LITTLE VALLEY - The 423-acre parcel in the town of Farmersville was once on its way to becoming a regional landfill.

Now, it’s on the county’s list of properties that will be auctioned off at the end of the month - with the caveat that it can never be used for landfill purposes.

The property auction is scheduled for Oct. 31, and will begin at 9 a.m. at the parcels being offered, starting in Gowanda. The Farmersville parcels are expected to be auctioned beginning at about 2:30 p.m., starting on Route 98 near Kingsbury Hill Road.

A complete list of the 18 parcels being auctioned that day and their descriptions are listed on the county’s Web site at www.cattco.org. An interactive map of the Farmersville parcels is also listed on the site.

After fighting Integrated Waste Services about the proposed landfill for the better part of 15 years, Cattaraugus County seized the property for back taxes in January 2008.

Over the years, county taxpayers paid out about $500,000 to fight the proposed 3,000-ton-a-day landfill. The county partnered with the city of Olean and Concerned Citizens of Cattaraugus County to challenge the landfill developer at every opportunity.

Since the county received a $300,000 state environmental grant, it actually only cost about $200,000 of county tax money.

Cattaraugus County lawmakers are expected to approve a plan next week to auction off five parcels of the 423-acre site while keeping about 80 acres - much of it wooded - that includes a camp and two ponds.

The properties have been divided into seven parcels, each with a minimum bid. They are: Parcel 1, 34.4 acres, minimum bid, $66,150; parcel 2, 81.4 acres, $78,506; parcel 3, 17.9 acres, $27,150; parcel 4, 17.6 acres, $27,150; parcel 5, 8.9 acres, $18,650; parcel 6, 92.1 acres, $87,210, and parcel 7, 98.5 acres, $89,710.

County Legislator Jerry E. Burrell. R-Franklinville, chairman of the Development and Agriculture Committee, is sponsor of the resolution to sell the Farmersville property. The full Cattaraugus County Legislature will vote on the resolution Wednesday.

“It’s a bittersweet message,” Mr. Burrell said. “If you stay with something long enough and it has support, it will pay off. The town of Farmersville obviously needs the money. We’re keeping our promise that once we gained control of the property to put it back on the tax rolls.”

Mr. Burrell said, “The history of the property is that the proposed landfill tore the community apart. The landfill issue was a substantial one. It pitted neighbor against neighbor. Communities to the south were concerned their waterways would be polluted. Everyone was concerned about the increased (garbage-) truck traffic.”

County Attorney Dennis Tobolski said the property deeds will contain a restrictive covenant that reads, “The real property shall not be used for the purpose of landfills, the dumping on or storage of hazardous materials, mining or the drilling of oil and/or gas wells.” If the county determines that the covenant has been violated, the property shall revert to the county’s ownership.

More information about the parcels is available at the county Web site at www.cattco.org, or call the county treasurer’s office at 938-9111.

(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com)

Reader Comments

There are 6 comment(s) comments to this story.
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bradfordera.com.

jimmy john wrote on Oct 11, 2009 9:56 PM:

" no wonder it cost a arm and leg to dump trash in this county.we don't even have a land fill in this county, so we pay over priced dumping fees to send our garbage to chatauqua county. what a bunch of idiots we have running this county go ny taxes and so called fees ! "

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Bob Seneca wrote on Oct 12, 2009 5:46 PM:

" Landfills are toxic. They leach pollution continually, cause cancer, and are a burden to the communties they exist in. Jobs are never a justification. A job so someone can buy a Big Mac or a case of beer?? Not worth the "forever pollution!" "

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delbert mandez wrote on Oct 12, 2009 6:35 PM:

" yes you are right --if you can't do anything else go into politics-no brain needed there "

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tmr wrote on Oct 12, 2009 8:04 PM:

" So olean puts up money to fight the land fill, so we as citizens get to pay per bag of garbage we dump.(amazing)? "

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Jerryhy wrote on Oct 12, 2009 8:26 PM:

" Why keep 80 acers and a cabin and two ponds a playground for the legislators. "

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Jay wrote on Oct 12, 2009 8:36 PM:

" JImmy John,

Perhaps the county has a better long-term plan in the works for handling its solid waste. Thanks to emerging technology, trash no longer needs to be buried; in fact, it's more valuable if it is sorted, with some recycled, and with the remainder converted into something everyone needs: clean, green alternative energy.

Heaven knows there's plenty of it! (Trash, that is...)

http://www.biorootenergy.com "

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