Mount Pleasant Seeks Water From Proposed Sleepy Hollow Reservoir
Mount Pleasant officials have entered negotiations to obtain water from Sleepy Hollow if the village is allowed to construct a second reservoir in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
The village needs a special permit from Mount Pleasant in order to build the reservoir. No residents spoke when the public hearing reconvened before the Mount Pleasant Town Board on Aug 13. The board voted unanimously to close the hearing.
Town officials have expressed support for the plan, the details of which were outlined at a town board work session last month by Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken Wray and engineer David Smith.
The proposed new reservoir would be located off Lake Road, which is part of the state park.
In his June 25 letter to the town board, Smith stated that the village has been seeking to expend its reservoir system for several years. The lone reservoir is also located in the Rockefeller preserve but more water is needed.
“The current reservoir is presently undersized to serve the village and an additional reservoir to provide additional storage is needed to meet (Westchester County) Health Department standards,” Smith wrote.
Mount Pleasant Supervisor Joan Maybury said during last week’s meeting that she was planning to continue talks with Sleepy Hollow representatives to discuss how the town could obtain village water if the second reservoir is approved. The new reservoir, which would be 15 feet deep and 240 feet in diameter, would have a 1.6 million-gallon capacity.
“We are excited about the location,” Maybury said. “This is an opportunity for the Town of Mount Pleasant” to obtain additional water.
Maybury said the town receives emergency water from Phelps Memorial Hospital if there is a shortage, mainly during periods of drought. A connection between the proposed reservoir and the town is being sought, she said.
The village has come to an agreement with the administrators of the Rockefeller preserve for a 99-year free lease for the land that would house the proposed reservoir, according to Wray. A second reservoir is also needed for new development, including plans for the former General Motors property, Wray said.
