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We Don't Need a Wider Road
Dear Editor:
Road widening is the sine qua non of development. Period. Once you permit it, the developers will storm your town. Anyone from Long Island knows that. Putnam Valley residents have managed to push back Bondi and his developerfriendly plan to widen Peekskill Hollow Road- to change it from what his grantwriters called " a meandering cowpath" into a more efficient route for commuters between Peekskill and Route 301. If you know that route, you are scratching your head...the amount of traffic there is managed quite well with a 40 mile speed limit. Any desired safety enhancement could easily be attained with speed enforcement, lights, relocating utility poles, etc
Noting where specific road changes are proposed, there is the certain whiff of developmentalitis: widening at Tompkins Corners area would be mandatory for the grandiose development certain local business interests are trying to force on Bryant Pond ("senior housing"- yes, we all know about that scam now- community college, conference center, stores, apartments). According to the sherriff's own study, Lover's Lane, near Adams Corners, has not had an accident in over 3 years. So, why the need to widen/straighten it?
The proposed sidewalk from the high school to Oregon Corners is pure standup comedy: What would students be walking TO? Could a taxpayer funded sidewalk be the opening wedge for large commercial development at Oregon Corners (How long before we go from the Blue Building to the Big Box?) Local forces which will benefit from such widening (see above) have been at work quietly undermining the gains of the Friends of Peekskill Hollow Road: Bondi and Oliverio have reneged on their promise not to do "what the people don't want" (see video tapes). There is now a plan to widen the road from Oregon Corners to Adams Corners where, again, only developers would benefit.
While we certainly need to clean up Oregon Corners, there are better ways to do it..Conversations with Cortlandt Manor- which haven't even been attempted- could lead to a resolution of the eye sore garage which is said to pollute the drinking water. Also, there could be one way traffic, involving Old Peekskill Hollow Turnpike. Why are these credible proposals not even being considered? Nothing in it for developers.
So, we have again organized to fight with the facts: We don't need a wider road; we don't want a wider road; a wider road would be more dangerous; a wider road is an invitation to tax-spiking development.
Dr. Kathleen O'C. Hoekstra
Putnam Valley
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