Commentary on this story on Saturday's Headlines Podcast .

The village of Whispering Pines is mulling over whether to take legal action against Whispering Woods Golf Club over the dam on Cardinal Lake.

The dam is eroding and may eventually fail, the council was told. Whispering Pines residents live downstream from the dam, and the Village Council wants to take steps to ensure the safety of themselves and their property.

"We have citizens downstream who are obviously at risk should the dam fail," Councilman Bob Zschoche said.

The Village Council has asked its attorney to determine what legal options it has to deal with the situation.

Should the dam fail, it would likely cause another dam to fail and would eventually spill water over Niagra-Carthage Road.

The village owns the road over the dam -- which has been closed -- but the golf club owns the dam. It has asked the village to take possession of the dam, but the village has declined until it is structurally sound.

Several dam issues are facing the council. The council also has asked the Planning and Zoning Department to look into the possibility of putting a road over the Blue Dam, which would then provide access to the two new subdivisions without spilling traffic onto Pine Ridge Drive.

The council voted to hold a public hearing next month on that proposal.

The council also said that the state has informed the village that the rusting drain pipes of the Spring Valley Dam will need repair soon.

The village is worried that the state will require the repairs immediately following its next inspection in February. With the repairs will come a requirement for an emergency spillway, which will have to be built right where the village maintenance building now stands.

The village intends to begin the process of constructing a new maintenance building off Hardee Lane near the police station, where it eventually intends to build a new Town Hall. Councilman Bill Bateman said that things are moving as fast as possible.

Matthew Moriarty may be reached at 693-2479 or by e-mail at moriarty@thepilot.com.