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Public Records › OCIDA › ocida-meeting

Public Hearing – Micron New York Semiconductor Manufacturing LLC (Rail Spur) — Micron Rail Spur Public Hearing Minutes Signed 11-17-25

Document date 2025-10-24 Collected 2026-08-07 Extracted text 2,579 words Format PDF
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Micron New York Semiconductor Manufacturing LLC (Rail Spur Facility)
Public Hearing
November 6, 2025
A public hearing of the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency was called to order by
Alexis Rodriguez at 7:54 PM on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the Clay Town Hall, 4401 State
Route 31, Clay, New York 13041, with the following in attendance:
ONONDAGA COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY:
Alexis Rodriguez, Public Hearing Officer
Robert Petrovich, Executive Director
Jeffrey Davis, Esq., Agency Counsel
PUBLIC ATTENDEES:
Bonita Siegel Peter King
John Przepiora Paul Doody
Louise Hotaling Laura Uiy
Jim Nistico Janet Rathburn
Chip Fike Joseph Blidy
Anthony Longo Jim Baker
Cody Kelly Paul Graves
Lucretia Hudzinski Hal Henty
Steve Seleway Lancy Rudy
Tami Schanbacher Sam DAmico
Nicole Capsello Leigh Swanker
Elizabeth Bridges Elizabeth Tallman
Kirk T Cuates Rob Santucci
Deb Sur Becky Knapp
Jeremiah Thompson J. Williams
Alex Schivner Ryan Russel
Daniel P. Gremilliody Jim Wheeler
Russ Mitchell Mary Selegar
Brian Shomed John McCammy
William Snake Brian Bender
Tom Land Mark Austin
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: I will begin the public hearing by reading the Notice of Public Hearing
that was published pursuant to the New York General Municipal Law Section 859-a on the
proposed project and financial assistance.
Micron New York Semiconductor Manufacturing LLC, a Delaware limited liability company on
behalf of itself and/or entities formed or to be formed on its behalf, has submitted an application
to the Agency, a copy of which Application is on file at the office of the Agency, which
Application requests that the Agency consider undertaking a project for the benefit of the
Company, said Project consisting of the following: the acquisition of an interest in all or a
portion of approximately 38 acres of land located west of 8625 Caughdenoy Road (tax map nos.
046.-02-03.2 and 046.-01-19.1) in the Town of Clay, Onondaga County, New York; the
remediation of environmental issues, and the construction on the Land of a rail spur and
construction material conveyance facility consisting of approximately 7,300 square feet of new
building space, together with other ancillary interior and exterior support systems and sitework
including but not limited to the following components: rail siding, rail yards and off-loading
track and facility, materials conveyance system; office building and trailer, locomotive shed;
paved access roads and parking area; paved storage areas; backup stockpile area; stormwater
management facilities and areas; lighting, landscaping and signage; and the acquisition and
installation therein and thereon of related fixtures, machinery, equipment and other tangible
personal property which Project Facility is to be leased and subleased by the Agency to the
Company and further subleased by the Company to a third-party tenant; the granting of certain
financial assistance with respect to the foregoing, including potential exemptions from certain
sales and use taxes and real property taxes and real estate transfer taxes; and the lease or sale of
the Project Facility to the Company or such other person as may be designated by the Company
and agreed upon by the Agency.
The Company will be the initial owner and/or operator of the Project Facility. The Agency has
not made a decision with respect to the undertaking of the Project or the granting of the financial
assistance.
JEFFREY DAVIS: For those wishing to speak this evening, the comments raised this evening are
for the OCIDA public hearing on the Micron application for benefits for the rail spur from the
agency. This is not a public hearing or comment period on the State Environmental Quality
Review Act, known as SEQRA, or the ongoing environmental impact statement. The comment
period for the SEQRA process ended on August 11", 2025.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: At this time, I will call individuals by their name to come up to present
their public comment. Please state your name and spell it when you come up to the podium.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Louise Hotaling.
