Park and Ride Secrecy

Dear Editor:

I would like to address the latest article on the Mahopac Park and Ride. After the residents complaints of no notification during this entire fiasco what did the Legislature do! Put the Park and Ride back on the agenda with no notification to the neighborhood (we thought it was over and done with). It was found by chance because we now look at the legislature agendas daily to see what is scheduled. Why are they so secretive with this project?

Could it be that since no traffic or full environmental impact study was ever done to date they are trying to push this through before anyone can find the true answers to these questions? It is stated in this article that the Deputy County Executive Tully’s next step would be to have a traffic study conducted, this is a misconception because it was stated that evening that the county would not conduct this study. They felt that the Town of Carmel is obligated to have it done since the D.O.T. would like the Woodcrest Garden Apts driveway moved to Mt Hope Rd. (no new development as mentioned in this article). Why, I ask, in the 8 years of planning of this park and ride was a traffic study never conducted at this spot, which is, if not the busiest intersection in Mahopac, definitely one of them. This intersection not only divides the town, but allows motorists to use Mt. Hope as a short cut to Rte 6 from Somers. It is a main route for school buses to the Lakeview School as well as the high and middle schools. There were members of the Mahopac Fire Dept. that spoke at this meeting stating loud and clear that this is a very dangerous intersection with ever -increasing accidents and injuries occurring more frequently. Again I ask, why was a traffic study never willingly conducted by the county?

Anyone who travels Mt. Hope Road will tell you that it is wet all the time. There are many underground springs in the neighborhood. After the rain last week this entire proposed lot was underwater. Where will all the pollutants that come from vehicles, salt to de-ice the lot, and the neighborhood go, directly into the stream that feeds Lake Mahopac. It is not just a recreational lake, it is a reservoir for not only the Ridge residents but many other neighborhoods in Mahopac. It is our only source of drinking water. What effect will this have on the Jewel of Putnam County that it is so often called, and her water supply to its residents? We don’t know because a full environmental study was never conducted either.

This Mt. Hope Park and Ride site has never been fully studied so for Putnam County to continue as if this will have no impact on all the residents of Mahopac is just foolish. The upkeep on this lot alone with the conditions that exist at this site will cost Putnam County more in the long run than it would to just stop and cut its losses now. I ask who is going to park in a lot that is underwater whenever it rains, brave walking on inches of ice in the winter while taking their life in their hands crossing a dangerous intersection to get to the bus stop on the opposite side of the road?
Patricia Capozza
Mahopac Ridge Resident
MAHOPAC