ERIE COUNTY
Lawmakers expected to OK road improvements
The Erie County Legislature today is expected to advance a number of road repairs and other improvement projects before breaking for its August recess.
The Legislature is not scheduled to meet again until Sept. 10, after Primary Day. So the Public Works Department has put several projects into the Legislature’s focus this week to gain approval and ensure work flows through the summer.
Erie County’s major improvements have only staggered along in recent years because of a dispute with the state-appointed control board over how to borrow the millions of dollars required.
With that logjam lifted, Erie County has more than $100 million in hand for projects, many of which take months to arrange and design before the bulldozers lumber into place. Lawmakers today will be asked to approve:
• Hiring New Frontier Excavating and Paving of Eden for almost $200,000 to rebuild a section of Groth Road in Concord that has been closed since last fall.
• Arranging the purchase of more right of way before improving Blakeley Corners Road in Aurora and Zoar Valley Road along Cattaraugus Creek at the county’s southern border. The Legislature will be asked to approve an $11,000 contract with D&S Realty Consultants for its services in buying right of way.
• Agreements that ensure financing to improve the intersections of Harris Hill Road at Wehrle Drive in Clarence and at Pleasantview Drive in Lancaster.
• A pact with Cheektowaga to address chronic drainage problems along Dingens Street.
• Hiring contractors for simple repaving projects around Erie County but outside Buffalo.
This is an election year for all 15 Erie County lawmakers. The Democrats who control the Legislature suspect Republican County Executive Chris Collins and his public works staff might steer more projects to legislative districts held by Republicans.
“We are doing well with Republican districts here today,” Legislature Chairwoman Lynn M. Marinelli, D-Town of Tonawanda, remarked as the Economic Development Committee earlier this week reviewed projects for action today.
Republican lawmakers suspected politics were at play as a few undertakings were tabled, including:
• An agreement with Niagara County to jointly replace the Cedar Street Bridge in Newstead. The project is in Legislator Raymond W. Walter’s district. He’s a Republican close to Collins.
• A step to advance money for preliminary engineering work to improve the backup-prone Youngs Road-Aero Drive intersection in Cheektowaga — again, Walter’s district.
Also, questions were raised about a measure to hire several engineering firms to design bridge and culvert improvements in various towns.
Those three items, however, are likely to be discussed again today.
Aside from roads, the Legislature will be asked to approve measures to advance:
• Repairs to the parking garage floor under the Rath County Office Building.
• Painting at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
• Major improvements to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
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