The Partial Observer by Nicole A. Dillingham

The Partial Observer: Can Otsego and Springfield Afford the Manocherians?

The proposed Manocherian development in the Towns of Otsego and Springfield may shift unsustainable costs to the towns. The proposal calls for building 80 new homes on lots ranging from three to 13 acres, plus a 46-unit duplex development, in the Towns of Otsego and Springfield. The lots are spread over 1,525 acres of currently undeveloped land, not near any hamlet, which the town comprehensive plans prioritize. The development raises concerns regarding the availability of adequate groundwater for the new homes, how it will impact water supply to existing homes, and effects of increased runoff into Otsego Lake, already stressed by algae blooms and invasive species, among other complex issues.

Another crucial question that must be answered is what the cost of providing required services to each house as it is built will be to the towns. While the new roads will be installed by the developer, road maintenance, snow plowing, and run-off controls will need to be provided by the towns as the roads are put in. Unless development proceeds one subdivision at a time, emergency services and school bus services will also need to be provided by the towns to a spread-out list of addresses, before the tax income from the residences can begin to cover the costs.

To pay for these services, the towns will be required to raise taxes on their current residents, who will see their taxes increase. It is precisely to reduce such costs that Otsego and Springfield’s comprehensive plans encourage new housing development to be placed in hamlets, close to the town center, to protect open space and make provision of required services less costly.

At a recent Springfield Town Board meeting, the board lamented that the cost of snowplows is draining the town budget. New plows, which can wear out in under five years’ time, now cost more than $500,000.00. Ongoing repairs and the staff to operate the plows is also expensive. The board chair commented that the town residents may not realize that their taxes are spent primarily on snow removal. This is telling. How will the towns fund the additional plowing services for the Manocherian development, which will commence when the roads are put in at the beginning of development, long before even one house is built?

A full accounting of the estimated additional costs which will be imposed on the Towns of Otsego and Springfield, and by extension their residents, must be addressed before the Manocherian plans are approved. As now presented, the plans threaten to burden our towns with extra costs that cannot be recovered.

Nicole A. Dillingham is a resident of the Town of Springfield, a member of the Otsego 2000 Board of Directors, and a former board president of Otsego 2000.