Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Reuse topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board signals support to pursue constitutional amendment for Great Meadow site reuse
Summary
Supervisors discussed pursuing a resolution to ask the State Legislature to enable repurposing of the Great Meadow correctional facility through a constitutional amendment; members asked staff to draft a resolution for a future board vote.
Washington County supervisors discussed and signaled support for pursuing a resolution that would ask state legislators to sponsor a constitutional amendment allowing reuse or transfer of the Great Meadow correctional facility property.
A county official explained that repurposing the closed state facility requires a constitutional amendment because the property sits within the Adirondack Park forest preserve footprint or otherwise is constrained by current state ownership rules. The official said the county is attempting to identify precedent and to coordinate with local legislators; she asked for time to draft a resolution for the board to consider next Friday and described conversations with Assembly and Senate members about carrying such a bill.
Board members discussed whether the county should take ownership or invite another public or nonprofit entity to assume responsibility for reuse; they noted that other counties have pursued similar measures and that the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) has actively opposed some past efforts. One supervisor said the intent of the draft resolution is to remove statutory obstacles and enable future use by an entity that would bring local benefit.
The board voted to bring a draft resolution forward for consideration at a future meeting and authorized staff to continue outreach to legislators and to seek sample resolutions from counties with similar proposals.
