Greenburgh sewer repairs face new scrutiny after $2 million in spending and years of delays
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is calling for competitive bidding before additional money is approved for the project.
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A long-running sewer crisis in Greenburgh is facing renewed scrutiny as town officials debate how to complete permanent repairs near 100 East Hartsdale Avenue after more than two years of delays and millions of dollars in spending.
The sewer pipes have been damaged for roughly two and a half years, forcing the town to rely on temporary pumps and other measures while officials work toward a permanent solution.
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is calling for competitive bidding before additional money is approved for the project.
“The town needs to show the public that when there's a project that’s taken two and a half years, that we're going to competitive bidding,” Feiner said.
Other members of the Town Board say the repairs should move forward quickly, arguing that financial safeguards are already in place and that additional delays could create greater risks.
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel; it’s not a train coming to hit us. It is giving relief to the people of East Hartsdale Avenue,” Town Board member Francis Sheehan said.
Sheehan said the goal remains to complete the work before the start of the school year, when traffic in the area is expected to increase.
However, town officials have not yet publicly presented a final budget for completing the permanent repairs.
Residents who have lived through years of noise, construction equipment and uncertainty say the situation should serve as a warning for the rest of Greenburgh.
“If it happened here, since no one seems to be doing any preventive work, it can happen in a different part of Greenburgh,” said James D., a resident of 100 East Hartsdale Avenue.
Town building officials also warned that delaying the repairs could create a serious public health risk if the temporary pumping system fails.
“If the pumps fail, there’s going to be a public health emergency,” Greenburgh Deputy Building Inspector Liz Gerrity said.
Residents say they want the sewer fixed but remain frustrated by the financial cost of a project they believe should have been completed long ago.
“Taxes are going up,” James said.
Greenburgh taxpayers have spent more than $2 million on the East Hartsdale Avenue sewer project to date.
