Columbia Borough and the Safe Harbor Power and Water Company have enjoyed a long friendship. This friendship is due mainly do to the cooperative policing of Safe Harbor owned property by Columbia Borough.
In 2010, Safe Harbor apprcoached Columbia Borough with an offer to gift three parcels of land located along the Susquehanna River. These three parcels are commonly known as the cottage area along the river and are occupied by local cottage owners a nd several boat clubs, one of the boat clubs, the Columbia Canoe Club, is the second oldest canoe club in the country.
Columbia Borough has accepted the offer from Safe Harbor and discussion centered around once accepted, the borough would transfer the property to the cottage owners and the boat clubs. The cottage owners and boat clubs have been there for several generations and the borough felt transferring the property to those who have maintained and sometimes lived on the property is the right thing to do.
The property transfer is to be handled by the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, a local non-profit organization formed to create economic development opportunities within the borough. The transaction is to be similar to the transfer of the property for the Turkey Hill Experience. The proceeds from the transfer of property is to be used by the borough for economic development and quality of life enhancements within the borough.
Shortly after contact with Safe Harbor on the possible gifting, Columbia Borough was approached by the Columbia Water Company, a stockholder owned corporation, not affiliated with Columbia Borough. The Columbia Water Company expressed a need for additional land to expand the plant due to increased filtration requirements. The Columbia Water Company wanted to purchase the parcel of land next to their property. The parcel is currently hoe to several boat clubs and one private residence.
Not wanting to take land from these people, Columbia Borough tried to negotiate with the Columbia Water Company only got the land needed for the expansion. This would minimize the loss of property to those currently leasing the land. Columbia Borough has a solution that would allow the displaced boat clubs to relocate along the Susquehanna River and not infringe on any other leased property.
This option was not acceptable to the Columbia Water Company so the borough presented another idea to the water company, which would not infringe on any of the leased properties, not take river front land of which the dear Lord has only created so much, keep the river front open, allow the water company to locate along the access road and be further from river flooding.
The idea is for the borough to purchase the land from Norfolk Southern running from approximately the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge to Union Street. The land is currently used by Norfolk Southern as an access road. The sale of this land is to be in conjunction with the purchase of the land between the bridges and along the river. This land is to be incorporated into the River Park for public use.
The Columbia Water Company was to present the idea to engineers and give a response to the borough. Instead, the Columbia Water Company has decided to take the one parcel containing te boat clubs by eminent domain. This is not the right thing to do. There are other options that have not been given due thought.
Columbia Borough taxpayers, many of whom have leased propertu and are members of the boat clubs, need to understand the impact of this taking.
Columbia Borough has invested money in an appraisal of the three parcels. This is needed to establish the value of the gifting and subsequent sale. The borough has incurred legal fees associated with the gifting of the three parcels and have asked the Lancaster County Planning Commission to fund a phase one environmental study, needed to ensure the borough that no environmental problems exist on the property they are to own. Columbia Borough was to sell the three parcels a\nd the proceeds were to be used for the economic development and quality of life projects. With the taking by the water company, the value will be considerably less. The Columbia Water Company has incurred legal fees in preparing to take the property by eminent domain, which will be paid by the customers of the Columbia Water Company – Columbia Borough taxpayers. If the taking by eminent domain is challenged, the Columbia Water Company will incur additional legal expenses defending its action. These legal fees will be born by the customers. The Columbia Economic Development Corporation was to receive a fee for transferring the land. The CEDC by law must use any monies earned for economic development projects within the borough. Additionally, the borough’s administrative personnel have spent hours working on this project. Add to the $35,000 Columbia Borough pays the water company for fire hydrants and it is not hard to see that Columbia Borough taxpayers will have a considerable financial loss if this taking happens.
The bottom line is that this may be the easy thing for the Columbia Water Company to do but it is not the right thing to do.
