Formaggio Cheese is growing fast. Speaking to the Fallsburgh Town Board members Wednesday, company attorney Mike McGuire sought approval for a sewer line extension to build 32 units of employee housing.
“This is not to be taken as a threat, but our business is growing, and in order for it to grow, we’ve got to grow, we’ve got to have employees. We’re not looking to do a massive real estate development to make money on real estate. We’re looking to support the business, otherwise we wouldn’t be here,” said McGuire on Wednesday evening.
After the Town Board’s initial approval, the matter will now go to the town’s planning board. Formaggio Cheese says it employs more than 350 people and paid $41,000 in town property taxes last year.
“We’re going to have potentially double the population and we need sewer. We need this because we need employee housing. We need employee housing because we need to continue to grow. Formaggio has grown precipitously over the last several years, and they’re going to continue to grow, but they can’t without a workforce and that’s the biggest challenge. One of the biggest challenges in this county is workforce housing and workforce development, and this achieves both of that,” said McGuire.
Story by Elias Guerra | New York Public News Network
Image: Formaggio attorney, Mike McGuire, addresses the Fallsburg Town Board. (Elias Guerra)