Updated: 10/30/2002 at 10:52AM
Results are needed in the near future as Lake Wanda may not exist much longer. Quite honestly, this news came as a complete shock. For years we have heard of the possibility of the State of New Jersey "taking over" the lake, which was assumed to be a good thing. Now, all of a sudden, we realize that assumption could not be farther from the truth. Lake Wanda is in serious jeopardy, and the possibilty of its extinction is very real. Stories about this lake go back as far as the time of my great-grandparents in the earlier part of the 1900s. As a staple in my family history and the histories of many families in the community, this would be a most devastating loss.
The current Lake Wanda crisis has even acquired the attention of the local press. Below you will find several recent articles from the New Jersey Herald and VernonWeb News, summarizing the progress of the recent campaign to save Lake Wanda. You can also read what I personally have to say about the current situation.
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[Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2002] VERNON -- Lake Wanda is in trouble and could be drained sooner rather than later. Negotiations between a recently incorporated lake association and the lake's owner have dragged on for months, and now, the lake's fate is in the hands of the State Attorney General's Office, leaving the lake association up the creek without a paddle. The state is threatening to drain the lake immediately if the owners do not comply with a State Department of Environmental Protection request for a dam safety inspection. In a letter dated Oct. 15, to Grace Schwarz of Montville, the legal owner of the lake, State Attorney General David Samson wrote, "The department has sent letters dated Oct. 4, 2000 and Aug. 1, 2001, ordering you as the owner and operator of the above-referenced dam to submit a dam safety inspection report as required by the Safe Dam Act." The letter states, "The DEP is hereby ordering you to drain the lake immediately." The state is requiring that Grace Schwarz submit detailed plans describing how she intends to lower the water level in the lake. Members of The Lake Wanda Property Owners Association said they were not notified of the DEP's decision to drain the lake. "The DEP knows we are in negotiations with the owner, and we were not informed. We want to save this lake, but our hands are tied. The property owners association could do the inspection, but we don't own the lake. We are really between a rock and a hard place," said Kathy Agnelli, lakefront property owner and president of the Lake Wanda Property Owners Association. On Jan. 24, the attorney general's office threatened legal action if the owner's noncompliance persisted. According to the letter, the attorney general's office received a reply from Schwarz on March 8, asking for instructions on the procedure for draining the lake. Schwarz did not return phone calls, but her son, Dennis, did, and claimed to be unaware of the Oct. 15 letter to his mother. "I am completely unaware of the most recent letter," he said. "My mother is not aware of it either. She has been in rehab for the past three weeks due to a hip replacement." The letter was certified, and a return receipt request accompanied it. Should the Schwarz family fail to comply with DEP regulations, the attorney general's office will file a complaint in Superior Court seeking an injunction assessing financial penalties that would amount to a $5,000 fine for each violation of dam safety standards. If there is no compliance by Dec. 18, Schwarz will receive fines of $5,000 per day until the violations are corrected. Joe Ruggeri, supervising civil engineer for the State Division of Dam Safety, said the lake has to be drained. "We need to drain the lake. The dam has not been maintained in many years," said Ruggeri. "We must. We haven't seen anyone come forth, to date, who is willing to take any responsibility for the lake and the dam." Ruggeri said a rash of dam safety issues surfaced after the August 2000 floods, forcing the DEP to enforce engineering inspections and dam repairs for the numerous man-made lakes in the region. An estimated $400,000 could rehabilitate the dam, according to the lake association. The funds would be appropriated from the government at 2 percent over 20 years. The loan would be backed by Vernon. The lake association would then petition the township to assess Lake Wanda property owners roughly $100 per year. The state proposed draining the lake this past July, but political intervention from Freeholder Howard Burrell and Sen. Robert E. Littell, R-Sussex, at the state level bought the lake association time to purchase Lake Wanda. [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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[Posted Friday, October 18, 2002] VERNON -- The president of a lake association formed to purchase a privately owned 38-acre lake that the state is threatening to drain and the lake's owner are accusing each other