It turns out that what may limit the Cooperstown area's capacity for growth more than any other factor is communication.

After months of exhaustive research into the current environmental conditions ranging from geology to land use trends that fill the almost 250-page Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Capacities of the Cooperstown Region, consultant Nan Stolzenberg said during a press conference marking the document's release Tuesday morning, that the biggest challenge facing this region doesn't come from environmental factors, but from communication and people being able to understand different points of view and locations.

"I think a lot can be solved when there is an acknowledgement of the issues and a frank discussion of what it means for the area," she said.

The ability of residents and municiaplities to communicate affectively with their neighbors is an issue in lots and lots of places, not just the Cooperstown region, Stolzenberg said.

Middlefield Town Supervisor David Bliss commented Tuesday that the time he has spent working with leaders from the town of Otsego and village of Cooperstown has already resulted in a much higher level of communication between the communities than prior to the start of the GEIS process.

"The GEIS isn't all we talk about at these meeting," Bliss said.

"With a sense of willingness and good intentions, people have the ability to come together and solve these things," Stolzenberg said.

But the region is highly vulnerable to environmental impact and current regulatory and growth trends may allow changes in the area that residents would find hard to swallow, according to the executive summary of the report released Tuesday.

"There has been little coordinated planning for the future that would serve to protect the unique resources of the area," Stolzenberg wrote in the summary, which also states that there is a desire among residents and businesses to continue the growth and prosperity of the region.

In an effort to balance future development and the environment, area municipalities must implement planning, non-regulatory, regulatory and incentive programs. According to the GEIS, one way to do that is through a regional comprehensive plan that establishes a regional vision of the future and contains the provisions for reaching that goal.

Stolzenberg "highly recommends" putting together a regional comprehensive plan, but Tuesday it was apparent that may not be an easy task.

Bliss candidly said he thought relinquishing home rule in Middlefield for a regional planning process would not be easy, but he welcomed the idea of meeting with other leaders to discuss issues on an informal basis.

"Put together a governmental unit for a master plan? I don't think so," he said.

Otsego Town Supervisor Bill Gates said he was in favor of "meeting on a fairly regular basis to hash out some of the issues raised in this (GEIS)."

"It's healthy if we get together and talk informally," Gates said. "If we sit down and talk about concerns, we would find our thinking is alike."

"I'm always surprised by the similarities between rural communities rather than the differences," Stolzenberg said. "All these communities are very similar, but there are perceptions of differences."

Stolzenberg said there are models in other regions where municipalities work together on planning issues and each takes into account the impact on its neighbors and does so without a formal, overriding document like a comprehensive master plan.

Already, the impact of the GEIS can be seen in Middlefield where the planning board is considering a review of the town's local zoning law.

"We discussed embarking on revisions in the zoning and subdivision regulations," said Middlefield Planning Board Chairman Dr. Henry Weil , who also served as the liason between the municipalities participating in the GEIS and the anonymous donor(s) who funded the project which at this point has cost just under $80,000.

The GEIS, said Weil, contains an abundance of information that will help in the board's consideration of what is appropriate for the community.

One of the things discovered by the GIES is that large lot zoning has had the opposite affect of what municipalities had expected. It was thought that requiring a minimum of three acres for residential lots was necessary for proper septic system placement and to set housing density, but in reality, large lot zoning often results in rural sprawl with residences widely space across the landscape.

"I think the GEIS findings about large acre zoning surprised me," said Weil, who added that the findings may be incorporated into revisions in Middlefield's zoing law, but that any changes in the law would have to be folded into input from people in the town.

"It surprised me too," said Gates. "It runs contrary to what used to be the thinking."

The large lot zoning findings are an example of what leaders hoped the GEIS would do, he added. "It has pointed out things we need to look at."

Copies of the GEIS may be requested until June 10 at town and village offices. Full printed copies of the GEIS with all maps are $30; text only $10 and $10 for a full CD version. Executive summaries will also be at no charge.

A public hearing on the GEIS has been tentatively scheduled for July 8 to receive public comment on the document.