Lake George Village Town Hall
LAKE GEORGE | Legislation to raise rates charged for municipal water in Lake George Village by 3 percent — and local zoning code amendments establishing subdivision review requirements — were both approved in late-May as the Lake George Village Board tackled a lengthy agenda at its monthly meeting.
Village Mayor Robert Blais said the water rate hike stemmed from a long-term master plan drafted nine years ago which called for an increase of 3 percent every few years to bankroll water system improvements.
Blais said that the entire revenue gained from the increased rates would be invested in infrastructure upgrades. This year, the village will be installing a new water line on Philips Street.
The amendment to the village zoning code was undertaken because there no regulations had previously been established regarding how subdivisions would be applied for, evaluated and approved, Blais said.
Town of Lake George Planning Director Dan Barusch discovered the lack of such regulations when he took over planning duties for the village several months ago. The new subdivision approval procedures approved May 21 — subject to Adirondack Park Agency approval — parallel the existing town ordinances.
Area attorney Jon Lapper, representing the owners of the Lake George Marriott Courtyard hotel, requested that the board waive its ordinance requiring a specified distance between outdoor cafes, as the Marriott will soon have three adjacent sidewalk cafes along Canada St. extending from their three first-floor restaurants — Charlie’s Steakhouse, John Barleycorn’s Pub and Starbucks coffeehouse.
The waiver was approved, following Blais’ comment that the request was reasonable, considering that all three restaurants are operated by one owner and the three cafes were in front of a single building.
However, a request by Lapper to keep the sidewalk cafes set up and operating year-round was tabled by the board, pending review.
Blais cautioned that similar requests had already been declined because of the problems of clearing snow and ice on sidewalks and outdoor decks. He added that several other restaurants were seeking year-round installations on sidewalks, which would create problems if all were approved.
Blais noted that the village is required by law to keep its sidewalks and accompanying right-of-way clear of snow and ice — and allowing wintertime cafes might pose liability problems.
However, village trustee Ray Perry echoed Lapper’s contention that year-round cafes, complete with radiant heating devices, would “bring new life to the village” during off-season months.
“This would add vibrancy to Main Street during the winter,” Perry said. The village now has 13 approved seasonal outdoor cafes, and two more are proposed, Blais said.
Blais informed the town board that the state Department of Environmental Conservation has set specifications for the effluent — maximum chloride levels — emanating in the future from the town’s proposed new $20 million sewer plant.
He said these chloride limits cannot be met with the technology that has already been endorsed by state officials.
“They are setting us up for failure,” Blais said, noting that the chloride pollution in the groundwater — and the plant’s outflows — is due to road salt spread on the Northway, state Route 9, and other state roads during winter to melt ice.
He added that the state, however, had inspected the town’s existing wastewater plant and determined that it was well-maintained and its effluent was at this point earning a satisfactory rating.
In other business, the village board:
• approved paying former village clerk-treasurer Darlene Gunther $16,387 for the balance of her accrued unused sick time and vacation days.
• heard news that the pumps in the village sewer system’s upper pump station were in need of replacement, as many overtime hours had recently been spent attending to their repair and maintenance.
• deliberated about how to deal with the village fire department’s aerial fire truck which incurred serious engine problems May 5. Town Clerk Debra McKinney reported that she received a quote from Detroit Diesel that repairs would cost $18,180 — far less that the fire chief’s estimate of $25,000 to $30,000.
Blais noted that when vehicle repair work is underway, the bills typically soar unexpectedly. He said a meeting would be held soon with fire department officials and town leaders to decide what to do.
• heard from Blais that the project to revamp Shepard Park rest rooms was progressing ahead of schedule, and the substantial upgrades so far looked quite attractive. He estimated the reconstruction work would be completed by June 15. Blais proposed that the village hold a grand opening of the rest rooms, complete with a ribbon-cutting, accompanied by a promotional slogan to boost tourism: “Come to the Village to Go.”