of reneging on a deal. Kathy Agnelli, president of the Lake Wanda Property Owners Association told the Vernon Township Council this week that negotiations with Dennis Schwarz, son of the lake's owner, Grace Schwarz of Montville, have been more off than on and accused him of changing the parameters of the original deal. Schwarz accused the lake association of asking for more property in the realty contract than in the original bargain. The two sides met for over an hour at the municipal building this week, and the lake association was told Schwarz would provide a list of properties he is willing to include in the deal. Agnelli said Thursday she had not yet received the list. Schwarz asked the council if it would afford him the same courtesy of backing a government loan for repairs to the Lake Wanda dam if he formed his own lake association. The council has verbally agreed to back the residents' newly former lake association. Township attorney Joseph Ragno did not directly answer Schwarz, but said that when the township guarantees a loan, it must feel comfortable that the borrowers would be able to pay the money back. Ragno further confirmed that the township would assess property owners in the Lake Wanda area who would benefit from improvements to the lake. "Ultimately, the decision to back a loan and assess homeowners' properties would be a council decision," he said. According to Agnelli, Schwarz has reneged on his original verbal agreement that allowed the lake association to purchase the lake, beach, dam, spillway and landings for $30,000. Schwarz also admitted that he originally offered the lake for $30,000 but now is asking the association to pay his attorney's fees, realty transfer fees and his unpaid taxes, which are in excess of $25,000. "It would certainly double the original asking price," Agnelli told the council. "And Schwarz has not hired an attorney and is frustrating any attempt at negotiations by changing the contract at every turn." Schwarz admitted that he did not have an attorney and said he would get one when the time was right. The original purchase contract, according to the lake association, asked that Schwarz sell the lake, beach, dam, spillway, landings, island and numerous lots and blocks of property to the lake for $30,000. Many lake residents were originally concerned that Schwarz would drag negotiations out for an extended period of time, stalling the sale of the lake and making it impossible for the association to make the necessary repairs to the dam. Their predictions are bearing fruit, according to Agnelli. Co-organizer and lakefront property owner John Drago believes that Schwarz is playing games with Lake Wanda property owners. "We definitely will get very tough," said Drago. "If this doesn't move forward soon, we will put away the wiffle ball and bring out the big guns." According to Lake Wanda resident Carol Gramuglia, who has studied the tax rolls, Schwarz's properties remain in his father's name. Karl Schwarz bought the lake nearly 30 years ago. The tax rolls show that Schwarz has not paid taxes on any of the properties except Grace Schwarz's home in Montville, Dennis Schwarz's home on Lake Wanda, and five lots in Karl Schwarz's name adjacent to Wawayanda State Park. "I do not believe that Schwarz is broke," said Gramuglia. "According to the tax rolls, his properties have been assessed at $1.1 million. I resent having to pay a man money for 20 years of neglect." An inspection report from the state Division of Dam Safety said the dam had not been maintained in many years and is considered to be unsafe. An estimated $400,000 could rehabilitate the dam, according to the lake association. The funds would be appropriated from the government at two percent over 20 years. The loan would be backed by Vernon Township. The lake association would then petition the town to assess Lake Wanda property owners roughly $100 per year. The lake association would be responsible for lake maintenance that and property tax. [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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It appears likely that the township will guarantee a loan to be sought in future by the newly formed Lake Wanda Property Owners Association, whose members oppose the drainage of the lake. Years of inattention to proper maintenance culminated in a notice this spring from the NJDEP that the lake would be drained because, among other things, the faulty dam might lead to contamination of nearby Wawayanda Lake. Lake Wanda's private owner offered to sell the lake to the association for $30,000 this summer, but reportedly he has reneged or is vacillating on the terms of the offer. The town, if it agrees to be the guarantor of a loan, would assess Lake Wanda property owners for repayment according to an as-yet-undetermined formula. The township's lawyer has recommended that the township's assessor not become involved in concocting such formulations, but that an independent assessor be hired by the Lake Wanda Association. Meanwhile, the DEP has put its Lake Wanda drainage plans on the back burner while the alternatives are sorted out. Acting Township manager Don Teolis is to be the TC's liaison in this matter. [Copyright 1998-2002, VernonWeb News. All rights reserved.] |
