Spencerport revitalization meeting draws crowd

Spencerport revitalization meeting draws crowd

More than 90 people came and shared their thoughts on a concept plan aimed at the revitalization of the Village of Spencerport's waterfront. The public meeting on November 30 was one of the first steps in the compilation of a document to outline the future of southside waterfront redevelopment.

The project under consideration encompasses areas next to the Erie Canal and would help officials come up with a comprehensive, coordinated plan for any development in and around the village.

"It was an upbeat meeting - people came armed with questions, opinions and ideas," Al Scheg, project director for the redevelopment effort said. "Some of the ideas presented are certainly feasible for incorporation into future development."

Scheg, village officials and architects for the concept plan were at the podium during the November 30 meeting. Graphics and overhead presentations were displayed for those in attendance. A questionnaire was handed out the night of the meeting which asked residents to answer some questions such as: Spencerport is "Someplace Special" because ..." and "I define a canal town as?" It also asked those at the meeting to answer if they lived in the village or the Town of Ogden, whether they had a business in either place, and other defining information.

A second, more detailed, questionnaire was handed out at the meeting. The second handout was more detailed and asked residents along the lines of ways to improve traffic flow on Union Street to whether street signs should be more uniform and perhaps stylized, to questions on biking and walking trails and for input on better ways to utilize the canal itself. "We're looking to gather the second questionnaires by mid-December," Scheg said.

Village of Spencerport Mayor Ted Walker said he was pleased with the turnout. "The presentation seemed to be broad enough and with enough detail that allowed the excellent discussions, questions and suggestions for the plan," Walker said. "The interest and enthusiasm for this project and the project planning process was very positive and constructive. Many people stayed after the formal presentation to learn more, share ideas and offer support."

At the meeting, conceptual designs such as a gateway leading into the plaza or into the central business district were presented. "Enhancement of canal access, the possibility of extending East Avenue and trail systems linking the village and the town were discussed," Scheg said.

The collection and analyzing of the returned questionnaires will give village officials and the architects ideas to work with when formulating plans for the concept designs.

"We took a straw poll at the meeting and, overwhelmingly, people want to see some changes," Scheg said. "The people who came enthusiastically embraced some of the ideas, especially with putting in a trail system."

Scheg said the idea of a canal town was also talked about and that will be part of the discussions and input sought from residents as to what truly makes a "canal town."

The question of how to pay for any of the ideas and plans that come out of the meeting was raised and Scheg said money could come from grants, public or private sector. "Right now we have to come up with plans, rather than concepts, before we have a price tag for any of the ideas raised," Scheg said. "Eventually a price can be put to the designs but we aren't close to that yet."

The next step in the process will be to come back to the residents, probably sometime in the spring, Scheg said.