The Cornwall Town Board had a special meeting on Monday evening to consider allowing Supervisor Josh Wojehowski to sign ‘Notice of Grant and Agreement Award’ documents with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The signatures are needed so that Cornwall can participate in an Emergency Watershed Protection Program for local “at risk” properties.

The topic is not a new one for the board; they’ve been discussing it since not long after the July 9, 2023 flooding rain.

“With this program we are looking to purchase five properties on Hasbrouck Ave. and one on Clara Ave., if the owners are willing to sell,” Wojehowski said at the September 17 Town Board meeting.

The six properties are ones that are continually being exposed to flooding. In the USDA program, a municipality gets 75% assistance to purchase such properties and turn them into green space, where flooding won’t affect individuals.

Once the town completes and submits the paperwork – assuming it’s approved Monday evening – the USDA will open an account for the town to use to start the process of having the properties appraised. It’s after those appraisals come in that the property owners can decide if they’ll sell their homes. As Wojehowski said, the town has ‘letters of interest’ from all six property owners.

“We would then own the properties,” the supervisor said. Attorney Steve Gaba said the deeds on the properties would restrict what could be done with the land.