An Orange County judge has upheld the 15-year PILOT agreement the county Industrial Development Agency granted C&S Wholesale Grocers.
The town and village of Chester as well as its school district earlier this year filed an Article 78 proceeding alleging the IDA had given C&S Wholesale Grocers a 15-year “super enhanced” payment in lieu of taxes or PILOT the company was not entitled to.
In a ruling Nov. 22, Orange County Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Cohen found no wrongdoing.
C&S, which has a 174,000-square-foot facility Chester”™s Industrial Park, wanted to add an additional 348,000 square feet of refrigerated space.
After holding a public hearing in December 2009, the IDA gave C&S, which projected the creation and/or retention of an additional 1,000 jobs and an anticipated yearly annual payroll of $35 million with its new addition, the 15-year PILOT.
“We knew it was an uphill battle,” said Chester Town Supervisor Steve Neuhaus, “but we didn”™t want the PILOT granted to C&S to set a precedent with other tenants coming into the industrial park. (IDA Chairman) Jim Petro and I both are working together and have just given Satin Foods, another industrial park tenant, a traditional 10-year PILOT. I”™m glad we are working together now. We are both on each other”™s speed dials, that”™s for sure. Neither of us want any more misunderstandings.”
As for Petro, who predicted the IDA would prevail, said he was glad the case was settled and intends to continue working on the positive relationship formed since the brouhaha over C&S. “I just want prospective businesses to know that Chester and the Orange County IDA are open for business,” he said.
