A groundbreaking ceremony was held today for a new facility that will house Montgomery County’s department of public works and offices for the business development center. The facility will be located at the Glen Canal View Business Park off of Route 5S in the Town of Glen. The two departments currently reside within a flood zone on Park Street within the Village of Fultonville. Moving the facilities out of the flood zone was cited by county officials at the event as the primary reason for the new construction.
Speakers at the event included County Executive Matt Ossenfort, County Legislator Michael Pepe, DPW Commissioner Eric Mead, MCBDC CEO Ken Rose, and NY DEC Regional Director Tony Luisi.
In his remarks, Pepe described the new facility as a “necessity, not a luxury”.
“The former DPW building and current DPW building is in shambles, it’s a safety hazard,” said Pepe. “When I took a tour of it last year, I couldn’t believe the shape it was in. On top of that, it sits right smack in the middle of a flood zone.”
Both facilities were impacted during major flooding events in 2006 and 2011 and according to Pepe, continue to be affected during minor water level rises of the nearby Mohawk River. According to a press release from the county, flood damage to the DPW and the Business Development Center has cost the county over $300,000 in repairs and protective measures.
According to the release, “relocation will diminish the need to move and relocate equipment due to impending storms. Consolidating satellite DPW offices outside of the flood plain will also allow the department to increase their efficiency of emergency service operations during storm events.”
The project is estimated to cost $12.7 million. The legislature approved a bonding resolution for that amount in November 2020. The cost will be offset by a $2 million grant from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Climate Smart Communities Grant Program.