LOUISE HOTALING: L-O-U-I-S-E H-O-T-A-LI-N-G. My question is, how many -- we're --
we're not informed yet how many tons of aggregate and all that that's going to come through that
spur. And it is going to change our water content level right close to Micron within a half mile all
of us houses that are right next to it. So, like I said before, we're not going to be able use our
sewers. But we have up on Caughdenoy Road which is I believe South of 31, we have a sewer
line that comes down. I wonder why they're not coming down and connecting and then in the
event we're adding another business with more sewer facilities why we're not connecting just in
case we'd like a why that if the one orange port gets overrun, we can run it through the city. And
what are we going to do about the noise of running that spur? That's my concern.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Jim Nistico.
JIM NISTICO: Jim Nistico, last name spelled N as in Nancy I-S-T-I-C-O. I just want to say I'm
in favor of this Railroad Spur as long as the fill is transported safely. It's going to take a lot of
pressure off the roads instead of having dump trucks coming every thirty seconds. You'll be able
to transport that on the railroad cars plus the railroad cars can hold much more fill than a dump
truck. I have been in on meetings with Gilbane Construction that's handling this first phase here
of the site clearing, and it is very impressive as to what they're planning on doing starting in
about six weeks here. And yeah, we just need -- we need to make sure that the railroad or the
railroad tracks to handle this. And -- but yeah, I'm all for this railroad spur. It's a necessity. It
takes the pressure off the roads. Thank you.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Next is Chip Fike.
CHIP FIKE: Last name is Fike F-I-K-E, first name is Chip. Been a resident of Town of Clay
since 1961. Long time. I'm in favor of everything from Micron, this rail spur line. I've just got a
couple of questions. This evening I was coming up Route 31 and I saw C.X.X. rail crews
working on the line about maybe a half mile down and then I saw them going off towards
Caughdenoy Road. Are they starting out already without authorization? Somebody from the
Town of Clay needs to go over there. I don't know if they're redoing the crossing on Route 31 or
not. That's got me a little concerning. I don't know what's going on.
CHIP FIKE: The other thing is, I've talked to some people in the neighborhood who work at
Wegmans and Cicero and Clay, and they told me that because I've known Danny and Laura
Wegman for forever when I used to work for Cavallaro Foods, I used to deliver to all their stores,
They're waiting on this project. It's like a coiled spring waiting to go off. If you go down
Northern Boulevard to the Caterpillar dealer, there's a Northern Concrete, there's a little acreage
behind them. They're staging bulldozers like you won't believe. Like the gentleman said behind
us, in six weeks that coil spring's going to go off. And I think we're not ready for it, but we'll get
-- we'll get ready later. And like Walmart, Walmart's the same thing. They're waiting, Hobby
Lobby, Lowe's, Home Depot. They're all waiting to see what's going to happen. And in six
weeks when this project kicks off, we're going to see some incredible stuff like you've never
seen before. I've seen -- when I was out at Luke Air Force Base like ten years ago before they
brought the F-35 out, the construction out there was just absolutely phenomenally crazy. People
didn't like it at first, but then it calmed down and it worked. And now that is one of the most
productive United States Air Force bases in the world. I mean, it -- but what Micron's going to
do down the street here in about six weeks doesn't compare to what they did out there at Luke
Air Force Base. I mean, you've got like over a hundred and fifty-two aircraft out there. And
Phoenix, Arizona has benefited from that. I talked to a person out there about two weeks ago
when I went out there to see a relative. He said, because Luke Air Force Base is out there, two
point six billion dollars in the local economy every single year. Think about that for a minute.
Thank you very much.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Next is Tom Land.
TOM LAND: Tom Land T-O-M L-A-N-D. I am for the rail spur for because the Micron project
were to continue without the rail spur, I know it would be -- there would be, you know, the
traffic would be impossible. The only concern I do have on the rail spur and the traffic, I know I
think the plan is like three trips a day. If I'm thinking right, that traffic will cross over the -- the
infamous Onondaga Parkway Railway Bridge, which is a hundred and fifty year's old, if I'm not
mistaken. So, I'm concerned for C.S.X. to make sure that the bridge is up to snuff for that. But
that -- that was one of my concerns with live -- living in Liverpool. Hopefully that bridge will
take it. That's just my only thought because it is a hundred and fifty years old.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: That's all I have on these sheets. If anybody -- yeah, come up and state
your name and spell it and present your comment.
