LIBERTY – The Liberty Town Board advanced a major infrastructure project and addressed several items of business during its July 6 meeting.

At the start of the meeting, the board approved the transfer of a New York State Department of Transportation parcel containing a portion of the former rail bed north of Fox Mountain Road to the Town of Liberty.

Dave Ohman, a representative of Delaware Engineering, also presented parts two and three of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Full Environmental Assessment Form for the proposed Harris Road Water and Sewer extension project.

Following the presentation, the board issued a negative declaration, determining the project would not have significant adverse environmental impact and would not require a full environmental statement.

The board later tabled discussion on Fast Build LLC’s request to waive permit renewal fees for lots on Devany Road, citing the absence of board members Bruce Davidson and Sherri Kavleski. Discussion on grant applications for the Swan Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant headworks relocation project was also postponed.

During the public comment section, one resident, Cora Edwards, thanked the board for postponing the Fast Build discussion until the full board could participate but said the developer should ultimately pay the fees. Edwards said town employees had devoted significant time to overseeing the project and that paying the fees would demonstrate, “good faith, good will and good neighborliness.”

However, another resident, Erin Smith, urged the board not to delay a decision, arguing that the issue could have been voted on despite the absence of the other board members.

Smith argued that homeowners and other property owners are expected to renew permits and pay associated fees on time and so the developer should be held to the same standard.

“I think it’s an affront to everybody who follows the rules and pays the bills as they come. It’s wrong for them to ask not to pay the permit fee and it’s wrong if you consider not making them pay,” said Smith.

In a letter to the town board, Avi Samuel of Fast Build, said the request to waive renewal fees is because of delays to the project.

“These delays arose because the town either should not have issued the permits when they did, or should not have subsequently held up my project,” Samuel wrote.

He added that he “followed every legal step” over the past three years and as a result of the delay has incurred “significant financial and time losses.”