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Town Supports Reopening Ladoga Park Crossing |
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 21 November 2008 |
 Residents of Ladoga Park asked the Town Board to go to bat for them Wednesday, to try to get the north railroad crossing to their neighborhood reopened. The crossing was closed by Norfolk Southern railroad last April, leaving one official entry to the neighborhood, and one access owned by the railroad. Last month a letter from Fire Chief Scott Purcell surprised residents when it said that the closed crossing does not constitute a hazard. He went further to suggest obstacles on private properties that make it harder to get emergency equipment in and out.
"We all are very disappointed in the fire department's response," said resident Noel Desch. "When you have a direct ingress for fire equipment, that's a straight shot. You don't have to deal with track coming in and out of the park. You don't have to deal with the salt trains when they block the new signal crossing. And you don't have to deal with the safety record, which apparently neither Norfolk Southern nor the fire department took into account with respect to the crossing."
Desch asked the Town Board to meet with Fire Commissioners and Chief Purcell to try to get him to amend the letter to say that the closed crossing is a 'preferred crossing.' But Councilmen Marty Christopher and Bud Shattuck said that they are satisfied with the Chief's response. Despite the letter they said they are in support of reopening the crossing.
Supervisor Scott Pinney recused himself from the discussion on the grounds that his company was contracted by the railroad to erect the barriers. Deputy Supervisor Connie Wilcox said that she and the entire board is in support of opening it anyway.
"I went to the Board of Fire Commissioners meeting where they discussed the safety issue," she said. "It was the assessment by the fire chiefs, not just the Chief, that they can get in and out of there without too much trouble, other than (obstacles on some of the) personal properties. I would like to say that we are in favor of getting that crossing open, but we are also cognizant of what the fire department says as well."
Desch asked the Board to pressure the Fire District to reword the letter. "We would hope you would join us in going to the fire department and say, 'you've had a straight shot for access to that area for better than a century," he said. "Can't you say something in support of the desire to reopen it?' They didn't add the extra sentence to say 'we prefer to have the crossing open.'"
But Board members balked, saying that would be something the residents should do directly if they feel it should be done. They did agree to pass a resolution that was crafted after one Desch had forwarded to them after having an attorney look it over.
"We clearly respect the fire department and we appreciate their coming down there to see what we're going through and coming up with suggestions," Desch said. "When you look at it we feel the response is too narrow."
Wilcox read the resolution: "Whereas Congressman Arcuri in his letter of November 7th, 2008 expressed support of the Town's efforts including willingness to forward the Town's resolution 'to appropriate representatives at Norfolk Southern to insist that the railroad both address these concerns and provide residents with a more detailed examination of its decision to close this crossing.' And whereas Senator Michael Nozzolio has verbally indicated similar support to that of Congressman Arcuri, now therefore be it resolved that the Town of Lansing supports the opening of the existing private crossing of the Norfolk Southern Railroad at the north end of Ladoga Park to restore and insure safe ingress and egress at both ends of the neighborhood."
It passed 4-0 with Pinney abstaining.
With reporting by Karen Veaner
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