NEW SCOTLAND – Moving the basketball court from the back of Swift Road Park to the front would be a mistake, says Peter Baltis, a resident of Swift Road. The highway superintendent says otherwise.
"The park is wonderful," Baltis told the town board last week, adding that he and his wife walk their dog there twice every day, and feel lucky to have it so close to home.

He asked that the board reconsider the decision to move the court.

The basketball court is currently located in the rear of the park, he said, and it is rarely used. When it is used, though, it is very noisy when the ball hits the backboard, he said.

Having the court in the front of the park would not only increase the noise in the area, said Baltis, it would also be a safety concern. The basketball, which doesn’t always stay on the court, he said, might roll into the street, and children would run into the road to retrieve it.
The new court would be located "50 feet or more from the road," responded Darrell Duncan, the town’s highway superintendent, through The Enterprise. The area is in a depression, he said, adding that the ball rolling into the road should not be a concern.

The new court will be flooded in the winter, to create an ice rink.
"I don’t know whose idea that was, but it was not very bright," Baltis said of the plan to flood the court, expressing his concerns that the frozen water would cause the pavement to heave.

Currently, the town floods a portion of the park lawn for an ice rink. The ground absorbs a lot of water, Duncan explained. Flooding the tarmac is really to conserve water, he said.

The pavement would only heave if the water got under it, Duncan told The Enterprise, adding that there will be a drainage pipe to guide the water flow when the ice thaws.

At this point, Duncan said, the project depends on the paving companies, which are currently backed up.
"We’d like to start it this fall and finish it in the spring," Duncan said. The plan is to pave the new court this fall and to topcoat and surface it in the spring, he said. If the pavement is laid this fall, this winter’s ice rink will be located there, said Duncan.

Other business

In other business at the Sept. 12 town board meeting, the board:

– Extended the moratorium on building in the Northeast Quadrant for an additional six months. The board held a public hearing on the moratorium prior to the meeting, and heard from only one resident, who said he was in favor of the extension.
Councilman Douglas LaGrange did not support the moratorium one year ago, when it was originally enacted. After LaGrange heard from the town’s attorney, L. Michael Mackey, that the Kensington Woods project would not be restricted by the moratorium, he said, "I’d be in favor of an extension of another six months, and then, that’s it." The board unanimously voted in favor of the extension;

– Held a public hearing regarding a local law that would allow for the subdivision of lands that contain pre-existing structures that do not conform to the zoning. The law would relieve the applicant from having to go through the planning and zoning process.

The second part of the law would allow applicants to apply for a special-use permit to construct an accessory-type structure such as a shed or barn on a site without a primary structure. Each application would go through the planning board.

The draft was referred back to the planning board for additional definitions;
– Heard from Keith Menia, of the town’s engineering firm, Stantec, that the Clarksville Water District Extension #7 is "on target" to come in under budget. The project, he said, is about 60 percent done, and will be substantially completed in 30 days. Councilwoman Peg Neri asked if the board could review all the money that has been paid out for the project in the seven years it has been ongoing, in order to better know what is involved for similar projects.
"I think town board members need to know that," Neri said. Menia said that the majority of the project’s costs were associated with the pre-planning phase. He said that it would not be a problem to supply the board with the figures within the next two meetings.

The town also approved a payment for the project in the amount of $126,636.90, which will be reimbursed to the town through the bond issue;

– Heard that an application for a 15-lot subdivision for an extension of the existing development at Claremont Estates off of Route 156 has been presented to the town. The application will be presented to the planning board at its Oct. 2 meeting. The developer will be seeking an inter-municipal water agreement with the village of Voorheesville;

– Approved the financing of a new fire truck for the Onesquethaw Volunteer Fire Company in the amount of $463,978. The truck will replace a 23-year-old truck, and will be able to carry more water;

– Supported the New York State Department of State shared municipal services incentive grant program to study the feasibility of developing a health insurance consortium;

– Recognized the month of September as childhood cancer awareness month in New Scotland;

– Heard from public safety Commissioner Doug Miller that the pastor of the Krumkill Road church is interested in offering the building for use as a shelter facility in the event of an emergency;

– Appointed Julie Mazzaferro to the town’s water board. The water committee members are appointed by the town board but do not have term limits, and there is no set number of board members.
Resident Katy O’Rourke, a member of the water committee, announced that she and her husband have submitted an application to the water committee to set up a water district at the corner of routes 85 and 85A. Currently, the homes in that area are serviced by private spaghetti lines, and, "it’s kind of a mess," she said. The town of Bethlehem has requested that the town of New Scotland deal with these spaghetti lines, O’Rourke said.

Before the application can be considered complete, the applicant must identify the properties the district would serve, the source of water, and potential development, and provide that information to the water committee, the town engineers, and the town board, said Menia;

– Established a bid date of Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. for radio read water meters;

– Heard from Duncan about the bid results for replacing the roof at Town Hall. The town had budgeted $12,000 for the project, and the lower of the two bidders, estimated $17,000 for the front part of the building, and $39,500 for the whole building. The other bid was $19,980 for the front part and $49,989 for the entire building;

– Announced that Electronics Recycling Day will be held Sept. 28 and 29 at the highway garage for the neighboring town of Bethlehem. Residents must pre-register with the New Scotland Highway Department;

– Re-appointed Roselyn Robinson as a member of the board of assessment review for a term expiring on Sept. 30, 2012, and re-appointed Paul Nichols as chairperson for a term beginning Oct. 1, 2007 and ending Sept. 30, 2008;
– Heard from Councilwoman Neri that Time Warner is not agreeable to the town’s request for a five-year timetable on the franchise agreement. "We’re back at the drawing board," she said, adding that the contracts will soon be taken over by the state;

– Heard from Neri that the second annual Clarksville Heritage Day, sponsored by the Clarksville Historical Society, was a success, and drew a profit of $6,500, and that the New Scotland Historical Association has an up and running website at www.newscotlandhistoricalassociation.org;

– Announced that senior citizens’ flu shots will be given on Oct. 22 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Wyman Osterhout Community Center in New Salem, and on Oct. 29 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Feura Bush Senior Apartments.

The board also heard that the American Association of Retired Persons defensive driving program will be held on Oct. 24 and 25 from 1 to 5 p.m.; and

– Expressed gratitude to the town’s highway department for power-washing the exterior of Town Hall.