WINDHAM - The bids are in for reinventing the transfer station in the town of Windham and while they are higher than hoped, what else is new?

Greene County highway superintendent Scott Templeton says estimates submitted for construction and electrical work were opened on July 30, including five for G.C. and seven for hooking up the juice.

They will be reviewed by project engineers and the lowest qualified bidders will hopefully be offered for approval by Templeton at a Greene County Legislature Public Works committee meeting on August 10.

Templeton did not reveal any dollar amounts, awaiting the engineer’s recommendation and look-see by lawmakers.

Optimistically, if all is well, shovels can be in the ground by late September, preparing the site along Mitchell Hollow Road for what is going to be a thorough overhaul and modernization of waste management.

“This is a great project, not just for Windham but the whole mountaintop,” Windham town supervisor Thomas Hoyt said.

During construction, operations will be limited to residential dropoffs of trash and recycling etc., shifting commercial users to other stations

 The county has already accomplished major updates at solid waste and recycling centers in the towns of Hunter and Coxsackie, increasing efficiencies while transforming them into direct haul stations.

Direct haul allows the county to save tons of money, eliminating redundant handling of garbage trucked to a massive landfill in western New York.

Windham has a longstanding lease agreement with the county for use of the land, along Mitchell Hollow Road, charging a nominal fee.

Preliminary plans call for the creation of a new entryway and separated sections for residential and commercial dumping, easing congestion.

Remodeling, when it occurs, will include:

—Demolition and removal of existing retaining walls, structures, foundations, and utilities;            

—Construction of an 8,500 square foot pre-engineered metal building with concrete foundations including incidental ventilation fan and louvers;

—Installation of an 8’ x 30’ pre-fabricated climate controlled container office with bathroom to be used as scale house including incidental plumbing and well pump connections;

—Salvage of existing trash compactor unit and re-installation in new building including steel fabricated garbage chute;

—Relocation of existing 70’ truck scale; salvage of existing scale, installation of new concrete foundations;

—Fill placement and excavation within and around proposed building area and associated site improvements including but not limited to CIP retaining walls, pavements, stormwater management, fencing, and gates;

—Site utility infrastructure modifications for sewer and water services; 

—Construction of a temporary elevated drop-off area for owner operation during construction and any miscellaneous work shown on the Contract Drawings.

The exterior of the pre-engineered structure has been designed to match the color, height, etc. of the nearby town highway department garage.

In other matters:

—The new zoning regulations for Windham have taken effect, as of August 1, with town officials naming a zoning officer and members of the Zoning Board of Appeals (with one change already occurring).

Tucker Lewis will serve as zoning office, having extensive experience as a building inspector in the valley town of Greenville.

Lewis also worked with the town of Windham during its massive infrastructure  revival when the wastewater treatment system was built and Route 23 running through the heart of downtown was reconstructed.

Five residents were earlier announced for the ZBA including Joshua King (1 year term of office), Evan Goettsche (2 years), Jim MacDonald (3 years), Evan Schieren (4 years) and Gerald Friedman (5 years). 

The terms are varied to provide smoother continuity, with the ZBA chairperson being whomever’s term is set to expire in that year.

Since the appointments were unveiled, it was decided the ZBA would meet the third Wednesday of every month, whether there was business before the board or not, wanting to keep updated.

That date conflicted with Joshua King’s private schedule so he has stepped down, prompting the town board to seek a replacement. 

Sandra Allen, the current clerk of the town planning board, was chosen to serve in the same capacity for the ZBA.