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[Posted Tuesday, September 24, 2002] VERNON -- Township attorney Joseph Ragno said Monday that he has examined Lake Wanda's situation and is recommending that the Township Council support the loan for the repair of its neglected dam. Residents of the Lake Wanda community are attempting to buy the lake, its dam and surrounding property because the state has threatened to drain the lake if the dam is not repaired. Last month, members of the lake's property owners association asked the council for financial help. Ragno explained that Lake Wanda property owners would be assessed by proximity and accessibility to the lake in lessening increments in order to finance the purchase. "You can assess property by distance from the lakefront," said Ragno. "There would be differing levels of assessment and the township becomes the guarantor of the loan." Ragno spoke with township officials in surrounding municipalities that have been successful in assessing properties for specific and localized capital improvements. He warned the council to be prepared for a backlash from area residents. "It has been suggested to me that the township not use its own assessor," said Ragno. "You really should find an independent assessor, but this will cost money. Ragno said those who could and would be assessed would be property owners benefiting from the lake. The recently formed Lake Wanda Property Owners Association has been stalled in its attempt to purchase the lake from the owner's son, Dennis Schwarz. Contract negotiations with Schwarz have proceeded at a snail's pace, with Schwarz pulling out of his verbal deal, dropping many parcels of land from the contract. Schwarz's mother, Grace Schwarz of Montville, owns the property. The purchase agreement asks that Schwarz sell the lake, beach, dam, spillway, landings, island and numerous lots and blocks of property to the lake association for $30,000. Mayor John Logan believes support of Lake Wanda residents is necessary and questioned acting township manager Don Teolis if Schwarz was delinquent with taxes. "We should really get behind these people," said Logan. "I don't really know if this guy is dragging his feet, but these people really need our support." Teolis said he has been in touch with Sen. Robert Littell, R-Sussex, who assured him that the state Department of Environmental Protection would not take official action to drain the lake any time soon. "They assured me that the association has plenty of time," said Teolis. A recent inspection report from the Division of Dam Safety said the dam had not been maintained in many years and was considered to be unsafe. The DEP informed Schwarz that the lake would be drained if the necessary repairs to the dam were not made. An estimated $400,000 could rehabilitate the dam, according to the lake association. The funds would be appropriated from the government at 2 percent interest over 20 years and backed by the township. [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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September 16, 2002 I would like to start by apologizing for the harsh statement I posted on September 9th. My intention was not to make people angry, but rather to have people see a "broader picture," one beyond complaining about money. However, in order to do that, my wording needed to be sharp, which, despite my forewarning, was still taken the wrong way. While I am still unclear as to why the woman referred to in that statement said something so insensitive during the most recent meeting, there is more to that story that was not mentioned in the newspaper article. Thus, my passing of judgment was uncalled for at the time. I succumbed to the "pointing the finger" bit, which can actually be counterproductive. I am truly sorry for that. At this point, I would like to explain where I stand regarding Lake Wanda in general without blindly using vague expressions like "broader picture" and "social unity," which are very philosophical and somewhat utopian. This lake has been in my family's history since the time of my great-grandparents. In the very beginning (early half of the 1900s), the lake was a (small) "community," so to speak. However, it was never a "legally binding" one such as Highland Lakes or Barry Lakes. This is the main problem. A massive piece of real estate cannot be maintained without the support of the community. The actual geographic area known as the "Lake Wanda community" has been developed over several decades (stretching far beyond lakefront property), but little, if any, effort has been made to keep the lake maintained and financially stable. Even though much of the lake's history is before my time, I am told by many family members that the lake was a "thriving community" with the beach and the island very popular