Residents want more road repairs, outdoor recreation

DUNDEE, STARKEY—The Dundee village board is seeking people to work on its comprehensive plan.
Meanwhile, the town of Starkey has already compiled responses from town residents for its own comprehensive plan.  Many of the Starkey residents’ comments also pertain to Dundee because the village is located within the town.
Dundee Clerk Christine Sutherland explained a comprehensive plan is what the residents want the community to become.  She said municipalities are recommended to update plans every five to 10 years.  However, Sutherland added Dundee’s last comprehensive plan is from 1969.  Any village resident interested in updating the document can call the village hall at 607-243-5551.  Sutherland said requests should be submitted by April 12 so the board can appoint members at the next meeting
The Starkey planning group has already compiled and given the town board a copy of the survey to residents.  The survey asked people about zoning, hydrofracking, encouraging business, and taxes.
When asked about the condition of the roads, an overwhelming number people said the roads are not in good condition.  The residents went on to list a number of roads they felt needed work including Route 230, Putnam Road, Shannon Corner’s Road, and Dundee-Himrod Road.  One person commented that, “We shouldn’t have dirt roads in this day and age.”
Many people were in favor of additional parks or trails in the town. Residents commented that “parks and trails improve community life” and that conservation areas are needed.  A person suggested some sort of community building since the only comparable resource is the Roy Wood community room, which is highly booked and used by both students and adults.
Others said existing roads should be widened to provide adequate shoulders for safe walking and bicycling.  Access to Seneca Lake was another recurring theme.  Someone else said there should be more for children, like a skate park, movies, or even using Black Rock Speedway for use during the winter.
One response addressed the limit of Starkey’s ability to provide more parks with, “While I think this is needed, Starkey doesn’t appear to have the resources to do this on its own. It could however, be part of a county initiative.”
While another resident addressed the existing facilities by saying, “It would be nice if parks and trails were kept clean and allow for more use by families and kids.  We don’t necessarily need new ones, just need to keep the ones we have decent for use. It would be nice to have a community building with some space for people to rent for parties and other events.”
One response from seasonal residents said their needs are different, but added additional businesses or commercial areas could lower taxes. Other residents commented on the need for more business in the area.  Only a few of the responses were in favor hydrofracking, while the majority were against it.  People said they would like to see a variety of different stores open in Starkey and Dundee, including more restaurants or food related businesses. Some responses said yes, but only in the village itself.