GREENE – The organizers of the Greene Cruise-In have hit a snag in their attempts to attain a permit from the New York State Department of Transportation to divert traffic during the bi-weekly events, which draw scores of visitors to downtown Greene from May to October.
According to Village of Greene Mayor Marcia Miller, the organizers of the event cannot proceed with the permitting process without the village itself being the primary applicant.
“They (the DOT) can’t just grant it to an individual; it has to be a municipality,” Miller said, as she explained the matter to the village trustees at the board’s February meeting, held last night at the Village Hall.
If the village agrees to be the applicant, the classic car cruise-in’s organizers – Enzo Olivieri of Nathanael Greene’s Publick House, Barry Stephens of Tri-County Collision and Wes “Big Wally” VanVoorhies – would be listed as co-applicants.
The trio were prompted to apply for the permit following last month’s board meeting, where concerns were raised regarding parking during the event. The DOT has permitting authority, as Genesee Street, where the car show is held, is also a state highway.
Last night, members of the board of trustees had concerns of their own, centering on the responsibility and liability the municipality would assume if they applied for the permit on behalf of the organizers.
“We probably were liable before, but just didn’t realize it,” one commented during the course of the discussion.
Whether or not the snag will turn into a roadblock for the event, remains to be seen. The board reached no formal decision on the issue, choosing instead to refer the matter to the village’s legal counsel, Attorney Bob Larkin, before taking further action.
Once Larkin has been consulted, Miller said, the board will discuss the matter further at one of the budget meetings already scheduled for later this month.