At the same time, it has abandoned its plan to establish a separate entrance and exit in an attempt to negate the need for the turn signal and turn lanes.

In August 2005, the Hartwick Planning Board approved a site plan application covering the Dream Park’s most recent expansion program. Part of that approval was an agreement that the park would install a traffic signal and construct turning lanes at its Route 28 entrance. Since then, the park has been negotiating with the DOT over the traffic light and turn lanes. In the meantime, the Dreams Park was to provide qualified traffic control personnel at the entrance.

Negotiations centered around the agency’s demand that pedestrian signals be included and the park’s belief signals and turn lanes could be avoided if the entrance and exit was redesigned.

Last Friday, the Dreams Park submitted a modification to its site plan to the Hartwick Town Planning Board, but it did not include changes to create a separate entrance and exit to the park, signally a change in its plan.

According to correspondence between the DOT and the Dreams Park, the agency was not convinced a new entrance and exit would do way with the need for the turn lanes and a signal.

``A preliminary review by our office indicates the traffic signal and highway widening at the existing entrance will still be required,’’ wrote John Mancuso, the DOT’s Regional Transportation System Operator, in a July 13 letter to Dreams Park attorney Gar Gozigian.

In a traffic summary submitted in its most recent application to the Hartwick planning board, the Dreams Park states it has been ready to proceed with widening the roadway and installing the signal. The plan, it says, was not approved by the DOT because it did not include pedestrian signals.

The park contends it is ``unsafe and irresponsible’’ for the highway agency to mandate the pedestrian signals when there is no provision for pedestrians along Route 28. According to the summary, the signal would encourage pedestrian traffic.

At one time, the DOT had plans for improvements to Route 28 that included a sidewalk, but the future of that project is now uncertain.

``Unfortunately, attempts to resolve the issue of pedestrian accommodations with NYSDOT have proved fruitless. Consequently, despite Dreams Park’s concerns about the safety of pedestrians with suitable infrastructure, it agrees, subject to planning board approval, to install the pedestrian signal and crosswalks in order to avoid litigation with NYSDOT which would further delay this project,’’ the summary stated.

Two weeks ago, Hartwick planning board attorney Tom Fucillo wrote a letter to Gozigian to advise him the planning board will also be looking for full compliance with the terms of the site plan it approved in 2005.

Fucillo said this week that the planning board intends to revisit the conditions of the site plan and make sure the park is in complete compliance.

``We don’t want to go through another season without it being done,’’ he said.

The entrance is not the only thing the planning board will be looking at. In his letter, Fucillo states that one issue is the lighting upgrades which Presutti agreed to, but may not have accomplished in a timely manner.

We wanted to get the point across that we will be looking into things he promised to do to make sure they were done, Fucillo explained.

In the meantime, the Department of Environmental Conservation continues to investigate problems with the park’s wastewater treatment following the discovery of septic leachate leaking from the system early this month.

DEC spokesman Rick Georgeson said this week he had no comment on the ongoing investigation.

In addition to the pedestrian signal at the front entrance, the Dreams Park’s application to modify its site plan calls for:

BULLET a change in the Lutheran Church entrance to provide safe access to the existing church parking.

BULLET a new service entrance to the north of the old Ingalls barn on Route 28 for delivery and waste disposal trucks.

BULLET a church boundary line adjustment to meet the church’s need for additional space to construct a Sunday school classroom in the future.

BULLET the construction of a combination storehouse and office building to be located south of the Ingalls barn. According to the application, the 14,500 square foot steel frame building will be made to look like the original carriage house facing Route 28.

The estimated cost of the entire project is $1,000,000.

The Dreams Park did not respond to a request for comment. The park’s attorney, Gar Gozigian, said it was his policy not to discuss his client’s business with the press.

The DOT’s John Mancuso said he was not authorized to speak with the press and the DOT’s public information officer in Binghamton was out of the office until Thursday.

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