Silt, manure from track flows into Yaddo ponds

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The New York Racing Association’s expected bankruptcy resolution this week may allow NYRA to fix an environmental issue that has plagued a neighbor for about a decade.

Runoff from Saratoga Race Course has flowed onto the nearby property of Yaddo for years, leaving silt and manure in some of the artists’ retreat’s ponds.

NYRA promised to fix the problem, which would involve dredging sediment from affected Yaddo ponds, building an earthen dam on track property, filling in some wetlands and creating a place for the runoff to collect.

NYRA originally planned to begin work on the project in 2005, the Ad Hoc Committee on the future of racing noted in its February 2007 report.

But by the time the organization filed for bankruptcy protection in 2006, nothing had happened, and the racing association allowed a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to lapse.

Before NYRA filed for bankruptcy, officials said they wanted to use $750,000 of $19 million in state bailout money to pay for the project.

It failed to get the advance in funds, and nothing has happened on the project since then because of the delay in resolving the bankruptcy issue.

Now the estimated cost is $1.5 million, said NYRA spokesman John Lee.

“NYRA will move forward expeditiously on the project once NYRA emerges from bankruptcy, the funds become available and the permits have been reissued,” Lee said in a statement.

So far, NYRA hasn’t sought another permit extension, said Brad Sherwood, biologist and project manager for the Watervliet office of the Army Corps of Engineers. The initial permit was granted in August 2003 and expired three years later, Sherwood said.

NYRA submitted an application to renew it in December 2006, and the corps in March 2007 asked for more information before putting the project out for public notice as required by law, Sherwood said.

By last October, NYRA hadn’t responded, and Sherwood said he spoke with Charlie Wheeler, Saratoga Race Course facility manager, who requested that the application be withdrawn so NYRA could have more time to refine the plans.

At that time, the racing association wasn’t even sure it was going to have control of the franchise this year, as state officials weighed the offers of three bidders.

The original permit from the corps authorized NYRA to fill in 0.36 acres of wetlands with clean fill, make a storm water retention basin and create wetlands to offset those that were filled in.

The affected ponds are not part of the rose garden, and some are not even on the public grounds of the estate off Union Avenue.

Yaddo officials would not comment on the matter, referring calls to the group’s lawyer, Theresa Bakner. Bakner did not return calls for comment this week.

Information on the current status of permits from the state Department of Environmental Conservation was not available.

In the meantime, NYRA spent $2.3 million on capital improvements at Saratoga Race Course over the past two years, including building a special air-conditioned lounge for wealthy patrons, putting up two air-conditioned tents and rebuilding the clubhouse floor and track barns.

It has been a tough year for the racing association, which because of its bankruptcy woes and lack of a permanent contract at the beginning of the year threatened to lay off workers and quit racing if there was no finished agreement with the state. The state Legislature agreed in February that NYRA would continue to run racing.

This summer during the Saratoga meet, rain, high gasoline prices and a shaky economy resulted in lower attendance and handle figures than last year.