NORWICH – Chenango County doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to getting the New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad route from Chenango Forks to Sherburne back up and running.
“We don’t have any business prospects now nor existing businesses that need it, except up Sherburne way, where the railroad is still operating,” Maureen Carpenter, president of Commerce Chenango, told members of the Chenango County Planning Board Tuesday.
As a member of the Planning Board, and its newly-elected secretary/treasurer, Carpenter offered her report along with other board members who represent the county in its planning endeavors. She said Commerce Chenango, previously known as the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce, is concerned about the lack of rail service locally because it has been targeting biodeisel and ethanol companies to locate here.
“We have a large agricultural presence. There are hundreds of acres of farm land that could be used to plant willow, corn, soybeans and other alternative energy products,” she said.
Rail service is a key selling feature for the city of Norwich’s Borden Avenue industrial park, Norwich Mayor Joseph Mauriano said recently. Water and sewer utilities are ready to be hooked up at the former Great American warehouse site, and businesses have inquired about the buildings there. “That’s a big area that can be developed. One of the avenues for doing that is railroad access,” the Mayor said.
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