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Developer seeks water and sewer hookup for 30-bed assisted living and 81 condos; county flags capacity and DEC permitting hurdles
Summary
A developer has asked Columbia County for water and sewer service for a potential project at Route 66 and Gaybauer Road that could include a 30‑bed assisted‑living facility, 81 condos and a convenience store, and county staff said treatment capacity and state permitting pose hurdles.
A developer has asked Columbia County to consider providing water and sewer service for a proposed project at the intersection of Route 66 and Gaybauer Road that could include a 30‑bed assisted‑living facility, 81 condominium units and a convenience store, county staff told the Public Works Committee on Sept. 17.
"They are planning for potential of a 30 bed assisted living facility, 81 condo units as part of a project, and as well as a convenience store with food service," Speaker 3 said while summarizing correspondence the county received about the site.
Speaker 3 said the county's water and sewer district is contractually tied to the town of Greenport's treatment capacity (he cited a 70,000–75,000 gallons per day cap). "That being said, currently, we could potentially take this on, okay, based on our current flow, and that would bring us up to a total of approximately 65,000 gallons a day," he said, adding that taking on the development would leave little room for further expansion.
Because the project's residential component would likely generate more than 2,500 gallons per day, Speaker 3 said it would require a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sewer service extension permit, which triggers DEC review of transmission system capacity and coordination with Greenport. He said Greenport has other large planned projects — including a 163‑unit apartment complex and a wellness hub — and that DEC is already requiring a hydraulic study for Greenport's system.
Committee members asked about funding options. Speaker 3 said state channels (through the Environmental Facilities Corporation) allocate federal infrastructure dollars and that rankings tend to prioritize crisis-driven needs, which leaves proactive county projects at a disadvantage. He added the county did receive about $500,000 from a recent state program but cautioned that wider EFC funding prospects are limited.
Next steps: staff will seek additional build‑out information from county planner Mike Tucker, convene the water‑and‑sewer district subcommittee once that data are available, and then determine whether and how the county could formally process a hookup request and any required DEC submissions.