hangout spots. The unfortunate part is that 'was' is the key word of the previous sentence. The highly casual system used to finance the lake in the past may have worked then, but it certainly does not work now. However, this does not excuse the current owners' negligence of failing to inform residents in a timely manner of the severe consequences of not paying dues regularly. The threat of the lake's termination came about quite suddenly, leaving very little time to properly react. Essentially, this all comes down to challenging the notion of 'community.' Does such a "Lake Wanda community" even exist? An argument can be made in the affirmative, stating that there has always been at least a small group of people who have paid annual dues. And now, there is a formal legal entity known as the Lake Wanda Property Owners Association, which is very dedicated to keeping the lake alive. However, an argument for the negative can be made by questioning whether or not the before-mentioned groups are large (or even strong) enough to sustain the lake's vitality. So, the question posed is actually quite hard to answer. This all leads to yet another puzzling question. Should people that are within the legal limits of Lake Wanda set forth by the Vernon municipality be required to support a lake community that they really do not consider themselves a part of? This is the hardest question to answer right now, but it is also the most important one to uncover. Highland Lakes and Barry Lakes both say "yes" to that question in their respective communities. Lake Wanda, on the other hand, has always said "not necessarily." Thus, if the "community" does not "come together," then the lake will be gone within months. That is not an answer to the previous question; it is just an if-then statement stating one of the many consequences that will ensue should the effort fail (the others, of course, being the plethora of ecological and health concerns that will affect people physically close to the lake). This would be a devastating loss, and the only immediate preventative measure is money. I certainly despise the notion that "money makes the world go 'round," but that is beyond anyone to change. I sincerely pray that a strong community will form and that the current owners abandon their questionable legal practices. If that does happen, then the lake will indeed survive. And that is an if-then statement worth asserting. I do welcome any feedback on anything posted on this website. I am not ashamed to admit when I am wrong or if I am acting out of place. Granted, this situation is frustrating for many people, those that live there and those who visit often, so tensions do get high from time to time, especially when "curve balls" get thrown. Again, I am sorry if I deeply offended anyone as I was foolish enough to let my anger get the better of me. |
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[Posted Monday, September 9, 2002] VERNON -- The process of purchasing Lake Wanda from its owner and saving the lake from being drained is proceeding at a snail's pace, said lake association members. But the purchase was one step closer Thursday after the association received an amended copy of the purchase agreement from the owner's son, minus the lake's access landings. The recently formed Lake Wanda Property Owners Association held its third public meeting with the intention of updating lake residents on the status of contract negotiations with the lake owner's son Dennis Schwarz. Schwarz's mother Grace Schwarz of Montville owns the property. Roughly 70 people met at Our Lady of Fatima RC Church in Highland Lakes on Thursday to strengthen their understanding of the purchase of the lake and a proposed property assessment that would fund the rehabilitation of the dam. "We just received a copy of the contract just before we came here tonight. We weren't expecting it and it does appear that the owner has made numerous changes," said Kathleen Agnelli, lake front property owner and association organizer. The purchase agreement asks that Schwarz sell the lake, beach, dam, spillway, landings, island and numerous lots and blocks of property to the lake association for $30,000. All the lots and blocks of land and access to the lake were removed from the deal, said Agnelli. "He wants to quit claim the lake to us," she said. "A quit claim deed is not worth the paper it is written on." A quit claim deed, Agnelli explained, allows the seller to transfer property to a buyer without a guarantee or promise that the property is free of debt and liens and it does not guarantee that the seller owns the property. Many lake residents frustrated by the lack of progress were concerned that Schwarz would draw negotiations out over months or years, stalling the sale of the lake making it necessary for the Department of Environmental Protection to drain the lake. An inspection report from the Division of Dam Safety said the dam had not been maintained in many years and is considered to be unsafe. An estimated $400,000 could rehabilitate the