Who We Are
The Batchellerville Bridge Action Committee (BBAC), created in 2001, draws its membership from the 4,650 property owners who hold access permits to Great Sacandaga Lake. The permits are issued by the Hudson River-Black River Regulating District, the state authority that controls this 29-mile-long river-regulating reservoir.
The BBAC works to preserve the beauty of this beautiful body of water for the enjoyment of future generations. This has led to confrontations with the Regulating District (which has a long history of scandal and incompetence), various state agencies, and special interest groups.
The BBAC is headed by Peter (Pete) VanAvery, seasonal resident of the Town of Edinburg since 1951. He and Maryann Haskell, seasonal Edinburg resident since 1998, co-founded the watchdog group.
The BBAC's influence reflects the reality that Great Sacandaga's property owners, when united, represent a powerful force. In summer, seasonal property owners triple or quadruple the populations of lake-area towns and villages. Expenditures and taxes paid by all property owners, seasonal and permanent, power the local economy, supporting stores, marinas, and restaurants, as well as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople.
The BBAC was created after the New York State Department of Transportation announced plans to replace the aging 3,000-foot-long Batchellerville Bridge at Edinburg. DOT proposed to replace the existing bridge, which is flat and low, with a high arch-like structure that would allow tall sailboats to pass underneath.
The BBAC had no objection to an arched bridge -- up to a point. But while asking stakeholders to comment on alternative designs with vertical clearances underneath ranging from 35 feet to 55 feet, DOT obviously favored the latter. With an eight-foot-thick deck above the vertical clearance, the highest design would elevate County Highway 98 up to the tips of the lampposts on the existing bridge.
The resulting concrete and steel eyesore, which would destroy the lake's vista, was unacceptable to the BBAC. In addition, many drivers questioned the safety of an arched bridge. They already had horror stories to tell about crossing the existing bridge in icy, windy conditions.
The BBAC rallied the lake's property owners to protest, and in 2002 the DOT announced a compromise design, an arched bridge with a 42-foot vertical clearance that would allow most of the lake's sailboats to pass underneath. Funding for the project did not become available until October 2006. At that point, DOT pulled a double cross, announcing that it was going to reopen the debate over the design of the bridge. A public hearing will be held in April 2007 on a date to be announced. The BBAC has returned to the battle.
Meanwhile, the BBAC has extended its advocacy to other issues impacting quality of life and property values:
- Beginning in 2003, the BBAC has led opposition to the Regulating District's mismanagement of water levels. By keeping them unreasonably high for extended periods of time, the District has submerged beaches, caused extensive shoreline erosion, and damaged hundreds of docks and stairways. This has harmed summer and winter sports and the local economy. The BBAC has called for the District to amend the Federal license on the reservoir so that more water can be released during periods of excessive precipitation.
- Also in 2003, the BBAC was a vocal critic of the Regulating District's attempt to hike permit fees by as much as 1,000%. The BBAC helped to rally widespread public opposition that forced the District to rescind its ill-conceived plan.
- Early in 2006, at the BBAC's urging, a local newspaper ran an expose revealing that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation had issued permits to nine entities -- including sewage treatment plants in Mayfield, Broadalbin, and Sacandaga Park -- to discharge treated wastewater into the Great Sacandaga or its tributaries. This news horrified the lake's stakeholders.
- Later, by invoking the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, the BBAC discovered -- and publicized -- the fact that the last time DEC tested the lake's water quality was 1991. The BBAC is now encouraging its members to complain to the new Spitzer Administration to stop treating the lake with indifference and to give us the oversight we pay for with our taxes.
- In 2006, BBAC members actively participated in the Regulating District's attempt to update its rules for permit holders, attending and speaking out at its eight public input meetings.
- When the District botched the rule-revision process, it asked stakeholders, including the BBAC, to serve on a new Great Sacandaga Lake Advisory Committee. Purpose: To help rewrite the rules to meet stakeholder objections.
- In 2007, with two emergency release valves declared inoperative at the Conklingville Dam, the BBAC launched a campaign to inform the Spitzer Administration and the public that the Regulating District was not technically competent to operate a high-hazard dam that impounds nearly 300 billion gallons of water.
BBAC members are kept abreast of what's happening around the lake through the BBAC Newsletter. In 2006, 22 issues were distributed to members. A subscription comes with BBAC membership, which carries no charge. How do you join? It's easy. Start by clicking here.