Mount Pleasant Town Board OKs Permit for Second Reservoir
A special permit to allow the Village of Sleepy Hollow to construct a second reservoir in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve was unanimously approved by the Mount Pleasant Town Board earlier this week.
The village expects construction of the new reservoir, which will be located off of Lake Road, to take six to seven months to complete. It will have a capacity of 1.6 million gallons and measure 15 feet deep and 240 feet in diameter.
Sleepy Hollow officials have been seeking to expand the village’s reservoir system for several years. They told the town board in June that the current system is too small to serve the village and additional water storage is needed to meet Westchester County Health Department standards.
A second reservoir is also needed for new construction, including development at the former General Motors property, Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken Wray had said previously.
David Smith, project engineer for the village, told the town board at its Dec. 23 meeting where it approved the permit, that the current reservoir can no longer provide the village with all of its water needs.
“Since 1926, the Village of Sleepy Hollow has grown,” Smith said.
The county Health Department has informed the village that it cannot approve new development without an additional water source, he said.
Dolph Rotfeld, president of Dolph Rotfeld Engineering of Tarrytown, said the village has entered into an agreement with the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation to allow for the construction of the second reservoir within the preserve.
Mount Pleasant Supervisor Joan Maybury said the second reservoir was “a wonderful opportunity” for Sleepy Hollow and also has an upside for the town. Once the new reservoir is completed, the town will be able to connect to the new pump station to obtain additional water.
No residents spoke during the public hearing, which was closed by the town board. Following the hearing’s closure, the board approved the special permit.
