By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM – The village has the power to provide water lines to a proposed 20-unit duplex development on outer Elm Street – but a village trustee needs to raise the issue at a board meeting.

Responding to recent comments by village Trustee Steve Warr, village Administrator Everett Basford says the village can improve and extend water lines to Ron Page’s proposed development, but trustees would have to figure out how to pay for it.

“If he wants the board to take action, all he has to do is bring it up at a board meeting,” said Basford.

Page says he has been ready to begin work on Elm Grove Landing, across from the Valero gas station, for two years, and has offered to pay for materials for the water line if the village will provide the labor. However, he is not prepared to take over the job – or expense -- of rebuilding the village’s aging infrastructure.

Warr, a strong development advocate, began talking publicly about the issue several weeks ago in hopes of spurring some action – and an increase in property tax revenues the new development would generate. “The fact that we can’t find a solution that benefits everyone disturbs me,” Warr said.

But Basford, who is leaving his village job, said Warr has passed up chances to get the ball rolling.

“He was afforded an opportunity at the last meeting and he declined,” Basford said. “If they want to take action to assist somebody they just need to bring it up as an action item. It really is in his hands.”

Basford has said developers are traditionally responsible for the expense of bringing water to a project. But he notes the village doesn’t have a firm policy on the matter.

And Warr says the village has extended waterlines in the past for at least one new development at SeaComm Plaza.

One issue in the Elm Grove Landing project is a six-inch water line that runs up the south side of outer Elm, which now supplies about half a dozen houses east of Morningside Drive before approaching Page’s lot. But it is old and crumbling and should be replaced, the village public works superintendent has told trustees.

While options have been discussed, such as tapping into an eight-inch line across outer Elm – State Rt. 11B -- or tying into a 12-inch line on Morningside Drive, the talks are stalled over the expense. All the options, Basford has said, would be expensive.

He said the board is aware of the superintendent’s recommendation to replace the disintegrating six-inch line near Page’s development.

“If they want to replace the line, they can replace the line,” Basford said.

“If they want to abandon it, and hook up the people there another way, they need to do that. Either way, regardless of the decision they make, they’re also going to have to decide to fund it. But there hasn’t been funding to replace that line. If they want to run a line under 11B to replace it, they need the funding for that.”