TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. – The unexplained lack of approval from Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan to sign off on an agreed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deal for Romeo Kia has put the dealership at risk of leaving thousands of vehicle owners without a local service center, the dealership’s attorney said on Monday.
Dealership attorney Lucia Romeo said there the county executive has still not given a reason for not let the agreement move forward after months of work to meet requirements set by the county Industrial Development Agency and the town of Ulster.
“I don’t have a solid answer,” she said on Monday. “I just know the sooner the better because the last thing I want to be doing is major construction on January 1. Obviously, that’s a major problem … and I don’t even know that would be permissible.”
County Industrial Development Agency board members on May 19 granted approval of $1.17 million in tax breaks related to construct a 20,000-square-foot showroom on 4.7 acres at 1670 Ulster Ave. in the town of Ulster. However, the project could not begin until two eaglets fledged from a nest on the property and the dealership was told it needed to be finished with the noisy part of the project before the next bald eagle breeding season begins.
Romeo added that contractors, who had wanted to begin a month ago, believe is possible to get the disruptive part of the project done but keep saying “we have to get the shovel in the ground now.”
Ryan would ordinarily not be involved at all with projects granted tax breaks, but under the guidelines for businesses moving to an economically distressed area, the County Executive can refuse to allow tax breaks for those businesses to receive tax-payment plans.
Ryan’s office has declined repeated requests to discuss why he hasn’t signed off on the Romeo Kia deal.
Lucia Romeo said there are 1,726 vehicles that are serviced by her family’s Kia dealership, which is obligated to be out of its current site on Schwenk Drive by June 2022. She noted that the vehicles service area includes all of Ulster County, norther Dutchess County, and southern Greene County.
County Industrial Development Agency officials have declined to say what was discussed earlier this month with Ryan’s office, but have disputed a one-sentence statement last week from Ryan’s office that talks over Romeo Kia are ongoing.
