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Study calls Von Ritter property a ‘dump’
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| Property off Tanners Lane in Hudson owned by Heinrich Von Ritter. (Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers) |
By Jamie Larson
An environmental study of the land at the center of renewed legal action against the city calls the site a “dump.” Heinrich Von Ritter has been fighting the city in and out of court for years for compensation for flood damage to his Tanners Lane property caused by the rerouting of drainage pipes.
Von Ritter has stated that he believes that his property, minus the damage caused by the city, is worth $3 million, due to its industrial zoning and proximity to the water front. Von Ritter does not agree with the city’s assessment that his property has a negative value due to the cost of cleaning up the property.
Von Ritter filed an affidavit with the New York state Supreme Court saying the city is in contempt for breaching a March 13 settlement which called for the city to buy the property after properly assessing the value.
City officials, including Mayor Richard Scalera and Department of Public Works Superintendent Robert Perry, say that while Von Ritter feels his triangular shaped property across the CSX railroad tracks from the old L and B factory, is valuable, damage caused by the large amounts of garbage has made the land worthless.
Officials also say that while the property does get inundated with water during a storm so does everything else in the area, as it’s in the river’s flood plane. Scalera added that even if Von Ritter’s property wasn’t covered in trash it wouldn’t be worth as much as Von Ritter says, noting that the much larger, nearby L and B property is appraised at $2 million.
A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment impact study was done on the Von Ritter property in May by Crawford and Associates Engineering, PC. According to the report, obtained by the Register-Star, the cost of cleaning up waste from the property, both above and below ground, was estimated at $227,756.
“It has been estimated that the surface of the site is 30-40 percent covered with solid waste which needs to be removed and properly disposed of,” the assessment reads, “It is estimated that there are approximately 2,000 waste passenger tires, 20 empty 55 gallon drums, a bus, five cars, two boats, and miscellaneous mixed solid waste.”
The assessment also states that after exhuming numerous test holes on the property “considerable” solid waste was found in the subsurface. Crawford estimated that 25 percent of the subsurface removed for its tests was found to consist of solid waste.
The report said much of the immediate surface of the ground has been covered in carpeting. Von Ritter told the Register-Star and Crawford that it was put there to soak up any oil dripping out of the vehicles on the property. In the photographs that accompany the Phase II it appears that some of the carpeting is now slightly below the ground level, with vegetation growing above it.
Crawford estimated that removing the subsurface waste would cost nearly $38,000 and removal of 316 tons of contaminated soil and fill would cost $22,000.
City officials say that this assessment clearly discredits the value of the property claimed by Von Ritter.
Von Ritter has stated in the past that much of what the city considers waste wasn’t trash until it was ruined by water damage when the city rerouted storm and wastewater drains.
Von Ritter has said in the past that he feels the city is skirting its obligations and disrespecting him and his property with its actions.
“I’m sick of this,” Von Ritter said Friday. “I’m looking for a fair settlement for my damages and replacement value for my property. I want out I can’t have this any more. Things are contaminated with human sewage.”
“Those lands, absent the other issues, would have been more valuable,” Scalera said, “but now they aren’t. We didn’t dump in washing machines, and piles of rugs and oils. We complied but he didn’t like what the appraisal initialed. It just simply needs to go back to court.”
To reach reporter Jamie Larson, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2269, or e-mail jlarson@registerstar.com.
Von Ritter has stated that he believes that his property, minus the damage caused by the city, is worth $3 million, due to its industrial zoning and proximity to the water front. Von Ritter does not agree with the city’s assessment that his property has a negative value due to the cost of cleaning up the property.
Von Ritter filed an affidavit with the New York state Supreme Court saying the city is in contempt for breaching a March 13 settlement which called for the city to buy the property after properly assessing the value.
City officials, including Mayor Richard Scalera and Department of Public Works Superintendent Robert Perry, say that while Von Ritter feels his triangular shaped property across the CSX railroad tracks from the old L and B factory, is valuable, damage caused by the large amounts of garbage has made the land worthless.
Officials also say that while the property does get inundated with water during a storm so does everything else in the area, as it’s in the river’s flood plane. Scalera added that even if Von Ritter’s property wasn’t covered in trash it wouldn’t be worth as much as Von Ritter says, noting that the much larger, nearby L and B property is appraised at $2 million.
A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment impact study was done on the Von Ritter property in May by Crawford and Associates Engineering, PC. According to the report, obtained by the Register-Star, the cost of cleaning up waste from the property, both above and below ground, was estimated at $227,756.
“It has been estimated that the surface of the site is 30-40 percent covered with solid waste which needs to be removed and properly disposed of,” the assessment reads, “It is estimated that there are approximately 2,000 waste passenger tires, 20 empty 55 gallon drums, a bus, five cars, two boats, and miscellaneous mixed solid waste.”
The assessment also states that after exhuming numerous test holes on the property “considerable” solid waste was found in the subsurface. Crawford estimated that 25 percent of the subsurface removed for its tests was found to consist of solid waste.
The report said much of the immediate surface of the ground has been covered in carpeting. Von Ritter told the Register-Star and Crawford that it was put there to soak up any oil dripping out of the vehicles on the property. In the photographs that accompany the Phase II it appears that some of the carpeting is now slightly below the ground level, with vegetation growing above it.
Crawford estimated that removing the subsurface waste would cost nearly $38,000 and removal of 316 tons of contaminated soil and fill would cost $22,000.
City officials say that this assessment clearly discredits the value of the property claimed by Von Ritter.
Von Ritter has stated in the past that much of what the city considers waste wasn’t trash until it was ruined by water damage when the city rerouted storm and wastewater drains.
Von Ritter has said in the past that he feels the city is skirting its obligations and disrespecting him and his property with its actions.
“I’m sick of this,” Von Ritter said Friday. “I’m looking for a fair settlement for my damages and replacement value for my property. I want out I can’t have this any more. Things are contaminated with human sewage.”
“Those lands, absent the other issues, would have been more valuable,” Scalera said, “but now they aren’t. We didn’t dump in washing machines, and piles of rugs and oils. We complied but he didn’t like what the appraisal initialed. It just simply needs to go back to court.”
To reach reporter Jamie Larson, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2269, or e-mail jlarson@registerstar.com.
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