CCIDA CEO, Deputy County Executive Mark Geise and Chautauqua County Partnership Economic Development Specialist Kristy Kathman Show Proposed Upgrades to Chadakoin River Basin (October 5, 2021)

An initiative to increase public access and encourage economic activity around the Chadakoin River has received $361,00 in state funding.

The City of Jamestown received the funding from Empire State Development for the Chadakoin River Basin Activation Initiative. The City had initially only requested $301,000.

The monies will be used to make enhancements to the north shore of the Basin including a signature garden, mural, tiered seating space, and place-making items. The south shore will see the addition of a kayak launch, dock, and welcome center for visitors.

The city had two consolidated funding applications that did not recieve funding in this eleventh round of ESD grants. Those included a $361,473 request for the Chadakoin River West Brownfield Opportunity Area project and a request for $20,000 so the City can enter into the New York Main Street Program.

The Village of Sherman also was approved funding by ESD, receiving $358,283 to assist in the renovation of commercial and mixed-use buildings in the historic downtown commercial core on East & West Main Street.

Jamestown City Council

This is the second time Council will be voting on a contract this year after voting down the one presented to them in February that included hiring of four firefighters to man a second ambulance.

The proposed contract with Jamestown Professional Firefighters Association Local 137 would cover January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2024. It includes a 2.5% wage increase for the first three years of the contract with a 2.75% increase the fourth year. The health insurance contribution rate would raise from 21% for 2021 to 23% for 2022 through 2024.

City Council also will vote on resolutions totaling $4.5 million toward contracts for constructing the new Vehicle Maintenance Building.

The new facility will be located on Washington Street in the former Hartley Buick building.

Business Innovation Group of East Rochester would be contracted with for nearly $2.5 million for the general construction contract. Ciancio Mechanical of Jamestown would be contracted with for $369,504 to do the plumbing. JMI Heating and Air of Frewsburg would receive a contract of $889,000 for the mechanical contract. And Ahlstrom Schaeffer of Jamestown would receive the electrical contract for $744,000.

Three applications for Consolidated Funding grants from New York State will be considered under new business. One is for $361,473 to do phase 2 of the Chadakoin River West Brownfield Opportunity Area project. The required local match is 10% or $36,174.

The second Consolidated Funding grant application is for $301,332 toward activities identified in the Chadakoin River Strategic Business Plan. The local match has already been met by American Rescue Plan Funds.

The third grant application is for $20,000 so the City can enter into the New York Main Street Program. The 5% local match totals $1,053.

Also under new business,Council will vote on adopting the Vision Zero Strategy plan in an effort to reduce traffic deaths and injuries in Jamestown. The plan is a public health-based traffic safety strategy that uses a “data driven multi-disciplinary and safe systems approach that also increases safe healthy equitable mobility for all.” The city would use the strategy when designing streets and sidewalks and as well when performing street maintenance.The resolution also states that the city would develop at Road Action Plan and also would provide an annual report to City Council on the outcomes on meeting goals of the Vision Zero plan.

Council also will vote on the shared services agreement with the Jamestown Public Schools District for sidewalk plowing in the winter. The proposed cost to the city through 2026 is $689,672 and would be funded using ARP monies.

A resolution to spend $100,000 to update the City’s Zoning Code is also on the voting agenda.

The work session before the voting session takes place at 7:00 p.m. in the Police Training Room on the fourth floor of City Hall. The voting session takes place at 7:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the second floor. The meetings are open to the public with the voting session being streamed on jamestownny.gov.

The Chadakoin River West brownfield opportunity area in Jamestown. (Image from Jamestownny.net)

JAMESTOWN – Local residents will have another opportunity to guide the redevelopment of the Chadakoin River West Brownfield Opportunity Area area later this week.

The Chadakoin River West BOA covers the area from Washington Street to Jones and Gifford Avenue and from the border of the city around Clifton Avenue to McCrea Point Park. In order to ensure that the local community is given a voice in the study, the Project Team led by C & S Companies is extending an open invitation to the public to attend the first set of walking Site Analysis and Community Visioning Tours set for Thursday, June 23.

Site Analysis Tour no. 1 will focus on the Washington Street Commercial Corridor and will begin at 10 a.m. with a brief meeting at city hall before a carpool takes attendees to the site location.

