to our concerns and working with us to make this possible today."

Ken McDonnell, Mayor of the Village of Massena, said, "With the help of Governor Pataki and the Power Authority, we are taking another step toward rebuilding the tax base of our communities and demonstrating that by working cooperatively, we can accomplish many good things."

The land was acquired by the Power Authority in the mid-1950s for the creation of the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project. In 1991, during the Cuomo administration, about 840 acres were identified as not needed for project operations or for environmental or recreational purposes. The Power Authority received permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to remove the property from the project boundaries, but prior to today, only 54 acres were turned over to the Town of Louisville.