Cobleskill has signed on to a $2.57 million federal grant application that would bring water and sewer to Howe Caverns.
The total cost of extending the lines—from Wal-Mart, along Route 7, to Caverns Road, and the Caverns—is estimated at $8 million with the nearly-$6 million difference coming from a variety of other sources.
Hopefully.
In separate meetings Monday, both the Village and Town of Cobleskill agreed to become co-applicants for the $2.57 million in a pre-application to the Economic Development Administration.
Deadline for applications is today, Wednesday.
Alicia Terry, Schoharie County Planning and Development head, said the pre-application will get Cobleskill “in line for funding”; if the project passes the first hurdle, she said, they’ll be asked to submit an actual application.
In May, Howe Caverns Development unveiled plans for a three-phase expansion at the Schoharie County landmark that would include an “animatronic” Dinosaur Canyon, entertainment building, and year-round RV park.
Mayor Mark Galassso there’s enough water on-site for the project, but developers would are looking at spending $2 million for a sewer system.
If the village lines are extended, he said, they’re willing to give that $2 million to the town to offset the cost of extending the lines.
“What’s in it for the village? Increased revenues for water and sewer,” he said, pointing out there are 135 other parcels along the proposed route.
Plus, the project is expected to generate $1 million a year in sales tax revenues, he said.
Additionally, Mayor Galasso said, the town has agreed to go along with the long-discussed police district--something that will help offset village expenses.
Explaining the project to Supervisor Tom Murray and councilman Monday evening, Ms. Terry said the EDA grant would be just one piece of the funding puzzle.
The pre-application requires a $226,000 “commitment” from the applicants—the village and town—but Ms. Terry called that a “placeholder.”
Assemblyman Pete Lopez and State Senator Jim Seward are already working on other funding sources, she said, there will be time before Cobleskill is asked to make a final application to get them all in place.
“We understand there is no extra money [from the village or town] to make this happen,” Ms. Terry said. “It is our goal to make applicants’ contributions zero.”
The last time Cobleskill was successful in getting EDA funding, Ms. Terry said, was for then-Interknitting in the 1980s.
“This is an important project for this community,” she added.