26 comments:
The Borough of Columbia needs to do the right thing and challenge this even if it means taking it through the court system. I actually hate the process of eminent Domain. I fear the worst outcome. The Columbia Water Co. is mandated by the Penna. Utility Commission. This makes it easier for eminent domain to happen. In the end the Boat Club and others will end up losing which is sad. As one who followed the newspapers and this blog it is so sad what is happening along the Susquehanna river. What a shame!
JN
Stories like this one are the primary reason I moved from the boro... I would never move back BUT THIS is going to end bad for everybody involved. The residents are going to pay for this one, no matter how it ends up.
I told you before, we have take over the columbia water company!! This town is giveing up alot of money by not owning our own water comp. Buy them out or take it by other means! The water company sat silent untill the land issue came up. Now the greed sits in, tkae all you can now, there is no tomorrow on this!! Robert...
Robert, the water co is a private owned co, OWNED BY MR. DONALD NIKOLAUS.....the one way to hit em where it hurts is to TELL EVERYBODY-all FAMILY, FRIENDS NOT TO USE DONALDS LAWYER OFFICES...also, if we were smart, we'd LEARN WHO ALL THE WATER CO BOARD MEMBERS ARE AND BOYCOTT THEIR BUSINESSES........you know, the Columbia Water Co is EXPANDING INTO OTHER BOROS, MUNICIPALITIES,TOWNSHIPS, ETC......it's (eminent domain) not even for COLUMBIA BOROUGH - but rather, Donegal, West Hempfield, and God knows where else. NOOOOOO THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO..........................................
The only thing i'd add is to say that "one day, you MUST answer to the Man above, and He knows the Truth." Greed is indeed a part of it.
The Columbia Borough employees, particularly Leo and Norm have done extraordinary amounts of work to make this a win, win, win, win situation for ALL involved...the Borough, Safe Harbor, Cottage Owners and Cola Water Co. Now, for whatever unkown reason, the members of the Board of the Columbia Water Company have decided that their interests are far more important than the other parties involved. As the article states, the Water Company board is putting themselves and their corporation ahead of the cottage owners and more importantly the citizens of the Borough who were to benefit from this. I wonder who sits on the water company board and would make such harmfull decisions that effect the residents of the borough? Hopefully they are not residents themselves. The rumor has it that the land in question "needed" for "(2) future remidiation strains" is actually not true and that in fact the land will be used to expand the water companys infrastructure for the purpose of expanding the coverage area/customer base, thus making the water company even more money...how sad if true. To simply not want to accept an alternative, feasible offer that will cause such harm is inexcuseable. Hopefully people will find out who the board members are and let them know how wrong this is.
The above story was given to me by COLUMBIA BOROUGH. It was an issued discussed at the February council meeting and never reported in the newspapers.
Who's in control at the water company making these decision????
That is a very good QUESTION!! And why was this never reported in the news paper! The question is WHY!! I think the people on the Board for the water company is the reason WHY!! Robert
I am not getting this. The above letter came from the Borough of Columbia and the tone is that they are not happy with the Water Company filing a declaration of taking for the land yet in the objections filed by the Columbia Heritage River Cottage Association it is claimed by the association that it was discovered in August of 2010 that officials from Columbia Borough entered into talks with the Water Company to transfer the property to the Water Company. Read it for your self. Go the Lancaster County Website, then the prothonatary office, go to search civil records and enter Columbia in the last name field. (You have to narrow the dates in the search or you will get too many results. Try 10/1/2010 to 2/24/2011)
DONALD NIKOLAUS IS IN CONTROL. HE OWNS THE PRIVATE WATER CO AND HE RUNS IT AND CONTROLS IT. THERE IS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY ARE NOT VERY SMART EITHER.............
MAYBE WE NEED TO KNOW THE NAMES OF ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS............
AND SO TO WHY IT WASNT IN THE NEWSPAPER I DON'T KNOW. GOOD QUESTION.
