Sep. 18—QUEENSBURY — In a reversal from last month, the Warren County Board of Supervisors on Friday voted to pay nearly $200,000 more to a landowner whose property was seized for the abandoned airport runway extension project.

Supervisors were not happy about having to pay the money, but it was a court order.

The issue stems from a 3.86-acre parcel of land that the county took through eminent domain from Forest Enterprises Management Inc. for the now-abandoned runway extension project at Warren County airport.

The county initially had paid $327,000 to Forest Enterprises.

Its owner, Victor Macri, filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court of Warren County, which valued the property at $297,000.

Macri appealed to the state Court of Appeals, which in April 2020 set its value at $520,000.

Last month, the vote to pay the additional $193,000 narrowly failed with the absence of Queensbury Supervisor John Strough and Lake Luzerne Supervisor Gene Merlino.

Strough, who was a vocal proponent of the runway extension, took the opportunity to say that in addition to enhancing safety, he believes there would have been an economic benefit with the expansion.

Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Doug Beaty reiterated his stance that the whole project was a "boondoggle"

Glens Falls 3rd Ward Supervisor Claudia Braymer said that even without an expansion, the county is seeing a lot of activity at the airport. There has been a huge demand for hangars

Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Mike Wild said that the county should be thinking ahead in the future for opportunities.

"We don't necessarily have long-term vision," he said.

All supervisors voted in favor of paying the additional funds, except for Beaty, who abstained.

Michael Goot covers politics, crime and courts, Warren County, education and business. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or [email protected].

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