Residents call for hearing on light

By: Kim Gaffney Hyde Park Townsman Wednesday, March 3, 2005

CLINTON - In October, more than 70 residents signed a petition denouncing the possible installation of a flashing traffic light at the intersections of county routes 14 and 18 in the Hamlet of Clinton Hollow.

At the time, petitioning the county highway department seemed to be residents' only course of action, but thanks to town statutes, it appears that may not be the case.
Actions taken by the board more than 15 years ago may require the county to further review the situation at the dangerous intersection.
In a letter to county Director of Engineering Gregory Bentley, residents Dick and Noreen Coller called for the county to perform a Type I review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) . As part of the review, the county would be required to conduct a public hearing in the town regarding any action taken at the site.
"This would allow residents of Clinton to express their concerns about the safety of the intersection and the proposed response of the Dutchess County Department of Public Works," read the Jan. 31 letter.
The intersection was designated as a "Critical Environmental Area" by the board first in 1989 and reaffirmed in 2001.
According to the Web site for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the hamlets of Frost Mills, Pleasant Plains, Clinton Corners, Old Bulls Head, Clinton Hollow, Schultzville and Hiberneria were all designated as areas of concern in 1987. The intersection in question is part of the Clinton Hollow hamlet.
Noreen Coller, who is the chairwoman of the Conservation Advisory Council, said last week that she has not received a response from Bentley or any of the other dozen people who were copied on the letter, including other county officials and members of the town board.
"I did have one member of the town board stop to discuss the letter with me, but in terms of something actually happening as a result of the letter, I haven't heard a word," said Coller.
The counterproposal, which was outlined by the Collers in their letter and which has gained considerable support through petitions circulated in the town, would be the implementation of a four-way stop.
The county did reportedly consider a four-way stop at the intersection, but eliminated the possibility, determining that it would not be a "viable option."
"The real concern is that the non-standard sight distance, which exists in the southbound approach to the intersection at Centre Road, would cause rear-end accidents if a stop sign were installed southbound," said Bentley in an earlier letter.
According to the most recent complete records with the county's Traffic and Safety Board, between Jan. 1, 1999 and Dec. 31, 2002, there were a total of 19 reported accidents at the intersection of Routes 14 and 18.
County Route 14, which runs in an east-west direction, is also known as Hollow Road to the west of the intersection and Clinton Hollow Road to the east.
County Route 18, which runs in a north-south direction, is also known as Centre Road.

Scenic viewshed
While traffic safety seems to be at the forefront of concern, the actual issue in the minds of some Clinton residents is protecting the rural character of the hamlet.
There are no traffic lights in the entire town.
"It seems that the majority of Clinton residents oppose construction of blinking lights, with the major land clearing and road construction required," wrote the Collers in their letter to Bentley.
"This would seem to be 'overkill' in our rural community, not to speak of the major cost to Dutchess County taxpayers. A simple, less costly solution might solve the problem," they said in the letter.
"We acknowledge your concerns relative to the existing character of the neighborhood; however, our primary and overriding concern is and has to be the safety of the motoring public passing through the intersection," said Bentley in a letter dated Nov. 16.
In the same letter, Bentley outlined the actions the county has already taken to address the safety of the intersection, including the repaving of Hollow Road near the intersection, additional sign work and sight line clearing.
The letter also detailed the work the county did in preparation for developing the plan: reviewing accident reports and existing road conditions and considering sight lines and signs.
Bentley's letter was written in response to a letter which the county had received, along with the signed petition from Clinton resident Michael Kaplan in September.
In October, the county met with Town Supervisor Ray Oberly, County Legislator Joel Tyner (D-Clinton, Rhinebeck), Councilwoman Barbara Seelbach and some residents to discuss the matter.
There has been no public forum open to the comments of all town residents, which is what the Collers are appealing for and which is required through the SEQRA process for Type I actions.
Type I Actions, which the Collers believe the proposed project at the intersection would qualify as, often also require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.
Some typical Type I actions include nonresidential projects, which physically alter 10 or more acres of land, or zoning changes affecting 25 or more acres.

©Hyde Park Townsman 2005

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