ANALYSIS TOUR NO. 1 SCHEDULE

• 10:00-10:15 a.m.
  • Meet at City Hall and participate in brief visioning activity
• 10:15-10:30
  • Load carpool and depart
• 10:30 am arrive at Site #1
  • Chadakoin Park 10^th Street entrance to park vehicles
  • Walking tour 10^th Street to 13^th Street
    • Pick up vehicles and carpool to Site #2
• 11:00 am arrive at Site #2
  • 13^th and Washington
• 11:30 am arrive at Site #3
  • 17^th Street and Fifties Grill and Dairy
• 12:00 pm depart for City Hall

Site Analysis Tour no. 2 will be a boat tour and will focus on the Chadakoin River and Wetlands. It will begin at 2 p.m. again with a brief meeting at city hall before attendees are taking to the location.

ANALYSIS TOUR NO. 2 SCHEDULE

• 2:00-2:15 pm
  • Meet at City Hall and visioning activity
• 2:15-2:30 pm Site #1
  • Load onto boat at Holiday Harbor Marina
• 2:40 pm depart for river tour
• 3:50 pm arrive at Holiday Harbor Marina
• 4:00 pm depart for City Hall

Anyone wishing to participate is asked to be at city hall during the designated times the tours are set to begin.

The redevelopment study is being conducted to due to a $269,000 state grant awarded in 2013.

Anyone wishing to learn more about the project or any group that would like to host an input session can do so by calling 716-867-1630 or by visiting www.ChadakoinRevitalization.com. A Facebook page has also been set up to provide updates.

Dan Riker from C&S Companies during Tuesday night’s presentation at the Robert H. Jackson Center.

JAMESTOWN – About two dozen area residents were at the Robert H. Jackson Center Tuesday night to begin the input process of a study that will eventually be used to help guide the future development of an area of the city near the outlet of Chautauqua Lake.

Representatives from C&S Companies and Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect have been hired by the city to put together an implementation study for what is known as the Chadakoin River West Brownfield Opportunity Area. The area covers a large portion of land that includes Jones & Gifford Ave., Washington St., and Fluvanna Ave. while also including hundreds of acres of wetlands.

Project leader Daniel Riker from C&S Companies said Tuesday night’s public input session was really the beginning of what will be a 14-month process.

“We’ll take this information and use it to start boiling down what the community’s vision is,” Riker told WRFA following the meeting. “There’s a lot of information we did gather so there is a lot of great input. We’ll look at what their vision is for what types of uses should be in the area and what types of uses should be excluded. From that, we’ll continue to gather other input and information from the community. There will be all types of other meetings that we’ll be having and we’ll keep incorporating that new information with what we have hear. Toward the end we will create a document that shows  what the community’s vision is and really how we think we can best get to that.”

The brownfield area in Jamestown that is the focus of the Chadakoin West Brownfield Opportunity Area. (Image from Jamestownny.net)

During Tuesday’s input session, several individuals expressed concerns regarding the wetlands, saying they felt the natural environment needs to be preserved and undeveloped. City planner Bill Rice, who was on hand, along with the consultants said that while its unlikely the wetland will see any type of development, there could be opportunities for increased public access, creating an educational asset for the city.

Much of the discussion and input also focused on the outlying areas, such as properties along Washington St. and Fluvanna Ave. and what types of developments the community would like to see those areas.

One of the main brownfield properties that could benefit from the completion of the study is the former Consultants  Begin Public Input Process for Chadakoin West Brownfield Opportunity Area operation next to Pal Joey’s on Washington St. Officials say once the study is completed, it can be used to help leverage state or federal funding to help clean up the location.

The redevelopment study is due to a $269,000 state grant that was awarded to the city in 2013.

Additional public input will be sought in the coming weeks and months. Anyone wishing to learn more about the project or any group that would like to host an input session can do so by contacting Riker at 716-867-1630 or by visiting www.ChadakoinRevitalization.com.

The brownfield area in Jamestown that will be covered by a state grant awarded to the city in 2013. (Image from Jamestownny.net)

JAMESTOWN – Residents who want to provide input on how to redevelop an area of land near the Chautauqua Lake outlet in Jamestown will want to attend a public meeting next week at the Jackson Cetner.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday city officials and Brownfield project consultants from Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect will host a public informational meeting on how to possibly redevelop the Chadakoin River West Brownfield Opportunity Area.

The land covers the area from Washington Street to Jones and Gifford Avenue and from the border of the city around Clifton Avenue to McCrea Point Park.

Brownfields are dormant properties where the presence or potential presence of contamination has impeded site redevelopment, turning the properties into economic and environmental drains on localities. The BOA grants provide funding for municipalities to implement revitalization strategies that are necessary in order to redevelop impacted sites. Once redeveloped, brownfield sites become community assets that can attract businesses, jobs, and ultimately expand the local tax base.

The redevelopment study is being conducted to due to a $269,000 state grant awarded in 2013.

For more information, visit the website chadakoinrevitalization.com.