MONTICELLO — After a resolution approving the purchase of property for a new county visitors' center passed in Executive Committee last week, the same resolution went before the full county legislature board yesterday.

The tides turned a little bit as three legislators voted against the measure this time.

District 2 Legislator Nadia Rajsz, District 4 Legislator Catherine Owens, and Chairman Luis Alvarez all voted “no.” The vote came in at six to three, so the resolution passed.

Both Rajsz and Owens cited their constituents' concerns over the visitors' center for their dissention.

“On behalf of my constituents on the western side of the county, I vote no,” Rajsz said. “This is not a negative reflection on anything that the Visitor's Association has done for the county, but on their [constituents] behalf and all the negative comments I've heard I must vote no.”

Owens said, “I vote no on behalf of my constituents and, I believe, constituents and taxpayers throughout the county. My constituents vehemently prefer that we approach our representatives up in Albany to have the room tax reallocated with more return to the taxpayer, and that if we build a visitors' center we locate it at one or more entrances to the county, not at the center of the county, and without monetary grandiosity.”

The proposed visitors' center would be located in Rock Hill near the State Route 17 exit. Based on tax records, the property will total 21.3 acres. The property will be purchased from private land owners at a cost of $425,000.

“I am in support of this resolution,” said District 9 Legislator Alan Sorensen, whose district includes Rock Hill. “I believe that the county needs a visitors' center, and we have looked at a multitude of sites to try to locate the visitors' center. This particular site is situated in a very good location, it will have great access from Route 17, and it will have visibility. It also has the opportunity to connect into a vibrant center and is a good location in which to promote the county.”

Sorensen added that the county has gone through their due diligence and the site has access to public sewer, which will lower the original proposed cost of $4.5 million, which was for a different location and a different building.

District 1 Legislator Scott Samuelson made an amendment to the resolution to take out the “not to exceed $4.5 million” statement, because that was for a different location, which has since beenchanged.

“I believe that there is probably a lot of information that is floating around in the county and that is probably our fault a little bit,” Samuelson said. “Unfortunately the numbers in the resolutiondon't reflect the reality of the process at this point in time. The number we had in the resolution reflected a visitors' center at another site, a different building. There is no building that has beenplanned at this point in time, and we don't have the details as to whether it's going to be a visitors' center, or economic development, there are a lot of questions still to be answered. But it's high time that the county does this.”

District 7 Legislator Joe Perrello expressed his support for the center, adding that the $4.5 million was a projected cost and ultimately they expect it to be lower.

“There is a need in the county for this,” Perrello said. “It could be substantially less money, so at this point we will go forward and we will find out the actual costs, and it should be much less.”

Sorensen agreed with Perrello, saying he is committed to bringing the cost down.

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