More than 25 people who live near a proposed DPW storage area showed up on Tuesday to speak against the idea. North Country Now photo by Andy Gardner.

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Residents that would be impacted by a proposal to move Department of Public Works storage to a residential neighborhood turned out in force on Tuesday to protest the relocation.

At the February 2 board meeting, Village Treasurer Julie Sharlow said the plan is to move everything from the old DPW facility on South Main Street, which will be sold, to what will be a storage area bordered by Urban Drive, East Hatfield Street and Bayley Road.

More than 25 aired their grievances by what they say as a potential drop in property values, noise from DPW trucks and an impact on the local ecosystem.

“The material … needs to be in its own place, not a residential area,” said Urban Drive resident Jacqueline Sirles. “Is it worth it, to disrupt the current condition? Just for that? Leave the North Country the way it is. Don’t try to change it, don’t make it urban.”

“I am totally against this move,” said Urban Drive resident Tom Seguin. “I do not want all that comes with it all with dumping these materials in our back yard.”

“I think we all recognize … that area is a residential neighborhood. The proposal is not being very neighborly,” said Bob Larche, who lives on Urban Drive.

Several of those who spoke said they feared the loss of wildlife that lives in what is now a forest area. Some said it was part of the reason they chose to live there.

“You got the feeling of living out in the country because it was that tight,” said Cheryl Guay of Urban Drive. “Where’s the wildlife going to go? That’s why I moved in there. We enjoy that.”

Several of those alleged the DPW uses the side streets for access to their Urban Drive office and worried the traffic would get worse with going for things like salt and sand.

“DPW said it would not utilize Urban Drive as an access road … and it’s used as just that,” Seguin claimed.

“They want to use Urban Drive, and Urban Drive is sunk right in … that’s because of the heavy equipment going up and down the street constantly,” according to Guay.

Some residents felt deceived. The vote to buy the lot came last month as a last-minute addition to the Feb. 2 agenda. The board unanimously voted to allow spending $33,000 for the parcels.

“Why weren’t we as the residents and taxpayers notified of this before … when you voted on it?” said Pam Ryan, an Urban Drive resident.

“Perhaps this is a teachable moment. In the future, when you’re going to pass something that affects this many families, you could put out a notice,” said R. Shawn Gray, who lives outside of the affected area on East Orvis Street. “I think it’s a real concern these things happen.

“Why would it make sense to blight a property right in the middle of the village, by these peoples’ home, it doesn’t make any sense.”

Gray found himself in a spat with Mayor Tim Currier and Trustee Matt Lebire after Gray brought up the discussion at the Feb. 2 meeting where Sharlow mentioned the village’s intention for the lot.

Leading up to the tiff, Currier and Lebire said officials have not yet decided how they are going to use the area in question, contradicting a statement Sharlow made last month that was not refuted at the time.

“We’ve made no decisions as to what we’re going to do. This is part of the process, listening to people,” Currier said Tuesday.

“It’s important to reiterate the mayor’s point that we have not settled on the residential area you’re speaking of,” Trustee Matt Lebire said later in the same meeting.

Speaking during public comment on Feb. 2, Sharlow said she lives next to the plots in question and doesn’t want what’s at the old DPW near her home.

“It’s a dump,” she said of the South Main Street station. “Stored there are materials, a sandpile, the salt dump, crushed stone, a mound of plastic bags twice the size of this room filled with leaves and it’s also a snow dump.”

At that time, Currier said the village is buying such a large amount of land in order to create a buffer zone between village equipment and debris and the nearby homes.

“We want to purchase enough … to ensure there are appropriate buffers and good neighbors,” he said Feb. 2.

Lawmakers and Gray clashed when he said he felt they were not being above board, referring to their saying on Tuesday that there's no official plan.

“I think the board is being a little disingenuous … it was said we need this place … to store the salt and the sand and the compost,” he said. “Now this room is full of people that are going to be impacted and it’s ‘we haven’t made a decision yet’ … that’s the problem. When there’s very few people, stuff is said and there’s no accountability.”

To say no decision has been made and you’re buying it because it’s a good deal, that’s not genuine.”

Lebire wasn’t happy.

“I resent the insinuation I’m being dishonest. I voted to purchase the property with no preconceived notion,” he said. “Did I say that?”

“I’m saying, 'Was that not stated in this room?',” Gray said.

“I stated that I inquired of Mayor Currier,” Sharlow said before Currier cut her off.

“Stop, I’m not going to let this continue,” Currier said, also chastising Gray for calling the board disingenuous. “Let’s keep this respectful … I can’t think of anyone here that isn’t respecting this process.”