JOHN PRZEPIORA: Thank you. My name is John Przepiora J-O-H-N P-R-Z-E-P-I-O-R-A. And
as I spoke in regards to the fab project, I believe that Micron does not need a discount in its taxes
to build this project that the county probably needs the tax revenue more than a big company like
Micron needs that tax revenue. In -- in -- in -- in simple terms, if this goes forward, the -- any
sales tax exemption should be tied to the use of materials that — that are incorporated in the rail
spur development to be - - to come from sustainable sources including the use of low carbon
concrete and low carbon steel, and the use of native landscape plantings in order to reduce the
environmental impact of not only in the rails spur project, but on the fab project in — in
connection with the rail spur. Until it's shown and disclosed to the public that the county's needs
relating to this project are fully funded and the county can respond to the needs of the public, I
don't see the — the rationale and giving Micron a -- a tax break. There will be impacts related to
Micron that the county is going to have to intercede it. And until we see a -- a plan that shows us
how those impacts and how those needs will be paid for, I think that we should hold off on
approving any tax revenues for Micron. They don't really need it. They're already paying their
shareholders five hundred million dollars a year. Thank you.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: If you could just state your name and spell it?
ELIZABETH BRIDGES: My name is Elizabeth Bridges B-R-I-D-G-E-S. My question kind of
feeds off of what the gentleman in the gray shirt -- T-shirt was saying. As far as the rail spur,
there's only like six mentions of it in the -- in report. And my question is more of a question.
How many rail crossings will these trains full materials travel through? And I know there's a
study for the traffic patterns and timing and lines. Have they coordinated how that would work,
because that's going to have an impact on general traffic? So, I was just curious because I didn't
see it in the report. There's not enough information to know whether or not the traffic that's going
to be impacted by trains going across rail tracks, like on Wetzel Road, Caughdenoy Road,
through Liverpool. That -- that's just my general question. Thank you.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Is there anybody else who would like to comment?
LUCRETIA HUDZINSKI: Lucretia Hudzinski.
LUCRETIA HUDZINSKI: L-U-C-R-E-T-I-A H-U-D-Z-I-N-S-K-I. Just during the break, a lot of
us were commenting on this railroad. I live quite a ways from the railroad tracks, and I still hear
them. What's the impact going to be to the people who are living around there? And is there any
way to have less of a noise impact for the people that live directly near this railroad? And my
second one was, in the discussion to it, a couple of people have left is we've had several hearings
here on several things. But yet, what -- are we going to see any result of the comments and how
the impact or what changes were made? Is that going to be anywhere? Because we — I haven't
seen anything on some of the other stuff that we've done.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Thank you. Anyone else at this time?
CHIP FIKE: Chip Fike. My fiancée lives in East Syracuse, right behind the railroad. I can vouch
for what you're saying. When an air horn goes off at one o'clock in the morning and you got to be
up at four o'clock in the morning to go to work and it's like right inside your house, how many
rail spur lines are they planning to put in? One? And how many tracks are they going to put in
there? Thank you.
PETER KING: Good evening. I think you called my name, but I was outside. Peter King,
Syracuse resident, Meadowbrook area, for twenty -- including service is twenty-five years.
Basically, just an extension of my comment on the other pilot, I don't believe Micron needs a
pilot for this — for this activity. But I -- what I do suggest is actually and I don't know if this is
appropriate place for this comment, but is something out of the direct Environmental Impact
Statement that I thought was a good idea from -- from Micron which is that they have an
adaptive management plan for their created wetlands. I think for -- for the rail spur
project or anything around Micron building, adaptive management plans means you have -- you
have a relationship with community partners about management sites, about who knows what
may come up, what, you know, they need -- need to change in what they're doing. There may be,
you -- you know, let's just say for example, there's issues with subsidence or — or cariology, you
may need to relate to -- to -- to local landowners and municipalities around that. So, adaptive
management, thank you.
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Anybody else who would like to make a public comment at this time?
ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ: Hearing none, I'll move to close the public hearing. I just wanted to
note a copy of the application, including a cost benefit analysis, is available at the office of the
Agency and on the Agency's website for review by interested persons. A copy of recording of the
hearing will be available on the Agency's website. Written comments are kept on file and
available for public viewing at the office of the Agency. There being no further business, the
public hearing is closed at 8:13 PM on November 6th, 2025. Thank you.
Dated: November 17, 2025 ONONDAGA COUNTY INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
By: (arstey Rodney LAK
Alexis Rodriguez, Public Hearing Officer