DERBY, N.Y. — There are questions at Sturgeon Point in the Town of Evans and whether it's going to reopen this season.
The town supervisor sent 2 On Your Side an update, saying an invitation to bid will be effective starting Saturday to complete the dredging of the marina. The marina has been closed off this season due to sediment build-up from storms last year.
"It's kind of like a house if you don't fix the roof every five or 10 years," Michael Scraft said. "If you don't get new technology and update your infrastructure, it's going to get dilapidated, and now 34 years later, this is where we're at."
The Town of Evans supervisor says it has opened bidding to dredge the marina and is seeking federal aid, with U.S. senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs involved. Sturgeon Point is an important source of revenue for the town.
This has been a divisive issue in the town, and there was a rally Saturday that organizers hoped will send the message that something has to change with the way Sturgeon Point is controlled.
"I'd like the state to take over the marina. They have the deep pockets, they can do it, and then let the town retain all the uplands and the bluffs," Town of Evans resident Peter Bogulski said.
"There's plenty acres in there, and then we could bring in our developers, and we can build a beautiful resort so we have the expense of maintaining the marina off our backs."
The Town of Evans supervisor says other offers were reviewed to dredge the marina, but they were deemed unrealistic and unethical, as they only promised a one-time dredge just under the required bid threshold.
The Town of Evans and the Army Corps of Engineers have a long-standing repair agreement with each other. According to the town supervisor, the town has asked for funds as part of that contract to alleviate the costs of the dredging.
The rally to support Sturgeon Point was scheduled to happen Saturday at noon.
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