HARTWICK _ The Hartwick planning board will require Rainbow Enterprises to complete an environmental impact statement for its proposal to build a 74-room hotel in the busy Route 28 commercial corridor.

The new hotel would be built right next to Rainbow Enterprises’ Holiday Inn Express, north of the Hartwick Commons.

Completion of the environmental impact statement was triggered by the board making a positive declaration for the project during the State Environmental Review process Tuesday.

There were three main issues which concerned board members enough make the positive declaration. The issues were transportation (traffic), the character of the existing community (the drain on community services, particularly fire and emergency services), and that it sets an important precedent for future projects.

Traffic has been an issue for the planning board from the beginning because plans call for a new entrance to the property. The design was changed to accommodate the Department of Transportation’s plan to upgrade the state highway and add a turning lane _ a plan that has been pushed back to at least 2010. The change places the motel approximately 70 feet from the centerline of the highway or about 40 feet from the planned sidewalk to the building.

Project manager Fred Riordan said Hampton Inn officials required the second entrance and that the DOT does not believe the impact on traffic will be that great.

``I don’t think there should be another curb cut,’’ said planning board member Paul Ingalls.

The board was also concerned about the impact of the project on the town’s emergency services and its ability to handle another three-story building.

Hartwick Seminary fire chief Larry Lamb said he was ``really concerned about a three-story building.’’

``I don’t think the town of Hartwick needs more than two stories,’’ he said.

Another significant impact was the precedent created by the size of the three-story inn placed not only on the same property, but also so close to the road.

``This is new information,’’ Riordan said. ``For over seven months we haven’t heard anything about aesthetics.’’

``You want to put this big white dinosaur on Rt. 28,’’ Hotaling replied.

The positive declaration in the SEQR review requires the applicant to prepare a draft environmental impact statement. What the applicant will have to include will be determined when the planning board meets with them in a scoping session.