dam, according to the lake association. The funds would be appropriated from the government at two percent over 20 years and backed by the township. The lake association would petition the town to assess the property owners roughly $100 per year. The association would then be responsible for maintaining the lake and dam. Slow negotiations made one lake resident fearful that it might go on forever. He said he has been attempting to purchase land from Schwarz for 28 months and still has no title to property he claims he has paid for. Homeowners Pat and Bill Murray said they have been trying to buy a small strip of land 20 feet by 114 feet from Schwarz for some time. "He told us he would quit claim it to us for $5,000," said Pat Murray. Other lake residents were concerned that hidden capital costs would impinge on their properties. Others firmly did not want the assessment. "I don't want to be assessed," said one woman. "I don't agree to it. Why should I pay for your satisfaction?" Issues of dam and lake maintenance were answered by association members explaining that money would be saved if people would provide "sweat equity." Dawn Morris, lake association member and organizer, added that additional funds could be raised through fund-raising events. Rick Benz, Lake Wanda resident and civil engineer, believes the cost of repair to the dam could run as high as $700,000, nearly doubling the lake association's estimate. "In my experience, there is a fudge factor," said Benz. "It almost always brings the cost of repairing a dam higher." Agnelli said that after the purchase of the property a phase-two study of the dam will be completed by the DEP. This will examine, in depth, the exact nature of the problems and needed repairs to the dam, which would allow a more precise estimate of the actual cost. However, the majority of Lake Wanda residents gathered at the meeting agreed that the lake must be saved and the dam repaired. "But we can't move forward until we buy the lake," said Agnelli. "All else is talk." [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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[Posted Wednesday, August 14, 2002] VERNON -- Members of the newly incorporated Lake Wanda Property Owners Association Inc., have asked township officials for support in keeping the lake from being drained by the state. "Is the town willing to help us in our attempts to keep the state from draining our lake?" asked John Drago, lake resident and co-founder of the association. Drago was one of the many Lake Wanda residents who attended Monday's Township Council meeting. Drago announced the incorporation of the lake association and said they had retained an attorney. Residents of Lake Wanda are confused by the voluntary membership in the association and a possible tax assessment on their properties, said Drago. Residents are concerned about who would be assessed should the council loan the association money to buy the lake. It was a question that remained unanswered Monday. Acting township manager Don Teolis, at the request of Mayor John Logan, explained the township's relationship with two other Vernon lake communities. According to Teolis, the township has backed loans for other lake communities and would consider backing Lake Wanda. Vernon has co-signed for both Highland Lakes and Pleasant Valley Lake and is currently backing loans for those communities. Teolis said each lake association has fashioned deals that are compatible for the majority of the community. "Highland Lakes takes direct responsibility for collecting the funds from its membership," said Teolis. "On the other hand, Pleasant Valley residents are assessed directly from us and payment is made to us." Although both Drago and Lake Wanda Property Owners Association co-founder Kathy Agnelli agree the association has a long way to go, getting a start with the township moves the association into safer waters. "We do have some breathing room, but the Department of Environmental Protection has a fixed period in mind," said Agnelli. "It would like to finalize the draining of the lake before hurricane season." Agnelli promised the council the association would move quickly and prudently, but added that they needed the township's engineer to check the dam. The only surveys that have been made of the area note the lake is either 31 acres or 37 acres in size, Agnelli said. Teolis acknowledged that the township may have Lake Wanda surveys on file, but was uncertain. The DEP has said that Lake Wanda is in an unsafe condition due to lack of maintenance. A site inspection report last July said the dam had not been maintained in many years. The report said the dam either must be repaired or it will be drained. Civil engineer Nicholas W. Agnoli of Civil Dynamics Inc., of Stockholm said repairs were estimated somewhere between $200,000 and $400,000. The lake association has submitted an offer to owner Grace Schwarz of Montville for purchase of the lake, dam, and land behind the dam. Schwarz's son Dennis Schwarz, who has represented his mother at two