King Fuels demo site shut down (UPDATED)

File photo of King Fuels demo

Once, a while back, I was helping a friend build some step in front of his Center Square house. We got a late start and work was slowed by the onset of darkness and the more than a few beers.

It was getting to be around 10 p.m. or and I (we) was almost done and the remnants of a day’s work – the old steps, some new boards and the left over scraps from the boards I used - were scattered about his courtyard. I was bent over the steps with tool belt on and hammer in hand and a police officer knocked on the gate.

“We got a couple calls about someone in the area sawing and pounding” he said in a pleasant enough manner.

I stood up, hammer in hand and said: “It wasn’t me.”

I thought of that story when I first heard about the latest controversy at the demolition site at King Fuels.

Sources tell me one of the excavators had some concerns about what was going on down there, called the authorities and low and behold – they found asbestos scattered about the site. Work was stopped while authorities figure out how much is there and what to do about it. Now state and federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

Some of the buildings that were getting knocked down or have been knocked down did have asbestos in them, according tothe minutes of the Troy Local Development Corporation. The city, however, claims it wasn’t from the demolition but someone else could have dumped it down there.

I took a ride down there, after I posted about the site getting shut down, and while I don’t doubt someone could have dumped asbestos or anything else down there but the more likely deduction is that it came from the guy doing work down there. Just like it was the guy in the tool belt holding a hammer who was making all sorts of construction racket keeping the neighbors up.

J.R. Casale is the contractor and I covered the infamous Water District No. 14 in North Greenbush a while back. There were a number of complaints regarding the quality of his work – fire hydrants sticking up two feet out of the ground, driveways and front lawns that were supposed to be repaired were left chewed up or repaired halfway and staggering cost overruns.

Knowing that about Casale – yes, he claims it’s his son’s company but Jack Cox Sr. once said his junkyard in Grafton was owned by his daughter too – I can see him not following the strict rules governing the demolition of asbestos laden structures.

But, according to the city it’s not his fault.

And it wasn’t me who was doing the sawing and nailing. After I told the police officer as such, he laughed, asked how many cuts I had left and said to finish up as quickly as I could. I complied too the best of my ability.

The King Fuels, however, is not a courtyard in Center Square and illegally disposing of asbestos is a far cry from keeping a neighbor awake past 10 p.m.

 

Council investigates for the third time in 36 years and some questions to ask

WILTSHIRE

The last time the Troy Council used subpoena power was in 1978. Steve Dworsky was mayor under a city manager form of government and the legislative body was looking into a concept of team policing.

A host of people were compelled to testify including Dorothy Guiot of New Jersey. I won’t go into what it was all about because I was 12 at the time and dare say the only Troy I knew of at that time had to do with a horse. The Council also exercised its investigatory powers in about 2001 when, under President Frank LaPosta, it hired attorney Richard Hanft to look into a questionable federal grant funneled through the office of then Deputy Mayor Jim Conroy to his brother to buy a house part owned by the deputy mayor.

REEVES

Now the Council, under President Rodney Wiltshire, issued subpoenas to soon to be former City Engineer Russ Reeves and his assistant Barbara Tozzi, to find out what went down on King Street and King Fuels other than the buildings.

I’m not sure how the subpoenas were actually issued since I don’t think the Council voted to issue them at a properly called meeting as is required, but odds are Reeves and Tozzi just agreed to testify and the subpoenas were a formality.

While Reeves and Tozzi are more than likely willing participants, you can bet Planning Commissioner Bill Dunne, Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan, Fire Chief Tom Garrett and even Mayor Lou Rosamilia – should any or all of them get called – won’t come without a properly issued subpoena. And even then they could fight it in court, which won’t look good, or they could plead the fifth on some of the more poignant questions the Council will, or should, ask. That won’t look good either. Or they could get up on the stand and tell the truth whatever it may be.

DUNNE

Either way, just by kicking off the investigation, Wiltshire comes out on top politically speaking.

Anyway, Reeves and Tozzi probably won’t tell the Council anything new. Here is a rundown of what they will say and here’s what should be asked about each property:

King Street

What they will say:

-Reeves denied an emergency demolition permit, went on vacation and the building was declared a threat to public safety and ordered taken down by Fire Chief Tom Garrett when Reeves was on vacation.

KING STREET

-Despite knowing there was asbestos in the building, people were allowed to stay in Bomber’s located next door.

Questions to ask:

-Did the building’s owner, Don Boyajian, pay the demolition company, M. Cristo Inc. of East Greenbush?

-Why was the emergency demolition permit denied?

-Who directed Garrett to take the building down?

-Why was it taken down in front of other derelict, vacant buildings in the city?

KING FUELS

-Did someone make a 911 call regarding the building and its condition just prior to the demolition?

King Fuels

This project is a little lessstraight forward in that it was run through the Local Development Corporation, a quasi-governmental body headed up by Dunne.

