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Town Board Authorizes Code‑enforcement Action Against New York Military Academy After Fire‑flow Tests
Summary
After engineering tests found little to no hydrant flow at the New York Military Academy campus, the Cornwall Town Board approved a resolution empowering the building inspector and town attorney to begin code‑enforcement proceedings — including possible action in New York State Supreme Court — if NEMA fails to present a satisfactory interim safety plan at a multi‑party meeting scheduled for Thursday morning.
The Cornwall Town Board on Feb. 25 approved a resolution authorizing the building inspector and the town attorney to commence code‑enforcement proceedings, including action in New York State Supreme Court, if the New York Military Academy (NEMA) does not present an immediate, satisfactory plan to protect students after an engineering review found the campus hydrant system unable to provide necessary fire flow.
Dan adley, the town engineer, told the board the flow tests performed by Campbell Fire Protection on 11/20/2024 showed "little to no flow available in each of the hydrants" and concluded that "the hydrant system is incapable of providing the needed fir flow for any duration of time." Adley said remedies under consideration include installing a 100,000–250,000‑gallon tank and making improvements to either the academy’s water system or the Village’s water supply.
Gary (building inspector) told the board his letter to NEMA laid out immediate steps the property manager should take and urged a resolution so the town could pursue court enforcement if NEMA does not act. "I would like the board to adopt a resolution that we could begin proceedings in Supreme Court in L County if they fail to take action or provide some immediate action they're going to do," he said, adding that the town’s primary concern is student safety.
Representatives for NEMA, including the academy’s property manager Jason Lee and a recently retained development/management team identified in the meeting as Linsen, said they have performed repairs, will provide a fire‑safety report and are exploring short‑ and long‑term options. A NEMA representative said the team had ‘‘fixed all the hydrates from no water and to all the hydrates functional’’ and that they planned to share additional testing documentation and a proposed course of remedial work.
Board members pressed NEMA for a simple interim plan that will allow students to remain on campus safely while engineering, Department of Health approvals and construction proceed — steps they said could take months. The board asked that the building inspector be given access to inspect smoke detectors and other life safety systems and confirmed a meeting with involved parties at 8 a.m. on Thursday to evaluate NEMA’s interim measures.
The resolution, adopted by voice vote, authorizes the building inspector and the supervisor to execute any documents necessary to begin code‑enforcement proceedings, and gives the building inspector authority to issue notices to cure and to move toward closure of buildings if safety needs are not met. The board said it intends to keep the public hearing open but will expect a report to the board after the Thursday meeting and may begin more formal enforcement actions if the town is not satisfied.
The next procedural step is the multi‑party meeting Thursday morning; the board also adjourned and continued the public hearing until Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. so the public can receive updates and comment further.
