'Convenience shopping' not worth its many hassles
To the Editor,

Someone recently asked, "What's all the fuss about a Wal-Mart in Bath?" I'd like to reply that many of us residents of the Town and Village of Bath live here because there isn't a city-like, commercial sprawl atmosphere that Wal-Mart and other big-box stores bring to a community.

We don't mind having to go out of town, even if it is a 20- mile drive, when we cannot buy an itemwe're looking for from any one of our many local merchants. But, generally we find our town and village of Bath and the surrounding areas of Avoca, Hammondsport, Savona and Prattsburgh are pretty self-sufficient. We get helpful, friendly service from knowledgeable people who live and work here, our neighbors and friends. Quite often that item we think we really needed becomes less important if we wait a few days, or we find a way to combine the trip to a store in Corning, Elmira, or Hornell with another errand, saving gas and time. Furthermore, our money spent at locally owned businesses stays local, helping the economy.

We find we can live with the current amount of traffic on State Route 54 and 415 as they wind through our village and town, but an increase in traffic, which would occur if a Wal- Mart or other big-box store was constructed in the proposed area north of our village on the outskirts of the town of Bath, would change our lifestyle. Many of us would not be able to conveniently exit our driveways, there would be excessive waits at stop sign intersections in order to be able to turn on and off Route 54 from village streets, and the level of traffic on some of our narrow village streets that would become access streets to Route 54 would make for dangerous pedestrian and vehicle situations. The lack of a turning lane on Route 54 in front of the proposed store, and the lack of stop lights at several other directly impacted intersections, ie. the corner of Gratton Drive and Route 54/Geneva Street, and the "Y" at the intersection of Haverling Street and Liberty Street/Route 54, are a few of the immediate safety concerns that come to mind. You can bet the taxpayers will be the ones who ultimately have to pay for these highway changes and street repairs, not Wal-Mart.

We currently have a clean, plentiful water supply for drinking water. We certainly don't want any commercial development that could affect our water supply in the short or longterm. This site sits atop a primary aquifer, and is very near the source of Cold Brook Creek, which is an inlet to Keuka Lake, and the spring at the NY State Fish Hatchery, where many people get their drinking water.

We enjoy being able to drive north out of our village and town and have the stores and businesses dwindle along that route, giving way to residences, cornfields, hayfields, glacial moraines and the view of the beautiful hills that surround us and Keuka Lake. We value our "green-space." This area has been said by many to be one of the most beautiful areas in the country. People come here to vacation, to retire, and return here to visit, knowing it hasn't changed a whole lot, and take great satisfaction in that. Let us not squander our land for the enticement of more shopping plazas.

These are just a few reasons why we are opposed to the development of big-box stores at this proposed location in the Town of Bath. We believe this matter is one of the most important issues the governing body of our town has ever been faced with. Big box store development of this sort will change the face and structure of our community in a way we have never experienced here - and do we want to?

Development of this kind in small to medium size communities has been successfully stopped elsewhere in our region, state, and country for many of the same reasons I have put forth. Please, let's preserve what we have - let's not risk the status quo for "one-stop" convenience shopping. I urge the community to get involved; go to the town and village and planning board meetings, let our representatives know your concerns, ask for a comprehensive plan for the Town of Bath, or a moratorium on large store development, before this plan is rubber stamped.

Deanna Lang

Bath