The hearing was part of the required process for the completion of the more than 250-page Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Capacities of the Cooperstown Region which examined the current environmental conditions and issues; identified locations that have environmental sensitivities and limitations for new building, analyzed the area's capacity for future growth and offered mitigation measures and alternatives that could be taken.

"If this does nothing else than bring the group together, we have accomplished something," said Bill Rigby, a member of the village planning board.

Dr. John Davis, a Middlefield resident, said he agreed with Stolzenberg's conclusion that there is a need for more and better communication between the municipalities. "That's the major thing that may be accomplished by the GEIS - getting people talking," he said.

His wife, Jean, commented that the word "cooperation" should be added.

Stolzenberg, who was hired to do the GEIS, said it opens the door to discussions between communities. One thing made obvious by the GEIS is that decisions made in one town impact those surrounding it. "Decisions need to be made with a broader view. They can not be made in a vacuum.

When the study was released in May, local officials said the process had already lead to some informal discussion about issues common to all.

Middlefield Town Supervisor David Bliss said that the time he has spent working with leaders form the town of Otsego and village of Cooperstown has 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 meetings," he said.

Otsego Town Supervisor Bill Gates again said he was in favor of meeting on an informal basis.

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

People also raised concerns about the GEIS being tucked away on a shelf where it would gather dust.

"What comes next is up to you all," Stolzenberg said. "In the end it comes down to you folks and whether you're going to take the ball and run with it."

Not everyone was in agreement with the findings of the GEIS.

One was Michael Jerome, the owner of the Inn at Cooperstown, a business he began 18 years when he moved here to restore and re-open an 1874 historic hotel at a time most observers thought Cooperstown didn't need any more lodging.

Jerome said the GEIS indicates there is a need to conduct a toursim capacity study since data does not exist to determine how many tourists the area can support, but the statement contradicts a prior sentence in the executive summary that "the village is at or close to capacity for providing water, sewer and parking. There are not enough local accommodations for the number of tourists currently visiting the area."

"The GEIS study clearly indicates that Cooperstown has reached its tourism capacity, but it fails to acknowledge that we are operating at that capacity for only six to eight weeks of the year. A study of the occupancy of lodging accommodations from September to May would reveal that the area has more lodging capacity than demand," he said.

According to Jerome, there is significant room for tourism growth without increasing the supply of overnight accommodations. "Rather than continuing to encourage the expansion of attractions and the construction of seasonal lodging facilities targeted at bringing more summer travelers, it is time to shift our tourism marketing and program development to bringing more travelers in other seasons," he said. "Our tourism goal for this region should be to use planning to strengthen the positive outcomes that tourism brings and minimize its negative impacts."

Stolzenberg agreed with Jerome's statement that the tourist season should be expanded. "All communities with a tourist base struggle with the issue of whether to build infrastructure for six to eight weeks or say enough is enough," she said.

Rick Lindroth, a member of the Town of Otsego planning board, questioned how the GEIS is going to help the area. "There's a lot of work here. It's great someone had $100,000 to spend, but some of it is borderline psyhco-babble. It's hard to swallow." he said. "We seem to be chasing our tails as the world is going by us."

And Cooperstown newcomer Rich Campbell, who two weeks ago moved from Colorado, issued a warning about what the future may bring. In his former home, rapid growth outpaced the infrastructure and life became unaffordable and miserable. Colorado, he said, became almost as unihabitable as California.

"You have to look at this stuff seriously. Take it from someone who moved 2,000 miles to get away from unchecked growth," he said.

Comments and questions from the public hearing and thoise submitted in writing will become part of the final GEIS.