Two firms pitched their design services for the Linden Avenue project to the board of trustees during a special meeting Monday night.

Clough Harbour Associates and CLA Site had been selected earlier by the trustees for interviews from a field of four firms responding the village's request for proposals.

The project will be paid for by more than $4 million in state and federal funds and seeks to create an intermodal facility that includes a visitor center and parking lot, just south of the village in the town of Otsego.

One thing both firms agreed on was the complexity of the Linden Avenue extension area which is a mix of ownership and sometimes conflicting uses. It will be important, they said, to be able to bring people together and reach a consensus about the design of the project and what will and will not be included.

The best way to reach agreement about the design, they said, is mostly likely through a charrette - a process of bringing all the stakeholders together at one time to examine the options and reach a decision about how to best meet the most pressing needs of all.

"There's no perfect project here, but there is an opportunity for a good project," said Clough Harbour's project manager Steven Wilson.

"Not everyone's wishes will be met," said Peter Loyola, one of the principals of CLA Site. Stakeholders have to be involved early in the process, he said, adding that the design has to come from the community.

Both firms also stressed the idea of incorporating elements in the project design that would create a "gateway" to the village where the access road to the site intersects with route 28.

One of the most important things is to give it a sense of place, said Scott Lewendon, a landscape architect with Clough Harbour.

A way to do that would be to install a round-about, which is becoming more popular, Lewendon said, admitting that although it was the high-end approach, it also has the benefit of being safer and slowing traffic.

A boulevard concept is another way to achieve similar results, he said.

The site itself may have some environmental issues. The current trolley parking lot is a filled area which may not stand up to all the vehicular traffic. A proposed expansion of the site onto property south of the NYSEG substation may include some federally protected wetland. Use of the parcel also would require having more people cross the railroad tracks which could be a safety issue.

In order to meet the number of parking spaces, it would be necessary to expand the parking area into what is currently the youth baseball field. That means relocating the youth baseball field.

One option suggested by Clough Harbour was to approach the school to see it would be possible to redesign its athletic fields.

"We could see if there's a way to more effectively use the area to satisfy everyone's need," Lewendon said.

Clough Harbour is familiar with Cooperstown and the Linden Avenue project through its work with Bassett Healthcare. The firm is currently working on a draft environmental impact statement for Bassett's parking plan.

Trustee Jeff Katz asked if their relationship with Bassett, one of the project's stakeholders, could potentially create a conflict.

Wilson said he did not believe so when a charrette is employed

'It's all out on the table. All voices are heard - all voices are equal," he said.

CLA Site is partnering with Cooperstown's Walker Planning and Design, architect Susan Snell and communications specialist Angus Mackie.

That relationship, CLA's project manager Tim Wales said, creates strong ties to the community and a good understanding of the issues.

The board did not make a decision Monday night, but plans to meet in February to make the selection in a closed-door session, mayor Carol Waller said.