Pothole watch: Week 12 brings 'only a temporary solution'

BY ERIKA NORTON
GOSHEN — Workers could be seen pouring and filling potholes with asphalt at the Goshen Plaza parking lot on Friday, May 4. But the mayor said he's looking forward to a more permanent fix.
“I am encouraged by these initial actions to make the lot safer for residents,” Village of Mayor Kyle Roddey said Tuesday. “The village attorney will be determining whether this action satisfies the order to remedy.
“However, it is clear that this is only a temporary solution,” Roddey continued. “Long term, the lot will need a complete repaving job. The property owner has confirmed with me they will be working with an engineering firm to create a site plan, which will guide future improvements.”
'Order to Remedy'The Goshen Plaza owners, Fareri Associates, have until May 16 to make the deteriorating strip mall parking lot safe, after the village issued an order to legally force the owners to improve the condition. The “Order to Remedy” directs the property owners to fix the lot within 30 days.
If the work is not done on time, the village said they would go to court to pursue the maximum penalties allowed by law. Roddey said the judge could decide to fine up to $1,000 a day.
The village's announcement came after nine weeks of "Pothole Watch," in which The Chronicle monitored the deteriorating condition of the parking lot on a weekly basis.
The entrance and exit to the Goshen Plaza were paved earlier this year, thanks to the owners of the Goshen Diner. But the rest of the large parking lot continued to be undermined by large potholes and crumbling asphalt.
At night, many of the lot lights are out or dim, and a number of handicapped parking signs are missing from the yellow poles in the front. Now, there appears to be a giant pile of tires at the far east end of the lot.
The parking lot at the village's only shopping center, which includes a CVS Pharmacy and several other businesses, has continued to be perennial problem.
HistoryIn May 2015, Philip Adler purchased the Goshen Plaza for $7.85 million at auction, the second for the strip mall. The property is currently owned by Adler and Fareri Associates of Greenwich, Conn.
Goshen Plaza business owners have in the past complained that the pockmarked lot has driven away business.
In 2001, the Grand Union grocery store left the plaza, leaving the village without a supermarket to this day. CVS moved into that spot later.
Editor's note: Pothole Watch will keep an eye on the situation with updates every week until the lot is repaved.