Town board hires contractor for bathhouse, delays funding decision

By NEAL RENTZ

The Lewisboro Town Board voted unanimously March 24 to hire a general contractor for its town pool bathhouse project, but postponed a decision on how to fund it.

The board hired ADI East as the general contractor at a cost not to exceed $750,000, subject to the review of performance and labor material bonds and insurance. 

“The entire structure is being knocked down, we are keeping the foundation,” recreation Supervisor Nicole Caviola told The Recorder later. 

The plan includes a metal roof, “but should the board want to cut costs, the biggest money saver would be by installing an asphalt roof rather than metal,” she said.

The town is seeking to start the bathhouse project after Labor Day, when pool season is over. It is slated to be finished prior to the next pool season in May 2026.

While board members were in agreement about hiring a general contractor, they were divided on how to pay for the project. The debate centered on whether the remaining cost should be bonded and paid back over several years, or if the money should be taken out of the town’s fund balance.

Caviola said there is a possibility that some of the bathhouse project could be funded through donations. 

Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said some of the costs will be paid through subdivision fees paid to the planning board, which are provided to the parks and recreation department. Through a bond approved by the board last year, there will be $600,000 available for the bathhouse project, Gonçalves said.

If the town decided to bond the additional $600,000 needed for the project, there would be a total of $190,000 in interest payments, which both would be paid back in 15 years, Gonçalves said.

Councilman Richard Sklarin suggested that the board pay the additional $600,000 via a bond. The interest cost of between $12,000 and $13,000 per year over 15 years would be “a pretty negligible cost,” he said. 

“That’s an option we could go with,” Gonçalves said. But he questioned why the town should incur interest charges if it could take the money out of the fund balance.

Councilwoman Andrea Rendo also suggested that the remaining cost of the bathhouse project be bonded. “This town is going to have an enormous expenditure to relocate our town offices, our police department and our court,” she said. “That is going to cost the town millions of dollars to build.” In addition, it was up to the Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education to determine when it no longer wanted the town to occupy the former Lewisboro Elementary School, she added. 

The town also needs to keep money in the fund balance for infrastructure needs, Rendo said.

Gonçalves said he would ask the advice of Comptroller Annie Burnham on how to proceed with the funding for the bathhouse project. 

Building permit fees

Also at the meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve revised building permit fees, which included a provision to increase the time a building permit would be valid from the current one to three years.

Building Inspector Kevin Kelly presented his draft of the fees at the Jan. 27 meeting. His proposals include several categories, but the main topic then was the proposed charges for residential and commercial fees for property owners whose permits have expired. 

Gonçalves said at the January meeting that the amnesty program for property owners in October and November to allow them to renew their permits without a penalty fee had no requests from property owners. The town did not do a good enough job of marketing the program, he said. The building department received no requests from property owners to participate in the amnesty program, he noted. 

With the new fees there would be no need to extend the amnesty program, Gonçalves said previously. Prior to the amnesty program, property owners were charged a 125 percent surcharge to extend permits.

Under the measure approved by the town board this week, permits that expire after three years there is now a renewal charge of up to $1,000 for homeowners.

The maximum renewal fee charge for permits that expired after three years for commercial property owners is now $5,000.

Resident Abaz Nuza asked the town board, “So if a building permit has been issued to a company or a contractor for 36 months, do you have any requirements for the contractor to finish the work or to propose some sort of plan, not just someone who comes and pulls a permit next to me, or next to anyone, and just drags the projects out for no reason so just that they have 36 months to complete the project?” 

Gonçalves said the purpose of the extension to 36 months was intended for large scale projects, not for small ones such as a home garage. 

Police department donation

Also at the meeting, the town board accepted a donation of  $17,000 from resident Adam Rose for the police department.

The donation will be used to obtain new badges, including the dye cutting needed to create the engraved badges for members of the department, Gonçalves said. 

Police Chief David Alfano told the town board he received price quotes for “all metal shields for officers all the way up to chief.” Each officer will receive two badges, he noted.