NEW SCOTLAND — Town and county residents will be able to ask Kinder Morgan representatives questions about its proposed pipeline expansion at an information session in February.

Also, at its meeting last week, the town board pondered how to handle the growing trend of box storage containers on private properties, in New Scotland.

Pipeline meeting

“I’m very pleased that we were able to secure a public forum,” said town Councilman Daniel Mackay at the town board meeting Jan. 14.

The Albany County Legislature passed a resolution in December that called for Tennessee Gas Pipeline, and its parent company Kinder Morgan, to offer an information session about the proposed pipeline expansion that will affect the region. New Scotland’s town board passed a similar resolution, proposed by Mackay, in November.

In December, Tennessee Gas announced new routes for its proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) project; a majority of them follow the same pipeline routes that exist in the towns of New Scotland, Berne, and Knox, while expansion of pipe laterals may extend the project through new areas of Berne and Westerlo.

Mackay said last week that Kinder Morgan will meet with the general public on Feb. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Colonie Country Club in New Scotland. The country club, with 7,000 square feet of space available, was chosen, Mackay said, so that Kinder Morgan has enough room to set up information booths.

Mackay said that he had suggested the use of the school’s performing arts center, but Kinder Morgan declined.

“It is their event. They are contracting with the country club – they are paying for the food,” Mackay said. “The school was not big enough for what they need.”

According to the Northeast Energy Direct project map provided at kindermorgan.com, the existing routes cross Schoharie County to Wright, in Gallupville; run across Albany County and directly through New Scotland; and end in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The proposed start of construction is April 2017, with service to start in November 2018.

Box containers

After residents’ complaints about a permitted and leased shipping container were dismissed by the zoning board in October, local discussion about how large box containers fit into New Scotland moved to the town board in January. The storage units fit the definition of an accessory use, according to town code, said Supervisor Thomas Dolin.

“There’s quite a few of them scattered across town,” Dolin said. While some are difficult to see on private properties, others “are obvious, and they’re ugly. It gets to be very complicated. Some are dressed up with siding.”

Dolin said that the box containers, which are the same as train cars that travel tracks across the country, are relatively low-cost at $3,000, and that they have secure doors.

“They are a great storage container,” Dolin said. “The problem is, they can be aesthetically offensive, in my opinion.”

Dolin said that the town board is currently discussing only the placement of box containers in residential areas, not those in industrial or farm areas.

Zoning board member Robert Johnson asked at the zoning board’s October meeting if the container violated town aesthetic codes, but zoning board attorney Jeffrey Baker said, “We don't regulate that.”

Baker said then, “The town board, as it looks at the zoning code, has to decide what they want to do with it.”

At the town board meeting last week, Mackay said that New Scotland should “put it on the fast track.” He said that he hopes to see possible solutions by February or March.

“Tom, as a board, I think we all share your concerns,” said board member Patricia Snyder. “I think we need to take another look at it.”

Snyder suggested that the board see what other municipalities are doing. If other towns do not have much guidance to offer, she said, “Maybe we can be at the forefront.”

Councilman Douglas LaGrange said that storage containers filled with garbage could pose a health hazard. LaGrange, a farmer, cautioned the board not to infringe on property owners’ rights to have accessory buildings.

“There are over 20 [containers] in use in town, not necessarily in a residential area,” Dolin said, adding that the board will continue to gather information.

“Well, good, this is all helpful. We’ll look into it,” he said.

Other business

In other business, the town board:

— Agreed to hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed Local Law 1 of 2015 for flood damage prevention on Feb. 11 at 6:45 p.m. at town hall;

— Resolved to enter an agreement to officially offer mutual aid and assistance to neighboring communities during disasters or other emergencies. Snyder said that the resolution formalizes what the town has previously done informally.

“We all have unique resources,” she said about the town’s willingness to share its own;

— Entered a master services agreement with Stantec Engineering as a town-designated engineer for 2015.

R. Mark Dempf, of Stantec, said that construction of a new water tank behind the highway garage on New Scotland Road is complete. Subcontractor Casale is continuing its work installing site plumbing along New Scotland Road, he said.

“They’re catching up” on the proposed schedule, Dempf said. “They need a little more oversight, and they don’t understand the terrain”; and

— Resolved to amend the 2015 budget to increase payment of workers’ compensation insurance for each department, with the majority of the increase in the highway department.