Brockport Main Street road project already draws merchant concerns

Brockport Main Street road project
already draws merchant concerns

Proposed reconstruction of Brockport's Main Street is in the early design phase and is not slated to begin for a year and a half to two years, according to Lori Maher, public information officer of the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT).

"We're very early in the design phase and are looking to complete this phase in late 2007," she said. "The project is somewhat simple in scope and will involve reconstructing the Route 19 highway from Barry Dodge car dealership to the intersection of East and West Avenues."

Pat Kutz, owner of Lift Bridge Book Store, 45 Main Street, addressed village officials at the March 20 meeting with her concerns about the reconstruction project.

"I urge the board to include the merchants in discussions about this project," she said. "This is our livelihood that will be affected if roadwork starts." Kutz and Anthony Peone, owner of Brockport Computer and Electronics, both said they had heard rumors that the project would "cull the herd" and that businesses closing were "collateral damage."

Peone said a prolonged road project could kill the businesses. "We should have been involved in talks about this project from the beginning," he said. "Customers are fickle and even if they have access to the store through the alley, it won't be convenient and they will simply go to the mall."

How far will the project go before it negatively affects businesses, Peone asked.

Trustee Carrie Maziarz said the board has only had one meeting with the DOT and hasn't yet formed a committee to look at the downtown area. "The DOT told us the project needed to be done so they are going to do this."

Maziarz said there would be a merchant study done before the next meeting with the DOT so the trustees are armed with information before the next DOT meeting, which at this point has not been scheduled.

Maher said the project is on the DOT's schedule as the road needs to be completely excavated and rebuilt. "We will also be replacing curbs and sidewalks where needed," she said. "Work at two intersections is also being looked at. Right now it's so early in the process we don't have any answers as to the scope."

Maher did say the DOT is in the process of collecting accident reports, counting vehicles, studying traffic patterns and brainstorming a list of five or six things that might need to go into the project. "We might be looking at improvements for bike and pedestrian walkways," she said.

Mayor Mort Wexler agreed that once the village knows more about the project a committee will be formed. "We were told the DOT doesn't plan to completely close the roads. They hope to keep at least one lane open," he said. "We will definitely sit down with the merchants and see what we can do."

It was mentioned at the board meeting that work might take place on the canal bridges as part of the project but Maher said no work is planned on the bridges and they will not be closed.

Maher agreed that it is very rare to completely close roads during a construction project. "We will probably have lane shifts and close one side or the other at various times," she said. "We take measures to lessen disruption to businesses."

The DOT will go through its usual public involvement and public meetings in the future to present plans and alternatives and obtain public feedback. "Right now, it's just too early to even think about that, we are in the design phase," Maher said.