To the Editor

The cultured-stone siding of the Town of Colton's new transfer station is turning out to be much more of a wasteful use of taxpayer money than was feared. Instead of cultured-stone panels being installed, single cultured stones are actually being placed one by one and mortared in, a very laborious and expensive procedure. The cultured-stone wainscoting will be four feet high and will go all around the building.

When I became aware that cultured stone was being used, I proposed that metal siding be used overall, but was told that the preparation for the cultured stone had already been made and that to change the project at this stage would not save any money.

Apart from the expense of the stone and its installation, cultured stone itself is not a suitable material to use on a transfer station, which is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a light industrial-type facility. Manufacturers of the stone advise that it not be used in areas such as industrial sites in which it comes in contact with corrosive chemical agents.

In addition, the cultured-stone veneer will be costly to repair if for example a pickup truck or backhoe or other industrial vehicle crashes into it. There will be a lot of such traffic at the transfer station. In fact, a bay has been specifically built in the building to house a backhoe.

I believe the stones offer no structural support but are for decorative purposes only. Freeze/thaw cycles put a strain on them. They absorb moisture that can infiltrate and damage walls. They are going to cost the citizen-taxpayers of Colton many times over, between cost of materials and installation and cost of future repairs and/or replacement with more suitable material. 

The new transfer station should have been sided with metal siding completely, just like any other transfer station. Who ever heard of a cultured-stone clad monumental transfer station in a small town the size of Colton where people struggle to pay their property and school taxes?

Non-union salary increases will theoretically be on the agenda at the next Colton Town Board meeting on April 17 at 6:00 PM, and I will propose that no one receive an increase of any amount, to make up for the cost of the extravagant, wasteful, and unsuitable cultured stone.

I encourage all citizens of Colton to come to the meeting to voice their concerns regarding this issue.

Kevin Beary

Town of Colton Councilman