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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSoundview Hotel RECEIVED G 1 9 2021 To: See Distribution List Below: Southold Town Clerk THE DEFECTIVE DANGEROUS ROAD RE-DESIGN IN FRONT OF SOUNDVIEW The re-design of Route 48 in front of the Soundview Hotel has to be one of the most dangerous, potentially deadly, re-designs in this Town. And it wasn't supposed to be that way. The proposed design, presented to the public a number of years ago, provided a berm against the main road,with a limited entry and exit, so that people from the hotel wouldn't pull out into traffic from anyplace along the long hotel. The people staying at the hotel would remain on the same side, and the parking lot for the restaurant would remain across the street but with additional crossing protections. Somehow somebody decided that it would be better to move everyone going to the hotel and the restaurant to the parking lot across the street, with several car entrances and exits,and several crosswalks. Put a center median with plantings that eliminates the shoulders, and a bunch of large plantings and trees,to obscure the hotel from the road, effectively hiding any view of people crossing the street. Add in the distracted hotel guests and restaurant patrons, crossing wherever they can, some with heavy luggage, and not paying attention to traffic. Magnify the problems with confusing signage for the hotel and restaurant, and road signs that are nearly impossible to see until you're on them,and you have the present design. All you need for chaos and tragedy is one person darting out, and then the brakes squeal and you have a rear-ender, or worse, if a truck or bus has little time to stop and plows into something. Emergency vehicles could not get past a line of traffic here, if it's backed up at the crossings/turnings. There is NO way to pull over to let that emergency vehicle pass, and it will have to go in the OPPOSITE lane of traffic to pass. There's also little room for a bike lane to keep them at a safe distance from the traffic passing by the hotel. Alarmingly,this is a major emergency route. If it gets blocked anyone east of this place is probably done for, or the alternate route (Route 25) will be innundated and slowed down with the excess traffic at the worst possible time. Who created these dangerous conditions to exist? Who thought it would be safer if more people were forced to cross a major road? Were emergency services at any level allowed to review the conditions for the road? If so, what were their concerns? Were the proper studies done,for a major Suffolk County and Evacuation"Route", and are these being adhered to? Suffolk County's DOT, and the politicians in Suffolk County approved this. Is this the future of our roads? Surely we don't design major roads that end up as dangerous low-speed entrances for private property? Do we? And slowing the speed isn't the answer—it's still constricting a major road. The only answer is a major redesign. And no,this isn't"traffic calming," nor should that be the purpose. Roads, especially major routes, are for delivering goods and getting people around, and serve critical functions in emergencies. Defective, dangerous road design isn't acceptable. The "experts" created this, and have it wrong this time. Worse, it's a huge waste of money. Did no one question the expenditure for the benefit? Start over. Or go back to the common-sense initial design presented to the public years ago. Blinking lights at the crosswalk would have been better. There's got to be accountability for this disaster in the making, so the public doesn't have to be subjected again to deadly road conditions by design. Unless there is a change,there will be blood. Sincerly, Kimon Retzos P.O. Box 263 Southold, NY 11971 (212) 929-7958 To: Suffolk County Dept. of Public Works, Joseph Brown, P.E., Commissioner 335 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11980 Cc: Jody Giglio, Assemblywoman —NY State Assembly 30 West Main Street, Suite 103 Riverhead, NY 11901 Anthony Palumbo, Senator— NY State Senator 28 North Country Rd, Suite 203 Mt. Sinai, NY 11766 Southold Town Clerk's Office 53095 Route Elizabeth A. Neville—for distribution to Southold Town Board P.O. Box 1179 Southold, NY 11971 Al Krupski, Suffolk County Legislator 423 Griffing Avenue Suite 2 Riverhead, NY 11901 Southold Town Supervisor—Scott Russell 53095 Main Rd P.O. Box 1179 Southold, NY 11971 Southold Town Chief of Police- Martin Flatley 41405 Route 25 P.O. Box 911 Peconic, NY 11958 Superintendent of Highways -Vincent M. Orlando 275 Peconic Ln. P.O. Box 178 Peconic, NY 11958 Village of Greenport— Sylvia Pirillo—Clerk (please distribute For Mayor and Trustees) 236 Third Street Greenport, NY 11944