Orange County Chamber Program Focused on the Critical Importance of Infrastructure on Business Growth
From left to right: Alan Sorensen, Janine Greer, Heather Bell, Conor Eckert & Dan Depew
By John Jordan
CENTRAL VALLEY—The Orange County Chamber of Commerce staged a fascinating and well-attended breakfast program at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets on Feb. 12 that put a laser focus on the importance of maintaining and improving the county’s infrastructure in order to accommodate the needs of business today and decades from now.
Conor Eckert, President and CEO of the Orange County Partnership of Goshen and moderator of the program, related just how important infrastructure is in attracting and retaining business in Orange County. “Infrastructure is the critical, decision-making factor that companies are weighing as they are evaluating locations to make investment,” he said.
The Chamber panel included: Alan Sorenson, Commissioner of Planning for Orange County; Dan Depew, Executive Director of the Newburgh-based Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley and Janine Greer, President of Dillon & Semenovich of Middletown, which provides site work, masonry and landscape construction and construction consulting services.
In terms of economic development, one of the key issues on the minds of pharmaceutical firms, advanced manufacturing concerns, housing developers and other businesses that are looking to invest in Orange County is infrastructure. The county’s infrastructure is not limited to its roads and bridges, but also covers, water, wastewater, fiber, telecom, electrical, and natural gas. Eckert also related that in today’s competitive business environment, a broader definition of infrastructure also includes access to child care and housing.
Commissioner Sorenson discussed some of the many infrastructure-related projects the county is investing in such as the redevelopment of the former Camp LaGuardia property in Chester and Blooming Grove into a massive public park. Among some of the short-term initiatives being undertaken by the county now or in the near future include a Route 17M-Route 6 Transportation Corridor study and working in conjunction with the City of Middletown and Town of Goshen to expand water and sewer infrastructure and undertake a transportation study in that corridor.
“Having water and sewer infrastructure there will be a game changer,” he said noting that there is developer interest but the corridor lacks the infrastructure to accommodate that proposed growth. The county is also working with the Town of Wallkill on the Wallkill Reinvestment Corridor adjacent to the Galleria at Crystal Run on Smith Road. Infrastructure improvements and road realignment work are being considered that could accommodate rental housing, a mixed-use development and a hotel project.
Commissioner Sorenson noted that the county looks to have decisions made on 239 requests from municipalities on development projects within 10 days. On large projects the department sets up “Gateway” sessions where the developer, municipal officials and the local Planning Board meet with the county and New York State DOT and “take a hard look” at the project and “assess up front what the infrastructure needs are going to be and see how we can work together to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to support the development.”
The CCA’s Depew, a former Supervisor for the Town of Wallkill and an executive with Holt Construction, said that infrastructure is essential if Orange County is to attract the high-end manufacturing projects that bring with them high-paying jobs.
“Without water and without sewer and without power, you are going to just end up with a big empty box,” Depew said. “So, if we want to see a repatriation of high-end, high-tech manufacturing, we have to invest in our sewers.”
He also praised Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus for his commitment to investment in the county’s infrastructure.
Greer spoke of the need for collaboration between the developer and municipalities and also highlighted two key areas that serve as impediments to undertaking necessary utility and infrastructure work. Among the major projects her firm is working on include a $35-million road project on Route 17 and a major expansion of a wastewater treatment plant in New Windsor valued at more than $100 million.
She said that accurate records drawing and research for utility-related projects are a must for a project to proceed on a cost-efficient and timely basis. The lack of proper planning and engineering in advance, “can quickly add up to increases in the project timeline as well as increased costs. So, it is critical that we do the research and planning and design in advance of the project,” she said.
Another impediment to utility and DOT projects is cumbersome state regulations. She noted, “The amount of regulation and paperwork and rules that utility companies and infrastructure contractors have to follow before we even get a job started, let alone on a day-to-day basis, adds significant time, significant man hours and significant cost.”
On a positive note, the Orange County Partnership’s Eckert noted that the state is now supporting shovel-ready projects and in December awarded the Village of Maybrook $25.48 million under its FAST NY program that will help facilitate the development of the Switchyard Terminal for Economic and Advanced Manufacturing (STEAM) Rail & Business Park at the long-vacant Maybrook Rail Yard. The grant will fund infrastructure installation, improvements and expansions set to benefit roads, water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure. The result will be six building-pad sites accessible via the existing Middletown, New Jersey, rail line.
Eckert said that when the STEAM project is complete, he believes it will create hundreds of millions of dollars in rail-related development activity. He said the business community must advocate to have FAST NY in the budget. “We cannot stop now,” he noted.
The program also included an update by Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus who discussed his negotiations with cruise line operators to begin service on the Hudson River in Orange County; planned $220 million in upgrades to the SUNY Middletown and Newburgh campuses and $300 million in road, bridge and wastewater upgrades in the county over the coming years.
