Following another three-hour discussion Tuesday afternoon, the village planning board approved its statement of findings and adopted a resolution to approve the site plan for Bassett’s parking proposal with modifications and conditions.

The parking proposal would add lots at Harrison House and Bassett Hall.

The only thing left for Bassett is to submit plans consistent with the required modifications and conditions. Once that is submitted and approved, the hospital will able to begin construction.

``It’s been a very long and expensive process for Bassett,’’ said hospital Vice-President Joe Middleton, who has represented Bassett throughout the review process. ``I’ll be interested to see if the same standard is applied to other projects.’’

The four years it took at get the plan approved was an ``unreasonable amount of time,’’ he said.

The plan began with a $3.1 million price tag. The price has grown to almost $5 million now, said Middleton.

``I don’t understand some of the decision made over the four years,’’ he said. ``We have consistently agreed to work with the village.’’

Middleton said the hospital is thriving and has growing needs and they have been working to reduce the demand for parking. There are now 118 carpools of employees at the hospital. With no more than two people per carpool, that’s 59 fewer spaces that are needed, he said.

The hospital has also acquired the Greystone building on State route 28, in Hartwick Seminary in an effort to move people and functions off the hospital’s main campus.

``We have met all commitments to the village and have passed the test of reasonableness,’’ he said.

Bassett will begin construction of the two new lots as soon as the final site plan is submitted and approved. Middleton said it was unlikely the work would be completed before winter.

Planning board member Charlie Hill said Wednesday morning that he believes the board was able to address both the hospital’s need and the concerns of the neighbors. He described it as a ``reasonable, practical solution.’’

``It should help with the parking on the street. I think neighbors will see a difference,’’ he said.

Hill, who was not on the board for the entire four years the proposal was under review, said he did not think the village held up the process.

``There was a lot of study that needed to be done on their [Bassett’s] part,’’ he said.

The SEQR process is an important one because serves to identify adverse impacts and help find methods to mitigate those impacts, he said.

Rich Campbell, a Susquehanna Avenue resident who will have a front porch view of the new Bassett Hall parking lot, said when he moved here, there was a tennis court up there and he never had a problem with the lights which were out by 10 p.m.

``Now I have an unknown,’’ he said. ``I don’t want to look at Fort Bassett up on the hill.’’

Campbell said he and other residents followed the long review process to do what they could to ensure the project would not greatly change their residential neighborhood.

``Let’s hope the parking plan has the minimum impact that Bassett and its consultants say it will,’’ he said Wednesday morning.

He added that he hoped the planning board and zoning enforcement officer would provide sufficient oversight because there are still some items that seem a little vague even after four years of review and discussion.

``If the project is held to the highest standard when it comes to landscaping, in two or three years it will become a part of the Cooperstown landscape and I suppose that will mean the system worked,’’ Campbell said.

Planning board chairman Teresa Drerup was unavailable for comment Wednesday morning.