DOT Parksville Phase II Plan
First a thank you to the friends of LibertyBikeTrail.org that donated this report. The DOT held a meeting on Phase II of the Parksville Project last Thursday. The meeting had matured from the 1st meetings group.
The group understood that the DOT can only do improvements up to a certain $$ , that their authority to do work is limited to road / plantings and some other improvements, and that the people are responsible for making the buildings look nice and encouraging business growth.
]The DOT presented 4 options [all costing about the same $$]. all options had some common elements that were required by the EIS Record of Decision [fishing access, picnic area, trees, 400 evergreens, and hillside restoration]. the 4 additional items to be paid from the DOT budget could be [details are truncated - see the DOT for full plans]:
- emphasis on trails [2.3 miles of trail & 6 acres of reforestation]
- emphasis on town [0.25 miles of trail to fishing access & street lights, and more landscaping]
- emplasis on restoration [0.25 miles of trail & 22 acres of reforestation]
- blended [1.3 miles of trail on west side of old 17 & landscaping and 9 acres of reforestation]
The DOT described in detail each of the options. Then the floor was handed over to the Parksville planning committee that was extremely well focused in their vision. They had planned the town development [housing & business district], recreation [playground], and suggested some common theme that would make the community cohesive in apperence and purpose. The theme was towards education and art. There was mention that the downtown would have to be cleaned up, code enforcement on property owners would need to be enforced and grants would be needed to help re-face the town buildings. They had an action plan. The DOT said that will be working with the Parksville planning group.
The Parksville Group plan did not include the additional trail option for old 17. They wanted the dead end spur [on the east side of town] to be a business district and where trying to work with the state to buy back the land that was old 17 so that the planned development can go forward. Should that land transaction transpire and the remaining trail work [if built] is done by the DOT, the trail length connecting Short Ave west up to Fox Mt area is about 1.3 miles. If the land does not transfer back to the town, the trail [if built] would be 2.3 miles in length [ie spanning East and West of the Parksville traffic light]
We were asked to vote on which DOT option we preferred #1-#4 in priority, and did a paper "ballot" submission.
What should you do?
Find out more info on or to receive a ballot to vote:
PIN 906735
NYS ROUTE 17, PARKSVILLE PHASE II
TOWN ON LIBERTY
SULLIVAN COUNTY
Contact person for information Email / Address / phone:
KIRK BOOTHROYD, PROJECT MANAGER
NYSDOT
44 HAWLEY STR, ROOM 1201
BINGHAMTON, NY 13901
607-721-8209
Mail your ballot to:
MR. JOHN R WILLIAMS PE
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
ATTN: KIRK BOOTHROYD, PE PROJECT MGR
NYSDOT REGION 9
44 HAWLEY STR
BINGHAMTON, NY 13901
Donate to the Parkville Planning Group:
Matching contributions are needed for Grant Moneies
DOT Parksville Workshop Wednesday Night (2/17)
Wednesday night the DOT will be holding a workshop for residents who are interested in landscaping around the new highway and enhancements to the rail trail. The DOT hopes that residents will come and speak their minds.
The meeting will be at the old Dead End Cafe at 5:30 PM.The DOT will use the feedback from the workshop to rank priorities. Don’t miss this chance to have your voice heard.
Myth-busted: Why the WSS argument is Bull.
We’ve been monitoring the comments on a few stories and there always seems to be this strange ‘White Sulphur Springs controls the vote’ mantra. It’s just not true. What does happen is that people don’t pay attention to who they are voting for (just voting party lines), or the only candidates are from White Sulphur. Neither of which are caused by some vast conspiracy by WSS to dominate the world.
Even someone said that “uhg, Sean Hanoffee is from White Sulphur” when the Councilperson-Elect actually lives in the Village of Liberty. Um, White Sulphur people are the same as people from Swan Lake, the same as from Parksville, the same as from Liberty – we are all residents of the Town of Liberty.
It doesn’t matter where the politician is from – but sadly, most have special interest.
So let’s disperse the myth through numbers – we’ll break down the registered voters by Hamlet (& village) and by Party. Then you can decide.
There are 5,946 total voters in the Town of Liberty, out of a population of 9,632 (2000 census).
Let’s start with White Sulphur:
316 Registered Voters
Major Parties:
106 Independent / Blank
107 Democrat
93 Republican
170 Female
146 Male
————————-
Village of Liberty:
3,688 Registered Voters
Major Parties:
1,569 Democrat
1,094 Independent / Blank
887 Republican
2,016 Female
1,672 Male
————————-
Swan Lake:
890 Registered Voters
Major Parties:
410 Democrat
234 Republican
219 Independent / Blank
468 Male
422 Female
————————-
Parksville
574 Registered Voters
Major Parties:
257 Independent / Blank
209 Democrat
181 Republican
295 Male
279 Female
————————-
Ferndale
478 Registered Voters
Major Parties:
171 Democrat
155 Republican
135 Independent / Blank
244 Female
234 Male
So by the numbers: White Sulphur only accounts for 5% of the total vote. While the Village accounts for a whopping 62%.
But heres the real issue – while there is about 6,000 registered voters – only about 2,500 vote in the local elections. Citizens are given the right to vote – it’s your voice – you get to decide who gets elected – but obviously people don’t take this responsibility seriously. AND YET STILL if all of White Sulphur voted for the same candidate they still would only make up 12% of the vote.
There is no ‘White Sulphur Myth’ – Begin discussion.
(And yes we couldn’t use a pic of the Real JAMIE HYNEMAN from Mythbusters)
Your Feedback Wanted: I-86 & Parksville
The I-86 project in Parksville is well underway. We want to know your thoughts on how the I-86 project will affect Parksville. We’ve heard Charlies will close and only operate out of the Liberty Location – but will Fiddle’s just disapear? Will new life come to Main Street in Parksville? Or will I-86 be the final nail in the coffin for all Parksville business?
Share your thoughts in the comment section. If you have any information you would like to share or pictures – send them to: info@libertyindy.com
