As a year-round resident of Southampton for 38 years, I spent 16 of those years living within two blocks of Agawam Park. The article “Alternative Plan in the Works” [The Southampton Press, Eastern Edition, November 16] states that the Lake Agawam Conservancy wants to create a “world-class park” (Roy Stevenson quote) and eliminate Pond Lane.
To the residents of Southampton I ask: Do you believe the congestion in and around the Village of Southampton will improve in five years? Ten?
Residents are certainly familiar with the traffic jams at Hill Street and First Neck Lane before, during and after the summer season. It seems to me like a world-class bad idea to eliminate at least one of three access points to First Neck. Right? Or even to eliminate another access to Jobs Lane.
Parking a third of the time? One-way a third of the time? Closed on weekends? Someone is not thinking of Southampton residents.
I visit Agawam throughout the year. As a novelty, I may visit a couple more times with a world-class park, but it would never justify the closure of Pond Lane.
People will not decide to holiday in Southampton because of a new Agawam Park. The village economy will not improve exponentially because of a new Agawam Park. But I would be reminded every day how much more difficult it is to get on First Neck and into the village.
How about this world-class idea: Clean up along the pond, cut down and remove the dead trees, pull the weak bushes. Clean it, open it up, shore up the edge of the lake. Prevent people from parking on soil at the lake and feeding the birds.
How about moving Pond Lane 60 to 200 feet (depending on land ownership) west? Keep the road and expand the width of the west bank for more park, with a few placed specimen trees and shrubs along the bank area.
I don’t have to rebuild my house to fix my garage.
Greg Monske
Southampton
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