Cortlandt Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi  said the Town may have a solution to hold back Con Edison's threat to drain a ten acre lake along Furnace Dock Road known as Railroad Pond. 

Speaking to WestchesterNewsOnline.com, Puglisi said, "All I can say is I'm hopeful there is some way we can save the lake."

She said the Town Attorney has come up with an alternate plan, although she is not at liberty, at this point, to reveal details. Said Puglisi "Right now, it's just a little crack in their armor, if you will, of when they (Con Edison) said no in November, until maybe they could re-think it and there could be some way we could save the lake. That's where we are right now."

The State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has ordered the utility to make repairs on the dam, but Con Edison wants to drain the lake, saying it's best to bring it back to its "original state."

Railroad Pond was originally a stream that was dammed up in 1892 by New York Central Railroad, a precursor to Metro North. The stream was a main waterway used to help service locomotives at the former Montrose train station and to supply water for the railroad's steam engines.

Negotiations have been back and forth between the Town of Cortlandt and Con Edison for months.

Initially, Con Edison planned to drain the lake, rather than make costly repairs. Then,in August, following an informational meeting about the lake in July, Supervisor Puglisi met with Con Edison officials with a proposal that would have Con Edison make repairs to the dam and transfer ownership to Cortlandt. 

After deliberation, Con Edison recently decided to stick with its original plan and drain the lake, which a neighborhood group calling itself "Save Railroad Pond" called a treasure trove of land, water and biodiversity. The group's spokesman, Radu Dumitrescu said draining the pond is a move that "cannot be undone," adding "we are sure there are endangered species of plants and animals in the area."

All changes made to the lake must be approved by the State Public Service Commission (PSC).