I read the letters to the editor in last week’s newspaper, and I felt a need to respond to business owner Ted Hargrove and former Trustee Glenn Hubbell in regards to the discussions under way about parking in the Village of Cooperstown. Both letters made reference to the loading zones created on Main Street for truck deliveries, and that these took away parking spaces on Main Street. That is true.

The residents of the Village deserve to know that the creation of these loading zones came as a response to our Village EMS Squad being unable to go east on Main Street because trucks were double parked on both sides of the street. The ambulance was unable to turn and proceed down Lake Street due to the road construction there. Robert Satriano came to Mayor Waller and me and asked us to address this issue. The concern was that if a casualty occurred our Village could be held liable for ignoring enforcement of parking regulations regarding double parking. While performing surveillance of the double parking issue on Main Street the Village Parking Enforcement Officer even found a truck double-parked while the driver went to lunch in a Main Street eatery. One day I observed four tractor-trailers double parked in the short distance between the flagpole and the entrance to Doubleday Field on Main Street. These observations raised additional issues about pedestrian safety on Main Street as well. Sadly these concerns came true when a pedestrian was struck on Main Street in April 2007 as a result of double-parked delivery trucks.

Glenn Hubbell says that parallel parking was created to allow for double parking for loading and unloading, and that raising parking fines to $35 was to prevent a parking problem. Well, it didn’t. After contacting 51 trucking services that were known to be making deliveries on Main Street, they were notified in writing to comply with parking in posted delivery zones, and that regulations that existed prohibiting double parking would now be enforced. The current arrangement of loading zones is now under study and will be adjusted according to their use and the needs of the public.

Both Glenn and Ted contend that offering free parking in Doubleday Field is necessary to a healthy downtown.

First, I offer that the city planners gathered at MIT disagree. After analyzing Cooperstown’s parking layout, these experts felt that it was nonsense to offer the most convenient parking spaces for free and expect drivers to opt for remote parking and pay to ride the trolley. Second, the idea of paying for parking in the business district is not new _ Alva Welch proposed it decades ago. There is a parking lot on Chestnut Street that charges for use of the lot, and I seldom see it empty during the tourist season. Clearly drivers are accustomed to pay to leave their vehicles in a convenient location.

Glenn’s Hubbell’s argument is that apartments on Main Street depend on free parking for their residents. The plan the Village Trustees have been considering would allow those residents and others to have an annual parking permit for Doubleday Field parking lot. We must remember that the taxpayers of our Village purchased Doubleday Parking lot in the 1930’s and each of us, business and homeowner, have been footing the bill for its upkeep ever since. If Glenn is right that Doubleday Field parking spaces are full of Bassett employees by 8:30 in the morning, I want to know why the Village’s business owners and residents are paying for upkeep for additional parking for hospital employees. And Glenn, why did paid parking not work for Bassett? I think the answer is obvious, because free and convenient parking was nearby. And Bassett has been working on creating more parking and on reducing the number of employees working at their Cooperstown campus by dispersing operations around Otsego County.

Ted Hargrove says area businesses depend on parking in Doubleday Field for their customers. If he is right, that his business and others depend on it for parking, why does Ted not turn his back lot into free parking for his customers to access from the drive between his businesses? And, Glenn, you stated that you’ve been in Cooperstown 50-plus years, but I’ve been around Cooperstown long enough to remember that from Ted Hargrove’s driveway you could turn right and drive all the way to Pioneer Street, and this alleyway is where delivery trucks went until property owners put up fences and extended their back lots.

Ted Hargrove also states that thousands of sales tax dollars are brought into the community by healthy businesses: HE IS RIGHT. What he does not say is that the Village of Cooperstown receives only about one percent of the total sales tax that is generated each year. The other 99 percent goes to Otsego County and the other towns. And please remember that the Village receives nothing from the County Bed Tax to help maintain our infrastructure.

Glenn offered in his letter the idea of looking into leasing pay and display parking machines. I think that is a great suggestion. Neither Glenn nor Ted talked about what parking fees might be if they are enacted _ the Village Trustees have been discussing $1 per hour, (25 cents for 15 minutes). Give us your input. Let us know what you think. I have heard from many residents who feel they might actually have a shot at a parking space if there was turn over in the Doubleday Parking Lot, instead of employees of businesses parking there all day long.

We want to hold the line on Village property taxes and continue to maintain our Village infrastructure. But it takes money to do this. I believe it is time that the Village property owners’ investment in the real estate of Doubleday Parking lot generates some income to help us maintain our Village.

Paul T. Kuhn

Trustee and Deputy Mayor

Village of Cooperstown

Don’t forget about soldiers

We appreciate, so much, the donations of items for our "care packages from home" project.

Now that summer is upon us, it has slowed down considerably. As you know, our troops are not on vacation, nor have they come home; as a matter of fact, many of them have had their time extended. Sadly, they are not getting their daily needs supplied to them. Some have no PX at all, and others are scantily supplied and very expensive. They, more than we, would appreciate you remembering them, as you enjoy your summer vacation.

Our thanks to the CoopersTown Crier for allowing the "Drop off" box to remain in their office.

We thank you all from the bottoms of our hearts, and the troops certainly thank you even more.

Beverly Soldan, 829-8627

Tina Burnham, 829-5928

Lesley Beers, 829-5928

lestin@wpe.com

Care Packages from Home Coordinators

Time for new leaders

Last Wednesday night, the Town Board of Warren approved the Jordanville Wind project. The board determined that any negative impacts of the project had been substantially and adequately mitigated and that the project deserved a special use permit.

During the last several weeks, the board has been meeting behind closed doors to discuss this highly contentious project. Even Wednesday night, the board adjourned to another two hour closed session while the public was left to wonder how board members were dealing with the sensitive issues facing them. They emerged from their closed session to quickly and unanimously approve the project. No public input allowed.

The next night, the Stark Town Board conducted itself in the same fashion, approving a special use permit for this project without public input; so much for open government, the democratic process, and obeying the laws of the state of New York.

Whether you are a supporter of this project, an opponent, or have no position but just want to understand the issues, the Town Boards of Warren and Stark have denied you the right to listen and participate in the process.

This is an affront to good government and good neighbors. Perhaps it is time for new leadership in these communities.

Harry Levine

President

Advocates for Springfield

Springfield Center