A year after Summit Shock was sold to the highest bidder, it's being considered for an auto salvage junkyard and crusher facility.
The Town of Fulton Planning Board has been reviewing a request by Judith Mills of Waterford and her son, Dean Hansey, for the site, which they bought in August 2014 for $204,000.
Ms. Mills has also been pursuing the old Kivort Steel site in Warnerville for a scrap yard and recyling center-as well as a crusher.
Joanne Crum, Ms. Mills' representative, told the Town of Richmondville this spring that the project there-as well as Ms. Mills' purchase of the 16-acre site from the Kivort family-hinges on the town granting a junkyard permit.
After Richmondville Planning Board Chairman Harold Loder recused himself from acting on the request because his son, Matt Loder, a realtor, is involved in the sale, the Town Board became the lead agency in the deal, Mr. Loder said, and has asked for a more in-depth study of the site.
Ms. Crum is on vacation and couldn't be reached for comment on either project; it's unclear if Ms. Mills is still interested in the Richmondvile site.
Summit Shock-formerly Camp Summit-is located in the Town of Fulton.
Already, Fulton Planning Board Chairman Peter Shulman said, he's receiving letters, phone calls, and emails of concern regarding the project, which will be the subject of a 7pm Monday, August 17 public hearing at the Fulton Town Hall on Bear Ladder Road.
Among neighbors' concerns are the possible contamination of Panther Creek and water sources below the former prison as well as the possibility of hazardous waste being stored on the site.
"Right now, we're just looking at the facts," Mr. Shulman said Friday, "but we're being very cautions because of the nearby wetlands."
Mr. Shulman said he's already contacted DEC and the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they share those concerns.
Fulton has land use laws, but not zoning; Mr. Shulman said the buildings proposed for the crusher and storage are at the rear of the property, overlooking Sawyer Hollow Road.
Saturday, Planning Board members gathered at the Summit Shock entrance to meet with Ms. Mills or her representatives to tour the buildings, but left after about 40 minutes when no one showed.
Supervisor Phil Skowfoe said later that the Mills' group got the time mixed up and was there at 10am.
Mr. Hansey refused to detail his plans for the site when he was the successful bidder for the almost-20 acre, 40-building site last August.
Mr. Shulman said the Planning Board will follow-up the public hearing on the 17th with its own meeting on the 18th to work on the project's SEQRA.
If the Planning Board should reject the proposal for the junkyard and the crusher, Mr. Shulman said, the owners could appeal to the Town Board.
In Richmondville, neighbors to the Kivort site expressed concerns over noise and traffic.
Ms. Crum said in April that recycling and crushing would be done inside a Morton building and that the Warnerville site-used as a scrap yard as long ago as the late 1920s and '30s, would be fenced.
It would create three to five fulltime jobs and future plans include the possibility of a shop, apartment, and dog rescue.