Deadlines keep passing for Intelligent Fish

4/19/2011

By David Avitabile

The sale of the Guilford Mills plant to Intelligent Fish has slowed to a crawl.
But even though a proposed March closing date has passed, Schoharie County officials hope the fish-farming company will buy the vacant Cobleskill plant.
Cobleskill and county officials met with Intelligent Fish reps last week, and the Board of Supervisors met in executive session on the issue on Friday.
The result of those meetings: “We’re trying to pull them to the starting line,” said county Attorney Mike West.
The start-up company agreed to purchase the county-owned plant for $2.5 million last fall and later put a $50,000 deposit down.
Since then, however, little has happened, with a February 14 closing date and the March deadline both passing.
County leaders want to get the deal done not only to return the plant to the tax rolls but to bring in jobs. Intelligent Fish now put estimates at 85 jobs when the salmon-raising and -processing begins.
At last week’s meeting with Intelligent Fish, company spokesmen asked for an extension on the sale deadline, Mr. West said.
County officials agreed, he said, if Intelligent Fish would comply with a specific timetable.
“But they didn’t want to get trapped into a drop-dead deadline,” Mr. West said.
He and others said Intelligent Fish still hasn’t begun the permits necessary, including a State Environmental Quality Review.
The company also hasn’t submitted a site-plan review, started the state Department of Environmental Conservation permits, sought building permits or submitted numbers for the discharge in Cobleskill’s village sewage system, said village Codes Officer Mike Piccolo.
For a project this size, a company could work on the permits while negotiating the purchase, he said.
“It’s much better to have all your applications while you’re working on the deal,” Mr. Piccolo said.
He sent Intelligent Fish all the applications, but in return, Mr. Piccolo said, “I have nothing” back.
Mr. West agreed that Cobleskill and county officials have done more than could have been asked, especially village Mayor Mark Galasso and town Supervisor Tom Murray.
“They’ve done gymnastics to get this to work,” Mr. West said.
Meanwhile, he added, the county will go ahead with its own environmental study of the plant.
“We’ll start our own so we’ll know what’s there,” he said. “Then if this falls through, we’ll be ready for the next one.”
Other companies have expressed interest, Mr. West said, adding, “Commercial properties are starting to heat up.”
County Planner Alicia Terry confirmed that others have inquired. Also, she noted that the firm that produces Chobani Greek Yogurt, based in New Berlin, has been approached.
The county won’t consider other suitors, however, unless the Intelligent Fish deal falls through.
The fish-farming business is first in line and still represents the county’s best hope for adding jobs, Ms. Terry said.
“At this point, this is the offer we have on the table,” she said. “We’re looking down the barrel of an 11-percent unemployment rate. We’ve got to work with Intelligent Fish right now.”
An Intelligent Fish representative did not respond to inquiries for this story.