The Seneca Falls Town Board might sue the New York State Canal Corp.
It has to do with the ongoing dispute between town and state officials over ownership of the culvert underneath W. Bayard Street. It’s a tunnel, and it’s crumbling. It even prompted the months-long closure of West Bayard Street in 2019.
Road closure ended, but the dispute did not.
Engineers are evaluating options for repair as the Town considers what its next move will be. The Town Board voted 5-0 Tuesday to have Town Attorney Patrick Morrell file the legal document that preserves one party’s right to file a formal lawsuit against another if a dispute cannot be resolved, according to the Finger Lakes Times.
Complicating things slightly – both Ferrara Lumber Company and Seneca Knit Development Corporation would need to be in on any solution. They own land where the drain line runs after it passes West Bayard Street.
Councilmember Doug Avery said that the state created the problem by building the canal, so it should be responsible for fixing it. Meanwhile, Councilmember Steve Churchill said he’d like to see the canal drained to get a better look at the problem.
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