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General News: Code Violations, Unpaid Taxes at Burned Site

Debris is piled high inside Superior Packing after the flood in August.
Debris is piled high inside Superior Packing after the flood in August.
Some of the debris remained outside the packing company's loading dock after the fire this week.
Some of the debris remained outside the packing company's loading dock after the fire this week.
January 20, 2012

By Nancy Peckenham

The 70-acre property owned by Cornwall Warehousing that went up in flames on Sunday is well known to town authorities who have worked with the company to bring all buildings in the complex up to code. It is also known to the tax department for the owner’s repeated failure to pay local property taxes.

Cornwall supervisor Kevin Quigley said the site has a history of code violations and town building inspector Gary Vinson has a huge file of correspondence dating back at least a decade documenting problems like trash littering stairwells and even deadbolt locks on stairwell doors that were identified and addressed in 2008.

Recent Court Date Led to Agreement on Sprinkler Fixes


On Wednesday, January 11, just four days before fire destroyed most of the property, representatives of Cornwall Warehousing appeared in Cornwall town court to agree to fix several non-functioning sprinklers within 80 days. Authorities have not tied problems with the sprinkler system to the fire that eyewitnesses say apparently started on the roof of a rear warehouse.

Flood Multiplied Problems Facing Complex’s Owner

Many of Cornwall Warehousing’s current code problems can be traced back to August, when the Moodna flood waters devastated seven ground-floor businesses inside the large warehouses along the creek.

Ten days after the flood, assistant building inspector Kim DeSocio inspected the premises and found exits blocked with flood-damaged debris at Superior Pack Group’s warehouse, as well as a wood frame wall that had been added without a permit. In other areas, extension cords were plugged into power strips to create outlets and a boiler was found to have been installed without first approving its use.

Property manager Joe Longabardi says he worked to bring the place up to code, although he was faced with removing literally tons of trash left behind by several businesses that moved out after the flood.

Water Main Work Completed Last Year


One of the projects undertaken after the flood was the replacement of the property’s water main connecting it to the town system. Inspector Vinson said that it was replaced after the flood and he thought that problems with a leaky water main could have caused the property owner to turn off water to the hydrants on site. Firefighters found most of the hydrants inoperable when they arrived to fight the blaze Sunday morning.

More Than $600,000 in Unpaid Taxes


As for the tax payments, town records show that the last time Cornwall Warehousing paid property taxes was in 2007. Since then, a total of $600,000 remain unpaid, including this year. The 2011 Cornwall school tax was also being re-levied in the current tax bill that shows $97,236 owed the district.

News from Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson was unable to reach the owner of Cornwall Warehousing for comment.



Comments:

Wouldn't be surprised if there was a bankruptcy, then a purchase under a shell corp, it will sit for about 5 years, and then an application for rezoning to residential.


posted by Rachael Skigen on 01/20/12 at 8:38 AM

Why is it that landlords can collect rent but the taxing body cannot padlock the business for failure to pay taxes? Why do we have no recourse against non payment of taxes? This has been going on since 2007!!

I would hope that anyone who is paying rent to this landlord would do everything in their power to find other accommodations and give their support to someone who is supporting their local community.


posted by Maria Miller on 01/20/12 at 10:42 AM

Five years of not paying taxes? How is this possible? Don't homeowners lose their property to tax auctions after 2 years of non-payment?


posted by susan ostrander on 01/20/12 at 10:47 AM

I thought there were protocols in place where properties that didn't pay their taxes would have them auctioned off. There must be more to this story if not..........


posted by thomas gordon on 01/20/12 at 10:50 AM

Maybe the EPA should investigate who knows what we were inhaling from the fire. They had lots of chemicals and dyes used over the years. And who knows how they got rid of them. We will never recover the taxes you will see. We have to pay more because they don?t pay . we have to make them accountable and find out why they been getting away with it for years .


posted by Michael Guerriero on 01/20/12 at 12:46 PM

I'm curious who the actual owner of the property is. Has that been reported yet?


posted by Jonathan Beckenstein on 01/20/12 at 1:15 PM

Firstly I would like to know what Superior is packaging?
Second, my worry is "How are we to feel safe, when code violations are not being enforced...and where else are they not being enforced? And who are our leaders that would not enforce the law, even if there is blow back from the violators? Makes me nervous, and makes me wonder. As citizens, we should be concerned, and we should be asking questions.


posted by kate goodspeed on 01/20/12 at 1:30 PM

This is absolutely shameful.
I am embarrassed to have such inept enforcement and oversight in this town. Rachael hit the nail on the head. We, as residents, will all pay in one way or another and the owner will make out like a bandit. Shameful!


posted by J Klein on 01/20/12 at 1:50 PM

I can answer one of Mr.Guerriero's questions, sort of. My mother worked at Firth carpet for a long time and she always said when there was too much dye left over from a production run, it would be dumped into the Moodna. She said there would be so much that the whole creek would turn what ever color they threw out.

My grandparents on my mother's side were brought over from Scotland by Firth carpet because they were reputed to be among the best weavers in the world. So they and my mother worked there and my Dad, after WW II. I'm really sad to see what has happened to the place over the years and especially now. I'm sure there are more people around here who had parents and grandparents who worked there.


posted by Jack Brennan on 01/20/12 at 2:10 PM

I can answer one of Mr.Guerriero's questions, sort of. My mother worked at Firth carpet for a long time and she always said when there was too much dye left over from a production run, it would be dumped into the Moodna. She said there would be so much that the whole creek would turn what ever color they threw out.

My grandparents on my mother's side were brought over from Scotland by Firth carpet because they were reputed to be among the best weavers in the world. So they and my mother worked there and my Dad, after WW II. I'm really sad to see what has happened to the place over the years and especially now. I'm sure there are more people around here who had parents and grandparents who worked there.


posted by Jack Brennan on 01/20/12 at 2:10 PM

Perhaps there can be a legal perspective that permits the Town or County to intercede and pursue a new / positive venue for that site. Although the site was Historic and surely a loss, perhaps this creates an opportunity for Cornwall to do something great there. Many people, like myself, only know the site "through the trees" or from the recent photos. We could do something great there, this is the time for our community to be pro-active and demand results.


posted by j h on 01/20/12 at 3:30 PM

This is an example of the town being used. One of the great things about Cornwall it that it functions as best it can as a traditional community in the old school way. Families and parents are involved in various activities that support pride for the town and give back in many ways.
Companies or people such as those who are responsible for using our town should be called out identified. Of course the town needs companies to work here but not if they are not vested in a town that values its community and families.


posted by Chris Walklet on 01/20/12 at 5:01 PM

I think before we look ahead as suggested, this tragedy needs to be looked at and all past debts and violations need to be resolved.
As a town we can learn from this and make sure that moving forward perhaps we can prevent unworthy partners from taking advantage of the hard earned taxes we pay and the community we support.


posted by Chris Walklet on 01/20/12 at 5:14 PM

video.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bmxking1504#p/u/0/DZJHL4ARel0


posted by J Buescher on 01/20/12 at 11:50 PM

The site will sooner or later flood. That site should receive technical and financial assistance from multiply departments and agencies. Impairments to the river up and down including the Forge Hill Bridge should be addressed by the landowners, federal, state and local organizations. Hopefully There could be a coordinated effort.


posted by j h on 01/22/12 at 12:19 AM

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