GOWANDA - Residents in Gowanda are still looking for answers regarding their properties and construction in the village. Residents of High Street came to a recent board meeting to inquire about the completion of construction on their street and if the damage caused would be repaired by the village. High Street is under construction due to dirt being put in on the former Peter Cooper Site along Palmer Street.
"We were told we were going to have a better road. This is not better," said Fran Feldman, a High Street resident.
According to Mark Burr, who spoke at the board meeting on an unrelated matter, the road will be surface treated in mid to late June. The reason for the long wait time is due to the construction company not having the supplies to complete the project until then. The road was asphalt prior to construction but the surface treatment will consist of oil and chipping. The village chose to not do asphalt due to it being too expensive.
"(The village) is trying to be logical with the budget," said Heather McKeever, Gowanda mayor.
While the village is agreeing to fix the problems caused by construction, Linda Tiller said "enough is enough." Tiller said construction started in February and the village has not acted on the matter yet.
According to McKeever, the mild winter caused the roads to deteriorate faster. The roads were not as strong compared to frozen roads. The weight of the trucks was too heavy and the roads did not stand up to the weight.
"This was a community project. No one anticipated this problem," McKeever said.