BELMONT, N.Y. — What is the best strategy to develop along Interstate 86 near Route 19 in Allegany County? Should the county’s approach include building the waterline for the site first or waiting for businesses to contract with the area and then constructing the infrastructure?
These questions have been on county officials’ and Industrial Development Agency representatives’ minds for the past decade and resurfaced in the last six months since Jack Wood was appointed as IDA chairman. They were addressed again during the Planning and Economic Development Committee as Wood presented his plan for that stretch near Interstate 86.
Wood, who addressed the Committee of the Whole last month, continued to advertise his quest of developing a long list of businesses he would like to encourage to come to I-86 or Allegany County in general. A recently formed group consisting of Legislator Ted Hopkins; county Administrator Mitchell Alger; IDA board member Mike Johnson; Jodi Adams, former community operations division director at ACCORD Corp.; and Wood is being charged with creating this list and establishing contact with the businesses they believe are able to make an economic impact in the county.
From his 10-minute presentation stemmed questions and comments from some of the legislators as to whether to built a waterline to the site now or wait.
Legislators Scott Burt, R-Scio, and Mike Healy, R-Belmont, both Planning and Economic Development Committee members, are in favor of building the waterline, stating it seems logical that those interested in placing their business at the site would want a waterline readily available. The county secured a $3.5 million bond for the project, which includes a proposed waterline mostly on County Road 20 in Friendship.
Burt said a 2004 report he received from the county’s Department of Public Work indicated businesses would not come to the area unless a waterline already existed at the location. He encouraged the IDA chairman to blatantly ask his prospects for that site if they need to have water there before they commit.
Healy agreed with Burt’s request and added he spoke to businesses owners about the site and received feedback that demonstrated that a waterline should be constructed.
“They won’t make the investment unless services are available,” said Healy, noting if he was a business owner he wouldn’t invest on the promise of water. “I would want water already there.”
The IDA chairman said he’d prefer to have businesses committed to the site before he asks the county board of legislators to approve the creation of a waterline.
“I’m not interested in putting a waterline there just for a diner … we need to make a highly informed choice,” Wood said. “The county won’t respond well if we run a waterline there without any activity.
“It’s not as simple as the ‘Field of Dreams.’ If we build a waterline, I’m not sure if they will come.”
Wood added he’ll be able to give the committee a better idea of what the prospects are and what their expectations are for that site when he presents a report to the legislators during an Aug. 11 session.
