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Executive committee rescinds purchase of property for Visitors Center

Isabel Braverman - Staff Writer
Posted 1/16/20

MONTICELLO -- During Sullivan County Legislature's Executive Committee meeting yesterday, a vote was held to rescind Resolution 385-19, which authorized the purchase of real property and construction …

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Executive committee rescinds purchase of property for Visitors Center

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MONTICELLO -- During Sullivan County Legislature's Executive Committee meeting yesterday, a vote was held to rescind Resolution 385-19, which authorized the purchase of real property and construction of a visitors center in Rock Hill. The resolution passed 7-1. Legislator Nadia Rajsz was not present, and the only vote against the resolution was cast by Democratic Minority Leader Ira Steingart.

The resolution will now be voted on by the full board at next Thursday's meeting.

The proposed visitors center became a controversial topic, as an initial cost estimate for the project was $4.5 million. This caught the attention of many residents, who questioned the high price tag.

Indeed, it became a sticking point in the last election and the four new legislators made it known during their campaigns that they were against the visitors center at that property in Rock Hill.

Chairman Rob Doherty introduced the resolution to rescind the original resolution. Some legislators took issue with the resolution being on the agenda without enough time to review and discuss it.

Steingart urged his fellow legislators to table the vote until they have a chance to meet with the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association (SCVA) and discuss it with them.

“All I'm asking is that you spend the time to listen to what the project is before you kill it,” he said. “I realize you all ran on a [platform] to try to kill it. Before you make that decision find the facts out first. And not one of you, and I've checked, have met with them about what their needs are, so how can you make a decision?”

Doherty retorted that he didn't feel comfortable speaking with SCVA President and CEO Roberta Byron-Lockwood before he took his seat as legislator. He also said he had “hours of conversations” with Rick Lander, who is on the SCVA board.

“We're moving on from the property, we're not moving on from the Visitors Association,” Doherty said. “We're very much in tandem with the Visitors Association, we're going to go to their board meeting, and we're going to have these discussions.”

He reiterated that the resolution is to just rescind the purchase of the property, which he said was overpriced at six times higher than the assessed value.

Steingart said the previous legislature heard from the SCVA, but may have not presented their plans to the public.

“I'll take blame as one of the last nine legislators, we did a horrible job with the message on what it was gong to be, it was never going to be $4.5 million; they need a place, we need to greet people coming in,” he said.

Lander, who was present at the meeting, said the SCVA is already pulling back from the property, and has plans to move into a building in the Liberty Mall.

“At this point that property is a moot point, because our time frame ran out and we're at the point of getting our deposit back because we couldn't move fast enough and do it,” he said.

Alan Sorensen, who originally voted in favor of purchasing the property, said he would vote in favor of rescinding it because of his constituents' wishes during the election.

“I got the message loud and clear from many of my constituents, some who reluctantly voted for me but let me know they were very upset with the purchase of that property,” Sorensen said.

Legislator Michael Brooks said he also heard that from many voters, and it became a divisive issue.

“I'm not considering this ‘anti- the visitors center' by any means,” Brooks said of his vote. “I want to stop the purchase of this, and then let all the dust settle on this issue, because it's a hot topic in the county. And then revisit it, and have these conversations, and go from there.”

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