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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. A study on the options for the location and modernization of the municipal Public Works Yard has concluded that relocation is the best option.
New Rochelles Public Works Yard must be modernized to meet current and future service demands and avert the ongoing, escalating cost of emergency repairs, said New Rochelle City Manager Charles B. Strome III. Further delay could expose taxpayers to significant risks, while raising the cost of inevitable and unavoidable infrastructure expenses.
The New Rochelle Department of Public Works Relocation Study, conducted by Dolph Rotfeld Engineering, was commissioned by the city government in early 2011. The purpose was to compare the costs and benefits of modernizing the current East Main Street operations center versus constructing a new Department of Public Works facility at a city-owned property on Beechwood Avenue.
The study was presented to the city council during their first meeting of the new year in a Committee of the Whole session.
The study found that constructing a new Public Works Yard on Beechwood Avenue would save taxpayers more than $3 million, compared to the estimated cost of modernizing the Public Works Yard at its present location.
The estimated cost of the Beechwood site is approximately $13 million compared to $16 million for the East Main Street site, which has the additional expense of developing and operating a temporary facility during the construction period.
The Beechwood site already meets all current and projected operational standards and spatial requirements for DPW. The location has already been reviewed under the terms of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
Relocating to the Beechwood site would free up city yards current East Main Street location. The location has a higher value for re-uses for alternative public and private purposes. This includes expanded public access to the Long Island Sound shore.
New Rochelle City Manager Charles B. Strome, III will recommend that the council proceed with the development of the Beechwood site based on the studys findings.
The item will be discussed at the Jan. 17 meeting of the city council.
Copies of the report are available as part of the city council agenda on www.newrochelleny.com.
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