The insiders, self-dealers, and media-enablers are circling the wagons!The deal that will move The Hartford insurance company to a newly built office park off Woods Highway could fall apart if an intersection near the site is not built.
That was the message Wednesday from Daniel Gilligan, the New Hartford Central School District superintendent, and Earle Reed, the town’s supervisor.
Now we citizens and taxpayers are told that the proposed 840 intersection is "key" to the plan. WE are threatened -- by a School Superintendent, no less -- that The Hartford is going to move if WE do not support a new intersection on Route 840.
Keep in mind that The Hartford is supposed to move to it's employees into the new building in just eight weeks, so they're rather handily trying to push this idea through with an artificial deadline of their own making. No matter how much opposition there is to building this nutty intersection, much less the fact that it totally negates the original purpose of Rt. 840 as an expressway, you can rest assured it's going to go through. Why? Because rich, politically connected players want it.
Update: I hate to say I told you so, but...New Hartford will be paying for a new intersection to serve a private developer:
Ryan Cos., the firm that owns the office building built for The Hartford insurance company at the New Hartford Business Park, received preliminary assurances Thursday that an intersection will be built at Route 840 and an extension to Woods Highway.
New Hartford Town Supervisor Earle Reed and Michael Shamma, state Department of Transportation Region 2 director, said they planned to move forward with plans for the intersection. The DOT is designing the intersection, and the town will have to bond to pay for it.
