Exit 114 in Mamakating is a picturesque turnoff from state Route 17, looping onto Sullivan Street in Wurtsboro. Sullivan is the village’s main drag and is dotted with little shops, cafés and restaurants. It’s Wurtsboro’s business center. But at the Mamakating Town Board meeting on May 21, council members and residents worried that Exit 114 will close if the state Department of Transportation (DOT) has its way. If it does, they said, Wurtsboro could suffer. Organizing then began to keep Exit 114 open.

This is not the first time that DOT has proposed closing the exit. The department publicly discussed doing so in 2021, as part of a long-range plan to upgrade Route 17 to become Interstate 86. The exit lacks an on-off ramp going east, and DOT rules state that exits need ramps on both sides of a roadway.

It would be very expensive to add another exit. However, it was said at the meeting, vintage exits can be grandfathered in during highway upgrades.

Council member Matt Mordas said he was surprised to learn the DOT submitted a letter of intent on April 30 about closing Exit 114, then later approved the closure.

It’s reasonable to foresee that with Exit 114 no longer available, drivers will get off at Exit 113. It intersects U.S. 209 just west of Wurtsboro and completely passes Sullivan Street en route to the business district of Ellenville.

The proposed new route, council members said, would hurt Wurtsboro’s economy, increase dangerous traffic on residential roads and result in higher maintenance costs for those roads. In addition, the closure would make it difficult, if not impossible, for emergency rescue vehicles to quickly reach people who live on the mountain near Exit 114 – especially in the winter.

Councilmember Matt Mordas complained that the DOT failed to properly notify Mamakating about the intended closure, which will happen in 2026 if plans proceed. “Our voices are not being heard,” he said.

Several community members spoke on the matter during the board’s public comment period. Travis Ogden is co-owner of Crystal Connection, on Sullivan Street. He said that he opened the store in 2008 and has since seen Wurtsboro’s businesses grow and prosper. Crystal Connections has a billboard on Route 17, encouraging drivers to use Exit 114 to visit the store. If drivers have to get off at Exit 113 instead, Ogden said, it will hurt his business. The proposed change “makes my head spin!” he said.

Town Supervisor Michael Robbins said the town is circulating citizen petitions against the exit closure. He encouraged Wurtsboro business owners to distribute them: “The whole board is in favor,” he said. The petitions are already available in many businesses and can also be picked up at the Town Hall. They need to be handed in by May 28, and can be left at Town Clerk Karen Barclay’s office. “Signatures make a difference,” Mordas said. Robbins encouraged citizens to also communicate with elected officials including state Assembly members.

Term change

Also at the meeting, the board unanimously approved holding a referendum to lengthen the highway superintendent’s term from its current two years to four years. The referendum will be voted on by the public in November. Thomas Morrow is currently the highway superintendent, and he “has to come up with a lot of plans” for highway maintenance and improvements in the long run, Robbins noted. With only two years in office, Robbins added, “it’s tough to come up with stuff.”

Robbins reminded the public that spring has arrived: a time when “everybody’s lawns are getting out of control.” He announced a June 4 public hearing at 6 p.m., for a proposed amendment to the town’s property management code. If approved, it will give property owners with problematic lawn or garbage disposal issues seven days to fix the problem or contact the town supervisor or a council member to explain why not. If the problem persists, Robbins said, the town will hire a lawn care or garbage removal company to clean up the mess. The cost will be passed to the property owner on their tax bill.

Robbins added that Mamakating has many dangerous trees, so the town has set aside $30,000 to remove them by hiring a tree crew. The Highway Department will mark the trees for removal. As the work proceeds, the most dangerous trees will be taken first.

Robbins also announced that the town has three surplus vehicles that will be up for auction: a dump truck, a little used jeep “that is just rusting away” and a lawnmower formerly used at the town park.

As for the park’s community swimming pool, it’s currently in good shape and being filled with water. Robbins previously had said he hoped it would be ready for swimming by Memorial Day weekend. But at the meeting he said it will take a little longer, because the pool still needs Health Department approvals.

Several Memorial Day events were announced:

Wurtsboro’s American Legion and VFW-sponsored Memorial Day parade assembles at 12:30 on May 27, and step off is at 1 p.m.

Mamakating-area cemeteries and other sites will host events to remember Armed Forces members who died in service. On May 27, VFW Post 4947 will hold services at 9 a.m. at Poplar Grove Cemetery; 9:45 a.m. at the monument at the Phillipsport Community Center; 10:30 a.m. at the Burlingham Cemetery, and 11:15 a.m. at the Pine Hill Cemetery. In addition, the Summitville Firehouse and Monument will hold a dedication service at 9 a.m., and an 11 a.m. service will take place in the Bloomingburg Cemetery.