lake association meetings, has publicly agreed to sell the lake for $30,000. [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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The NJDEP might drain the water out of Lake Wanda, which is no longer at its best after years of neglect because a breach in Lake Wanda's dam might allow possibly contaminated water to flow into Lake Wawayanda. It is considered a low-hazard dam, but it did not escape the attention of the DEP. Staff at Wawayanda State Park alerted the NJDEP to Lake Wanda's troublous condition earlier in the spring. The state agency's resulting calls for maintenance/inspection reports went unanswered by Lake Wanda owner Grace Schwarz, 84, of Montville. Dennis Schwarz, son of the owner, said that about 30 of the Lake Wanda community's approximately 300 residents paid annual lake dues of $350 over the years, but that he did not ask for the dues this year and can no longer afford to keep the lake in any case. News of the DEP's intention to drain their lake prompted a mass meeting of Lake Wanda residents, who may now form a dues-paying association in order to purchase the lake, its dam, the beach, and the land behind the dam for $30,000 from the lake's owner. Some Lake Wanda residents said they were never asked to pay lake dues, and some were irate at the owner's failure to properly maintain the lake. Most were apprehensive about the effect on their property values should the DEP drain the water and leave a swamp in their midst. The DEP has postponed action for a while in view of the Lake Wanda community's recently initiated organizing efforts. NB: Lake draining kills fish. Among them, in the case of Lake Wanda, might be the ancient bowfin, long considered a non-native "trash" fish, but now a candidate for the endangered species list in this region. [Copyright 1998-2002, VernonWeb News. All rights reserved.] |
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[Posted Thursday, August 8, 2002] VERNON -- Lake Wanda residents have breathing room from the state, which said it would give the soon-to-be-incorporated property owners association time to purchase the lake and save the dam before draining the lake due to lack of maintenance, said group organizer Kathy Agnelli. But confusion reigned with many residents, who were not sure about membership in a property owners association and the assessment of homeowners' property should the association receive its proposed $400,000 loan for rehabilitating the Lake Wanda dam. A meeting was held at Our Lady of Fatima Church at Highland Lakes Wednesday. Township officials and Freeholder Howard Burrell were invited. Burrell was the only invited official to attend the meeting. Agnelli acknowledged that the extra time provided by the state Department of Environmental Protection gave organizers the impetus to move forward with the formation of a property owners association for the purchase of the lake from owner Grace Schwarz. According to Agnelli, a glitch in the state's computer system prevented the Lake Wanda Property Owners Association Inc., from finalizing its incorporation Wednesday, but the association intends to incorporate today. It would then send a purchase contract to the Schwarzes, allowing them a five-day window to respond to the offer to buy the lake, the land behind the dam, and the beach for $30,000. "We are here tonight to move the association forward the next step," she said. "We will incorporate tomorrow and we are asking that people join the association for $150. So far tonight we have collected nearly $3,500." Agnelli said the purchase contract would include enough property to increase the size of the spillway. In a June 28 DEP memorandum to Ron Heksch, Division of Law, referencing the Lake Wanda dam in Highland Lakes, John Moyle, manager of dam safety and flood control, said Schwarz had both failed to properly maintain the dam and/or submit an inspection report regarding the dam's condition. A DEP site inspection report date July 25, and signed by Sarah Ross, agreed that the dam had not been maintained in many years and was considered to be unsafe. "The dam must be repaired," it stated. "Or the lake must be drained." An estimated $400,000 could rehabilitate the dam, according to civil engineer Nicholas W. Agnoli of Civil Dynamics Inc. of Stockholm. The funds would be appropriated from a state grant or backed by the township and would be assessed to the property owners of Lake Wanda. Agnelli estimates Lake Wanda's roughly 368 homeowners would pay an assessment of just under $100 per homeowner per year. The assessment would not include the cost of dam maintenance or insurance. Questions about the cost of maintaining and insuring the dam, as well as insurance for the beach, suggested to many in attendance that the group's organizers had not thought the plan through carefully enough. Many residents remained unclear whether failing to join the association would keep them exempt from the dam assessment. Agnelli figured the total cost of insuring and maintaining the dam, lake, and