MAMAKATING – The Town of Mamakating wants to lower the temperature for troopers at the New York State Police Troop F Zone 1 barracks as they are making plans to replace the aging heating and air conditioning system in the building following last Tuesday night’s meeting, where the town board decided recurring repairs were no longer a practical investment.

During the work session for the town’s first and only July scheduled town board meeting, Town Supervisor Peter Goodman stated that because the barracks are owned by the town, it is responsible for maintaining the building. Even though the unit has been “nursed along” over the years, Goodman explained that it has continued to deteriorate.

"It's getting worse and worse," Goodman said. "It's developing some leaks. It's using an older style of refrigerant that you can't get anymore, and it's gotten to the point where it's no longer a smart investment to keep fixing it."

To that end, Goodman said replacing the system would be the best course of action, providing troopers with a more comfortable working environment.

"We're looking to replace the air conditioning so that the troopers don't sweat to death in their barracks," he noted.

The board unanimously approved setting the bid opening for the Troopers' air conditioning, air handler and gas furnace replacement project for Aug. 13 at 2 p.m., following a motion by Councilman Michael Robbins and a second by Councilman Tyler Wood.

Taking things slow

Many residents of Lakeshore Drive have come to the same conclusion: there needs to be a speed reduction on the narrow, winding dead-end street before something bad happens.

That was the message resident Louis Silverman brought before the town board as he presented a petition signed by 19 of the road’s 25 homeowners requesting the speed limit be reduced from 30 mph to 15 mph.

Silverman said the request comes as he has observed an increase in families with children, in addition to pedestrians who regularly walk along the roadway.

"We feel it's a necessity because over the last few years the people that are driving down that street that are not necessarily residents are going way too fast," Silverman stressed.

As an example, Silverman recalled a recent incident in which he witnessed a driver entering the cul-de-sac at what he estimated to be between 40 and 45 mph, nearly striking several trees before finally coming to a stop.

Goodman thanked the residents for putting together the petition but explained that the town cannot reduce the speed limit on its own.

Instead, the town board would first need to approve a resolution supporting the request, which would then be forwarded to the Sullivan County Highway Department before being reviewed by New York State. The state would then conduct a traffic study before determining whether the reduction is warranted.

"All the town can do is say that we agree that it should have a reduction," Goodman stated, adding that the process could take between six months and a year.

Even though the request will take some time to make its way through the review process, Councilman Jim Post suggested alternative methods to slow traffic in the meantime. One suggestion was the installation of rubber pedestrian crossing delineators, similar to those used in Wurtsboro, which would encourage motorists to reduce their speed.

"Traffic calming measures are a lot better than signs to regulate people," Post explained.

"In the meantime, we could look at some of these other options and see what we can do to keep the road safe," Goodman added.