For the statement above, remember it was only talks. Nothing was written in stone! As i said before, the major stockholders faces you dont see. This issue about expanding only came up when the land was going to be transferred. columbia must take the water company at any means! Robert
it shows how down and dirty they all are. we need to boycott all the businesses involved. it'll be too late for them to frealize that they made a truly bad decision
barry where are all the other posts ?????????
the water co is owned and controlled by DONALD NIKOLAUS.....we need to put names on ALL WATER CO BOARD MEMBERS.......unfortunately, they don;t have a clue.....didn't use thier heads....are puppets in donalds game....and they may as well move their businesses out of the boro. tell me, WHY would i do business with any of you ??????
GREED. IT'S ALL ABOUT GREED. DONALD WANTS WHAT DONALD WANTS. AND GUESS WHAT COLUMBIA - THE NEED TO EXPAND IS NOT BECAUSE OF COLUMBIA BORO (WE ARE LANDLOCKED, NO EXPANSIONS HERE) IT'S BECAUSE OF THE GREED......COLUMBIA WATER CO WANTS TO SERVICE ALL SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES - LIKE DONEGAL, WEST HEMPFIELD AND OTHERS.... IT'S ONLY ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR. NOT THE PEOPLE.
the water co is owned by Donald Nikolaus.....lawyer
This is terrible. What needs to be done is have this get to the local media oulets and let them run with this. Those in charge of the water company or the water company's board need to be held responsible for their reckless actions. Seems like the water company moved rather swiftly on this option rather than another option??
yes, it's all about greed. and yes, at least 3 cola water co board members live inthis boro and 2 are business owners. i say boycott both, spread the word to your families, friends, coworkers, etc. we CAN do some damage here.....
barry, why don't you post the rest of the comments ??? i know i've made a few, where are they ? WE have the right to know the names of these board members !!!!!!
BARRY-please POST THIS-TO ALL BORO RESIDENTS-
I THINK YOU WILL BE QUITE SURPRiSED WHEN YOU learn THE NAMES OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OF THE columbia WATER CO...you'll also be
shocked, saddended, disappointed, disgusted,mad, angry, disgruntled, sickened, pissed off, annoyed, bunch of cowaards, i could go on, but it'd be censored ! you get my drift.
"WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND"
"YOU'LL BE TREATED AS YOU'VE TREATED OTHERS"
"YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED AND EMBARASSED TO SHOW YOUR FACES"
*****there was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON ON EARTH FOR THIS ****** it's ALL about GREED.....
DID ANYONE EVER THINK THE BOROUGH PUT THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF THEM FOR BOTCHING THE PROPOSED SALE OF THE PROPERTIES. BLAME SOMEONE EKSE -- THE BORO IS GOOD AT IT
First off, this would probably have to be approved by the PUC and what the water company is doing is one of those mandated things from the government. Again, right now no one has been hurt by this. The canoe club and other boat club down there will have their space, the cottage owners seem to be fine with this. Again, yes, the water company is a private governing body and with the borough's luck of trying to run thngs, why would you want that. Why not the outcry with the borough when your sewer rates double or triple when they build a new sewer plant?
And remember, it was COLUMBIA BOROUGH saying our water rates would sky rocket, not the water company. The key word is COLUMBIA BOROUGH
People -- People -- People. Instead of complaining about everything why not offer a solution to the problem. Buying the water company and boycotting businesses isn't the way to go. It's easy to complain, not so easy to come up with a solution.
Some of the above statements are SOLUTIONS!!Robert
For the constant complainers -- you know where route 30 and route 42 are? If so, take it and see if the grass is greener on the other side, so to speak. No one says you have to stay here
To the person who said "it was columbia borough who said our water rate will sky rocket" they are just relaying the message given to them by the WATER COMPANY THEMSELVES!!!! Robert
I know where route 30 is and alot of other places. BUT you can go up to HERSHEY AVENUE i bet you know where that is!!!! Robert
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