The roundabout at Routes 20 and 60 turned into a giant tangle of weeds this summer. According to Pomfret’s deputy town supervisor, Ann Eckman, that should be cleared by the time you read this.
“I have been working with NYSDOT (the New York State Department of Transportation) for over four months to get the needed permits to do maintenance,” she said. “The good news is that we just received the needed permits and the maintenance will now be able to be completed.”
Eckman said Wednesday morning that she, Town Supervisor Dan Pacos and members of the crew that maintains town cemeteries planned to start clearing the weeds around 8 p.m.
“Wanted to do it when there was less traffic and still some light. If we cannot get it all done tonight, then we will schedule another day,” she said.
“The residents are upset/concerned about the condition, but we really have been trying,” Eckman added. “Someone said that we did not care about it, but we really do!”
Besides some heavy-duty gardening, a sculpture is planned for the center of the roundabout. Joe Sorci did the metal sculpture, titled “Unfurl.”
The Fredonia Beaver Club is funding installation of the sculpture, Eckman said in April.
Pacos said Wednesday that the town is still waiting on approvals for the sculpture, along with a garden planned around it, from the state.
Eckman first announced plans for beautifying the roundabout back in December. She blames the holdup on the state.
“This delay is because the NYSDOT never relayed to anyone during the process that we would have to apply for permits in order to enter/maintain the roundabout,” she said.
“This has been a very frustrating process for us,” Eckman added.
A spokeswoman for DOT’s Western New York region, Susan Surdej, did not return an email or a phone call seeking comments on the situation.
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