In the News: Continue investing in projects to better community

Continue investing in projects to better community

By Bee Group Newspapers | on July 08, 2020

FRANK TODARO
Erie County Legislator

I hope everyone had a safe, enjoyable Fourth of July weekend and was able to spend some time with friends and family. As part of this month’s column, I’d like to highlight some exciting development happening in our community.

Advocating for better infrastructure is one of my top priorities as an Erie County legislator. I was proud to take part recently in the official groundbreaking for the new West Main Street project in downtown Lancaster.

This $8.5 million plan will make the area more pedestrian friendly, and should be a big boost to many of the great small businesses in the area, while attracting even more. After the groundbreaking, I joined Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and local representatives to tour some of the nearby businesses and chat with their owners.

As I have said before, it is incredible to see so many passionate business owners choose Lancaster as their home. From retail to coffee shops and restaurants, there are a number of great establishments for our residents or visitors to enjoy. This village center has a lot of great potential and it’s important to continue investing in projects that will help our community thrive.

This particular project has been in the works for more than 50 years, and I thank all of the visionaries who have advocated for grants and sources of funding to make it a reality. I look forward to seeing it all come together. Since I took office in January, I have been working to set meetings up with members of our county administration, including our Department of Public Works Commissioner William Geary.

The commissioner and I were finally able to meet a few weeks ago, which included a tour of roads throughout my legislative district and discussion on areas in need of improvement. We visited a number of locations, including three bridges in the area that are currently being worked as well as the DPW highway barns in Clarence and Lancaster.

We also drove down William Street and discussed its condition. The taxpayers of Erie County deserve safe, reliable roads and infrastructure, which is something I will continue to push for as your legislator.

As always, if you have questions, comments or concerns regarding a county related issue, please contact my office at Frank.Todaro@erie.gov or by phone at 681-2071. I am also looking to recognize those who went above and beyond for our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you know of an individual, business, or organization worthy of recognition, please forward the appropriate information to my office. I look forward to hearing from you!