beach would range from $16,000 to $20,000. Stigler asked Burrell if he thought state funds would be available to the community. Burrell said, "This is absolutely the worst possible time to be depending on state funds. With last year's $3 billion deficit and this year's $6 billion, all of everything was tabled." Burrell said he would do what he could to further their cause at the county and state level. He called the DEP and asked for time for the homeowners whose property values would plummet if the lake were drained. The DEP agreed to wait. Agnelli acknowledges the uphill battle the association has and said that short of state or township funding, they would consider other alternatives. Should they not receive money, the DEP has agreed to lower the lake a few feet as a stopgap. Lake resident Dennis Schwarz, the son of the lake's owner, said he would join the lake association. The lake was purchased by his father Carl Schwarz in 1973, he said. He can no longer afford the taxes on the lake nor its upkeep. Agnelli said the township has a lien against the Schwarz property, but cannot foreclose on the property until November. [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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[Posted Wednesday, July 31, 2002] VERNON -- More than 200 lake residents packed a hot and humid firehouse hall Tuesday to decide the fate of an area lake the state is threatening to drain. Lake Wanda homeowners John Drago and Kathy Agnelli have spearheaded a campaign to save the 31-acre lake from being drained by asking residents to form a lake association. The association would purchase the lake, its dam, the beach, and the land behind the dam for $30,000 from Lake Wanda owner Grace Schwarz, 84, of Montville. The association would then be responsible for maintaining the lake and rehabilitating the deteriorating dam. The state wants to drain the lake for safety reasons. Civil engineer Nicholas W. Agnoli of Civil Dynamics Inc. of Stockholm said repairs at this time were undetermined but could run somewhere between $200,000 and $400,000. "It is hard to tell how much it could cost. Further studies would have to be done in order to determine how much damage has been done to the dam through lack of maintenance," said Agnoli, stressing the ballpark estimate. Agnoli, formerly of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said park rangers in Wawayanda State Park contacted the DEP concerned that a breach in the Lake Wanda dam would result in the contamination of Lake Wawayanda. According to Agnoli, even though the dam is a low-hazard dam, its disrepair and lack of maintenance was of enough concern for the state to ask the owners to file an inspection report earlier this year, which they failed to do. According to the state dam safety standards, a low-hazard dam includes dams where a failure would cause damage to the dam itself, but little or no additional damage to other property. In a June 28 DEP memorandum to Ron Heksch, Division of Law, referencing the Lake Wanda dam in Highland Lakes, John Moyle, manager of dam safety and flood control, said Schwarz had both failed to properly maintain the dam and/or submit an inspection report regarding the dam's condition. Moyle has requested that the DEP's Division of Law force Schwarz to submit an inspection report and have the lake drained. Agnelli and Drago, angered by the lack of maintenance and the possibility of losing their lake, are circulating petitions asking the DEP not to drain the lake. The newly forming coalition plans to approach the Vernon Township Council for funding assistance. Homeowners on the lake would be assessed to help finance the cost of reconstructing the dam. "We don't have the exact monetary figures yet," Agnelli said. "But we estimate that it would cost lake residents roughly $100 per year for 20 years to replace the dam." Residents noted the lake's value to the community, citing it as a valuable resource for the quality of life in the municipality. Lake Wanda also serves as a needed resource for the Highland Lakes Fire Department, which is directly across the street from the lake. Dennis Schwarz, the son of the lake's owner, attended the meeting and said he did not ask homeowners for the $350 annual lake dues this year. Schwarz, a Lake Wanda resident, can't maintain the lake, which has been in his family for 27 years -- ever since it was purchased by his father, Carl, after a visit to the area nearly 30 years ago. "We fell in love with the area then, but I simply cannot keep doing this," he said sadly. "Over the years, roughly 30 families paid their dues. I have run out of money. I couldn't maintain the lake and pay the taxes at that rate. I promised my father when he died 15 years ago that I would try to keep the lake as long as possible. But now I am going to let it go." There are about 300 families in the Lake Wanda community. [Copyright 1999-2002, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.] |
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Last revised: 10/30/2002 at 10:52AM |