Hartwick Town Board Asked To Petition

DOT To Make Hamlet Intersection Safer

HARTWICK – The Town of Hartwick Planning Board last evening adopted two resolutions aimed at improving signage in the town and expressing support for the local post office, according to board co-chair Alex Thomas.

The first of the two resolutions called on the state Department of Transportation to install directional signs at Routes 205 and 11 in the hamlet. The board cited the use of 205 as a thoroughfare for visitors to Oneonta, particularly Cooperstown All-Star Village on Route 205, and Cooperstown as a reason for the directional sign.

Town officials have noticed a rise in the number of complaints from both residents and visitors who believe a sign at the intersection is warranted. “We regularly hear about near-miss accidents as travelers to Cooperstown slow at the Four Corners looking for the county highway sign, and we believe it is a hazardous situation,” said Thomas. “We have asked the DOT to install a sign several times now and they replied that it would be ‘sign clutter.”

The resolution requests the town board to direct the town attorney to notify the DOT that the town accepts no liability for the potentially unsafe situation.

A second resolution responds to a recent letter mailed to hamlet residents asking them to choose between reduced post office hours and a study to close the branch entirely. The resolution expresses support for the continued operation of the post office during hours in which residents are most likely to utilize it.