Letters

I attended the village trustee debate on Wednesday, June 5. It was nice to be able to have the debate held, live and in person, and I thank The Express News Group for presenting it to the public. I have no doubt that all the candidates have the best interest of the village at heart, albeit, with differing opinions.

To that end, I found it interesting when posed with a question about Pond Lane, that Deputy Mayor Gina Arresta said, “There is no plan, so there is no discussion.” That is not a completely accurate statement. There was a plan presented by the Lake Agawam Conservancy, that was endorsed by the village trustees, as well as, another viable plan for Pond Lane that the village administration is well aware of.

Last summer, the Concerned Citizens Group commissioned Perry Guillot, a well known local landscape architect to devise alternative design plans. This elegant set of plans addresses all the concerns regarding Pond Lane, as well as the ecology of Lake Agawam. The Concerned Citizens asked that this plan be shared with the public at an open meeting, but were denied. Rather than a denial, wouldn’t it be in the village’s and everyone’s best interest to have all the ideas shared for such an important project. Frankly, that is the true meaning of transparency.

Secondly, this begs the question, if the village is taking the approach that there is no plan for Pond Lane, then why doesn’t Arresta, as the liaison to the Board of Trustees for the Department of Public Works, have Pond Lane repaired? The road’s current condition fails to meet a minimum standard that residents should be able to expect.

The taxpayers of the village deserve better.

Laurie Cameron Carson

Southampton Village