5/10/07 - Committee backs Daisy Hollow study

(As published by Cortland Standard, Corey Preston reporting)

The Cortland County Highway Committee on Tuesday cautiously took the first step in what could be an expensive project to fix recurring issues along a short stretch of Daisy Hollow Road in Harford.

The committee expressed concerns that a project to permanently fix to the road could sidetrack other high-priority county road repair projects, however community demand for a solution prompted it to vote in favor of a $32,200 study by Barton & Loguidice to determine the cost and method of a solution.

The approximately 1,000-foot stretch of road has been a headache for residents living in the area who, two months ago, presented a petition to the county asking for a permanent fix to the road which, despite efforts to repair its surface, consistently breaks down due to weak underlying soil.

“The problem with fixing the road is, literally within a matter of weeks it’s back to where the thing just sinks,” said Legislator John Daniels (D-Cortlandville).

County Highway Superintendent Don Chambers estimated that the county spends $4,000 annually to keep the road up, while Deputy Highway Superintendent Bob Buerkle guessed a permanent fix to the road could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $700,000.
“We won’t know the cost until we have the study done,” Chambers said.

The committee’s dilemma was whether to move forward with a permanent fix for Daisy Hollow Road — which is traveled by about 285 cars per day — in lieu, potentially, of other planned road projects — for instance planned paving work on Kinney Gulf Road, which sees 2,000 cars per day, this summer.

Chambers said that, for the $32,200 study alone, he would have to propose moving money from one of the county’s planned capital improvement projects, likely a reconstruction of East Homer-Baltimore Road that is scheduled to be done this summer. “We’ll just have to shorten that job,” he said, meaning the length of the reconstruction would need to be reduced.

SORRY - JUST HAVE TO COMMENT ON THIS ONE - RANGE OF COST ANYWHERE FROM $250,000 TO $700,000??? Are you kidding me? That's the best range? Could it have been tightened up just a bit, or an explanation on how the high is three times the low?

Wow, County math...