By NEAL RENTZ //
An easement for a property that would allow for construction of a boardwalk is expected to be obtained in the coming weeks, the Pound Ridge Old Pound Road Committee was told Aug. 5.
Councilwoman Alison Boak, who co-chairs the committee with Joseph Virgilio, said town Attorney William Harrington recently told her an agreement between the town board and the owner of the home located adjacent to the town park was near.
The potential easement agreement would first need to be discussed and approved by the town board in executive session because it would be a legal matter, Boak said. If an agreement was approved by the town board, the move would be announced at a town board meeting, she said. “The agreement is public information,” she added. The next town board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3.
The parcel is needed because the committee in conjunction with the Pound Ridge Recreation Department wants to build a boardwalk on that land to connect the town park with the 22-acre Old Pound Road lot. Construction on the boardwalk cannot begin until the 2-acre land easement is acquired. The homeowner’s parcel is 4.2 acres in total.
The roughly 22-acre Old Pound Road parcel was acquired by the town in July 2020. The property is located on Route 137 between the town park and the historic district. The property has been seen as providing a valuable link between the hamlet and Scotts Corners attractions, and offering a range of potential recreational uses, such as hiking and biking.
Water contamination impact
Also at the meeting, committee members discussed the impact of the recent findings from private well tests in town that revealed the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” The PFAS in the drinking water of those property owners affected are at levels exceeding both state and EPA standards.
Committee member Mark Mosolino said the water situation could affect water usage of Old Pound Road. Before wastewater can be disposed, “it has to be clean,” he said.
The town’s discovery of PFAS “has set us back quite a bit,” Mosolino said. Before the committee’s potential projects could be implemented, “We would need clean municipal water,” he said.
Even if the town board approves an easement agreement with the owner of the home that adjoins Old Pound Road, “We still have to deal with this PFAS issue. It’s a new issue,” Mosolino said. Some towns have dealt with the PFAS problem by digging very deep wells, he commented.
The town is seeking a $7 million federal grant for a potential $10.8 million project for municipal water for the Scotts Corners Business District, but the town board has not approved the plan.