Save Our Schoharie, the activist group seeking to preserve and promote Schoharie, put its money on the line last week.
SOS members donated $10,000 to the Town of Schoharie to help with the legal fight to keep Cobleskill Stone Products from expanding its quarry.
Cobleskill Stone seeks to expand its Schoharie quarry onto adjacent land the company bought in 2000. Under Schoharie’s Land Use Law, however, that land was zoned agricultural and residential, prohibiting quarry operation.
Since 2005––13 years ago––CSP has been fighting a court battle with the town, whose legal costs have been “in excess of half a million dollars,” according to Supervisor Alan Tavenner.
That’s why the 200-member SOS wants to help with money from donations, small grants and fundraising.
“We want to put our money where our mouth is and provide the town with whatever resources we can,” said Peter Johnson, SOS treasurer.
The $10,000 is in addition to $7,000 SOS donated to Schoharie last year.
“We will continue to defend the Land Use Law,” Mr. Tavenner said.
“The town appreciates SOS’s efforts to defray the costs of litigation.”
SOS members argue that expansion will bring the quarry close to Schoharie Central School, the county office building and downtown, threatening the quality of life.
Noise, dust and blasting are issues with the existing quarry, and SOS believes those problems will worsen with expansion.
“You’ve already seen pictures of the kids running away from the huge dust cloud at the [school] playground,” Mr. Johnson said.
“It’s just a bad situation.”
Village Mayor John Borst agreed that quarry expansion is a vital issue. When the battle over the Land Use Law started years ago, the town, village and SOS formed a partnership to fight expansion.
“We’re partners in opposition,” Mayor Borst said. “SOS started this. It wasn’t started by the village, by the town. It was the will of the people.
“SOS is trying to support local government with their pocketbooks.”
Besides quality of life, Mr. Johnson and others believe economic development is an issue.
Like every other community in Schoharie County, Schoharie strives to attract new businesses, “but if there’s blasting less than a half-mile from the village, who’s going to come here?” Mr. Johnson asked.
“We’re looking at the long-term economic future. That will be in extreme jeopardy if the quarry expands.
“We’re not anti-business. We’re just anti-quarry expansion.”
Mr. Tavenner said he sees both sides and that Schoharie “has been trying to balance the issues” of both.
He was surprised two years ago when several hundred residents turned out at a meeting to protest a proposed negotiated agreement with Cobleskill Stone.
That agreement failed, and the court battle continues.