Here are some questions:

-Why was the initial June, 2013 request for bids withdrawn?

-Why and how, after the initial RFB was withdrawn, were two buildings condemned and taken down under an emergency declaration?

-Why was such short notice given for the submission of a second round of bids – RFB issued on March 1, a Saturday, and bids were due on March 6.

ROSAMILIA

-According to the LDC minutes, Reeves knew of the demolition and the gas line. Did the demolition company, J.R. Casale, just screw up by putting debris on top of the main line that could have caused some serious damage if it was compromised?

-When did Reeves know of the demolition and how involved was he in carrying it out? If not Reeves, did another engineer consult on the demolition as indicated in the minutes and if so let’s see the reports?

-The relationship between Code Enforcement, the Engineering Department, and the Fire Department is a question that has only one answer … there really isn’t one - or not a good one anyway. Everyone is just doing their own thing and it seems that includes stabbing each other in the back. There is only one person to blame for that and it’s Rosamilia. He is the mayor after all, and a strong mayor keeps the troops in line and makes them play nice ... at least in the public eye.

More to King Fuels than a gas line and butting heads (DOCUMENTS)

REEVES

 The way I see it the administration had a choice … Planning Department Commissioner Bill Dunne or City Engineer Russ Reeves.

The two have clashed on more than one occasion and even came close to fist-a-cuffs at one point. This time, it appears, the administration made up its mind and went with Dunne because Reeves apparently had had enough and submitted his resignation earlier this week.

The latest dust-up revolves around the demolition of 12 buildings at the old King Fuels site in South Troy. The project was through the Local Development Corporation, a quasi-governmental body where Dunne serves as executive director.

In his resignation letter dated Monday, Reeves said engineering work was done by non-engineers and that the demolition crew had come close enough to a main gas line putting public safety in grave danger. As such, since he is the city engineer, he said his license was also in danger should anything have happened. There are a number of ancillary stories depending on who you talk to, but that’s the gist of it.

I’m not saying who is wrong or right, but despite the two not hitting it off the process at King Fuels has been ongoing and, to say the least, convoluted.

-On June 7, 2013 the LDC, which owns the King Fuels site, requested bids to take down 12 buildings. The RFB included performing an asbestos survey, asbestos abatement and the removal of all friable material.

DUNNE

-Before the bids were due on June 20, 2013 the LDC withdrew the RFB, citing the need for an asbestos survey first. The FRB clearly states the contractor who is awarded the bid would need to perform the asbestos survey but the lack of one is the reason it was withdrawn.

-In November, 2013, according to LDC minutes, two of the buildings were condemned and were to be taken down by emergency decree. The board said it had set aside $200,000 for the demolition and were entertaining three bids with the award eventually going to Provincial Contracting Services. Since the buildings were vacant for at least a couple decades, it’s unclear why the emergency demolition was necessary on the isolated, unpopulated site.

-In December, 2013, according to the minutes, Dunne told the board demolition could not proceed on two of the buildings – it’s unclear if it’s the two buildings mentioned above – until Reeves obtained an engineering report.

-In January, the LDC Facebook page shows photos of a company knocking down the former Benzoil building, one of the 12 listed in the June, 2013 RFB. The January minutes also mention an engineering report related to two of the buildings and to a gas line – presumably the one mentioned above that sparked the latest Dunne/Reeves pissing match.

-On March 1, a Saturday, the LDC again requested demolition bids using a website called BidNet, a site that charges either by the month or the year. The bids were due on March 6 and Casale Construction was low bidder out of five companies and was awarded the contract. Work on the site was ongoing until last Friday when it was shut down because of the gas line. It has since picked up again. Here are the TLDC March minutes. I'm awaiting the answer to a FOIL request to see the particulars of the RFB.

-When Reeves submitted his resignation he cited the gas line and public safety as the most recent threat to his engineering license, but he also referred to the controversial King Street demolition where patrons of Bombers were seen coming and going while the asbestos ridden building next door was demolished as per emergency decree. He was asked for an emergency demolition permit but refused, according to sources, so the demo was ordered by Fire Chief Tom Garrett while Reeves was on vacation.

-Reeves was invited to Albany by the FBI to talk about that project as well as redevelopment of the Scolite property and the controversial construction of sidewalks in North Central.

-Dunne is front and center in all three projects and some Democrats are wondering how much longer he will survive in his present position.

-The Council, according to President Rodney Wiltshire, is set to look into what transpired at King Fuels and it will be interesting to see if they utilize subpoena power.

-Reeves met with Mayor Lou Rosamilia, Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan and Corporation Counsel Ian Silverman Tuesday morning.

-There are fears in City Hall that the administration will go after some of those close to Reeves, for what reason I’m not sure but the fears are very real.

-I don’t think this one is over yet. Never let it be said I don’t have a knack for the painfully obvious.