Hearing extended for natural gas station
KINGSTON, N.Y. » City Planning Board members have held open a public hearing on Central Hudson’s application for a proposed natural gas regulating station at the corner of Washington Avenue and Janet Street.
A hearing held Monday evening was extended after eight people voiced concerns and asked for more time to evaluate information given during a 30-minute presentation by the utility, which is seeking to retire an 87-year-old station on Emerson Street.
“For the past 20 years,” said utility engineer Dan Farnan, “Central Hudson has been looking for a replacement site, being ... limited (by) having to locate a site roughly within a few blocks of where the existing one is.”
Farnan said the proposed regulating station, which would be at 245 Washington Ave., would consist of two lines that come out of the ground and go through equipment intended to balance pressure of natural gas running to about 5,150 customers. Officials said the pressure would be 15 pounds per square inch going into the equipment, which would reduce the pressure to 0.3 pounds per square inch.
Central Hudson said the Emerson Street facility is buried as a “station in vault” that is difficult to work on and requires venting that has an odor.
Site plans show the proposed new facility would be screened with trees and a picket fence would be placed around the property.
“We try to put them in a location where you don’t notice them,” Farnan said.
Resident Felipe Gaudet said the Central Hudson application caught property owners by surprise and they want more information on what other sites were considered.
“We would like our questions
answered regarding the process of searching for alternative sites for this project,” she said, adding, “I would like to know which sites they were looking at over the last 20 years.”
Alderman Douglas Koop, D-Ward 2, said the proposed station is close enough to three wards that more time is needed for residents to evaluate the plans. Among concerns are whether there would be noise and whether property values would be hurt.
“We, as aldermen, are getting a lot of calls,” he said.
“You should be in receipt of a letter ... from three aldermen,” Koop said. “What we are asking for is, based upon this presentation, the community have more time to consider this and reschedule the public hearing in about month so that we can come after digesting this.”
Renno Budziak, whose daughter lives near the proposed station, said there are residents who have not had the opportunity to evaluate the project.
“Part of Washington Avenue that is in the proximity of the site provides housing for people with special needs and their voices and concerns have not been considered or heard,” he said. “By targeting this residential site and not reaching out to the public, Central Hudson has demonstrated a disregard for people’s concerns ... regarding the negative impact this installation will have on the neighborhood and home values.”