HANOVER — At long last, the town has received the green light to move forward with its water line replacement project on Routes 5 and 20 in the Town.

With an impending lane reduction on Routes 5 and 20 from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), the Town of Hanover has been waiting to proceed with its own project to coordinate with the DOT. The Town has been trying to avoid clashing with the DOT project in the same area, which will require construction to reduce the lanes from four to three, with the Town’s water line set to be right off the side of the road.

“We’re ready to go tomorrow,” Hanover Deputy Supervisor Bernie Feldmann said at a recent meeting of the Town Board.

Hanover Town Supervisor Lou Pelletter reached out to the State Department of Transportation (DOT) several times on his own, and so did the Town’s engineer for the project, but for several months, Pelletter claims the DOT did not offer a response. Senator George Borrello and Congressman Nick Langworthy have also offered assistance on the project in some way.

Pelletter noted the Town is open to construction during the winter, but the funding the Town has received for the project through Rural Development is only good until October.

Two months ago, Pelletter stated at a meeting that the Town was ready to go out to bid, but was waiting on the DOT for approval.

At the most recent Town Board meeting, not much had changed, as Pelletter said, “As of right now, we’re waiting for the DOT and there’s really nothing more we can do about it.”

Coincidentally, within hours of his comments, Pelletter heard from the Town’s engineer stating that the DOT gave the green light to advertise the project and the subsequent construction.

The DOT presented its lane reduction project to the Town of Hanover last June. The timetable offered at the time listed May-June of 2024 as the anticipated start date.

At the time, referring to its water line replacement project, Feldmann said, “I would think we’d be out in front of you, or at the same time.”

Now, after the delay, the Town hopes those goals are still within sight, though still without a definitive timeline for the water line project to officially begin construction.

Pelletter is no stranger to waiting around to hearing back from a state agency. He also detailed that a Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) grant for the dissolution of Forestville, which was absorbed by the Town of Hanover, has been an ongoing saga since 2016. Pelletter has hundreds of emails of correspondence with various agencies to provide a $50,000 grant to the Town, utilized for rehabilitation of tennis and basketball courts.

After no contact since 2018, Pelletter was contacted last February. At the recent meeting, he stated that an agency will be processing a payment of $10,225.96 related to the project. Pelletter expects more funding in the future, but expressed his frustration. “I’m about at my wit’s end,” Pelletter said.

Also at the recent Town Board meeting, held at the renovated Bicentennial Park on King Road in Forestville, the Town approved Guarcello’s Plumbing to replace two existing faucets at the Hanover Park Beach House at a cost of $850; a new laptop computer for Pelletter’s duties as Supervisor was approved for purchase to not exceed $1,000; David Sink was approved to repair the Town Hall computer including wiring and router work at a cost of $1,459.08; and Court Clerk Kathleen Tempski was approved to attend a training session in Houghton on June 6.

The Town Board also approved a pay increase for Head Lifeguard Jorge Hasbun to $21 per hour; Payton Brennan was re-hired as a Lifeguard at $19 per hour; and Tom Moran was hired as a Per Diem Attendant at the Hanover Boat Launch at $16.25 per hour.

Also of note, the Forestville Farmers’ Market will open on Thursday, June 13 from 2-6 p.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony following two weeks later on June 27.

The next meeting of the Town Board will be Monday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hanover Town Hall and Court.