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County moves ahead to relocate DSS Wayne County legislators held their first meeting of an Ad Hoc Committee that will oversee moving the Department of Social Services from the Village of Lyons. The plan to move the DSS to the old nursing home has been opposed by Lyons Town Supervisor Jim Fabino. Wednesday's meeting addressed several concerns from Fabino. Fabino's list of questions and concerns were brought to the meeting by Wayne County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Hoffman (Williamson). Hoffman had tried to answer some of the concerns before he presented them to the committee. On the list were several items regarding traffic on Route 31 - increased traffic, turn lanes, the need for a traffic light. According to Hoffman's notations, Highway Superintendent Jim Brady said a traffic light would only be required if there are about 50,000 vehicles per day. A 2004 traffic study showed 10,000 vehicles/day in the area. Hoffman noted that a turn lane would depend on access points. Currently, the plan is for County employees to use Nye Road and the public would use one of two other entrances. Hoffman suggested that the entrances may not be any busier than it was when the facility was used as the nursing home. Fabino's questions also included concerns about whether or not the sewer lines, parking, square footage, plumbing/electrical would be adequate for DSS operations. All items were deemed perfectly adequate. The current DSS building on Water Street, leased for nearly 20 years, is 40,000 square-foot. The old nursing home has 114,000 square feet of available space. The county currently pays about $368,000 a year in lease payments for the Water Street building, and another $130,000 in taxes. The lease expires in September 2007. Although there is no budget yet in place for the project, Fiscal Officer Keith Kubasik said he would expect perhaps a 60 to 70 percent reimbursement. The Board included $1 million in this year's budget and has spent $650,000 for asbestos abatement. Kubasik pointed out, however, that the abatement would have been necessary no matter what. The Committee has yet to nail down which other departments (besides the Board of Elections) will move from the Village to the Route 31 complex, but will discuss it at the next meeting. Also at that meeting, slated for 8 a.m. Tuesday, August 22, members will select Architectural/Engineering firms to interview. The plan is to conduct interviews as early as Thursday, August 24, and select a firm to present for full board approval perhaps as early as September 7. Copyright
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