Welcome news for town of Chester taxpayers: while other municipalities are breaking the bad news about double-digit increases, residents and businesses can expect to see a reduction of approximately $100 on their 2011 tax bills.
Supervisor Steve Neuhaus said the town has made the tax reduction possible by shopping around for new pricing on its yearly garbage contract, which resulted in a 25 percent savings over 2010; obtaining a 10 percent savings on its insurance costs; and saving approximately $12,000 a year by switching its telephone and Internet services to a new provider.
In addition, the town entered into a 21-month agreement with Orange & Rockland Utilities to pay a rate of 0.8 cents a kilowatt hour for electricity starting in 2011. It had been paying 0.14 cents on average per KW hour prior to the agreement.
Significantly helping to lower tax bills was the growth in its industrial park, which saw the expansion of C&S Wholesalers this year, as well as the opening of the Frozen Ropes”™ Rock Sports Park.
Next year looks promising, said Neuhaus, as Satin Fine Foods plans to expand its operations from 10,000 square feet to a 92,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in the former Amscan distribution center, which moved to a new 1 million-square-foot facility within the park.
Other tenants coming to Chester next year include Coach USA, which bought the last lot in the Tetz Industrial Park, which is adjacent to the Chester Industrial Park. Coach plans to build a 350,000-square-foot enclosed bus garage for its fleet, as well as move its administration offices to the site. K&M Packing, currently located in a smaller facility in New Hampton, is planning to build a 30,000-square-foot food processing facility to serve Warwick and Chester farmers who produce lettuce, arugula and spinach.
“Coach already has its plans approved and is ready to move forward. K&M is waiting for its approvals and as soon as they are in place it will start to build. It plans to employ 35 full time workers. The owners are working with both the Orange County Partnership and the county”™s Industrial Development Agency,” Neuhaus said.
The park has approximately 50 tenants of various sizes, from large distribution centers to small furniture refinishers. Neuhaus sees it as the perfect location for business with ample infrastructure to help move traffic on and off Route 17, destined to become Interstate 86, it is ready for business development and a new entrance that can be easily accessed from Exit 126.
“Right now, the town is working to upgrade its website to include a one-stop shopping location for business,” Neuhaus said. “The greatest demand by site selectors is for shovel-ready properties, ones with sewer and water already in place. The town and village plan to work with property owners in the industrial park so that the land still available can be maximized to its fullest potential. We”™re working in a ”˜down”™ economy, and now”™s the time to make properties as attractive to potential tenants and buyers as possible.”
