Colonie’s Stony Creek Reservoir: Resource or Liability? Or Money in the Bank? (Part 3 of a series)

Save Colonie: A Partnership for Planning has been working for five years to increase transparency and government accountability to residents of Colonie. Our town is now faced with arguably the most consequential decision in a generation, but little information has been provided to the residents. When asked directly, the town board and supervisor have not responded. We deserve better. 

The purpose of this blog is to provide information we’ve obtained and raise questions for our officials to answer publicly. We believe this process is necessary before a wise decision can be made about selling Stony Creek Reservoir or any other valuable town asset. Here is the third article:

ARTICLE III:  Selling Stony Creek

First in 2009 (for $9 Million), and again starting in 2020, the Mahan administration has attempted to sell off the Stony Creek Reservoir. Formerly considered a regular raw water source permitted for 5 MGD, it has recently been downgraded by LWD’s language to an “emergency” water source, to an “obsolete” and “run down” asset to be sold off -  Stony Creek is now on the block for a minimum of $5 M. Acquired and created for more than $17 M in today’s dollars, Stony Creek is no longer considered by the Mahan administration to be useful to Colonie. But is this really true?

1. Is there a problem with the water quality of Stony Creek water? More so than the Mohawk? Where is water quality data on our raw water sources?

2. What is the actual annual cost of maintaining the Stony Creek Reservoir? How much per 5 MGD?

3. In 2017, Colonie spent more than $350,000 on repairs for this reservoir. In what way is this reservoir “run down?”

4. How has this valuable town asset become so degraded that it can no longer be used? How much would it cost to render Stony Creek viable once more?

5. How did the Mahan administration arrive at these wildly disparate sales prices for Stony Creek? One assessment? The Comptroller states that best practices Shouldn’t they obtain multiple valuations for such an asset?

Learn more about the Stony Creek reservoir and the town’s proposal to sell it on our webpage.

SAVE Colonie is not opposed per se to the sale of our Stony Creek Reservoir. But without the complete answers to these and other questions, and the data to back them up, it is not possible for residents or for the Town Board to make an informed and rational decision. Sale of a raw water source in a time of climate crisis and development growth in Colonie should be given the highest level of scrutiny - especially when the administration pushing the sale is about to leave town for good.