From left, Village Trustee Nancy Jones, Trustee Ben Troche, Mayor Randy Holcomb, and Trustee Richard Fischer discuss business at Monday’s board meeting. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD — Village trustees will wait for the results of the Route 394 Sidewalk Extension Project application before determining the next step.

Village Trustee Richard Fischer still opposes the project, but he said, at Monday’s meeting, now it is in the hands of New York State.

“And so there’s nothing we can do until they (state officials) come back to us and say, ‘we got a grant, what do you want us to do with the money?’ and being the state, they’re going to do what they want to do anyhow,” Fischer said.

Village Trustee Nancy Jones also has expressed her opposition to the project.

At its Dec. 11, 2023 meeting trustees approved a resolution to support and seek grant funding for the proposed project.

Fischer said in December that there is not enough pedestrian traffic to warrant new sidewalks. He said that there are sidewalks in the village that residents and visitors do not use. Fischer also said then that if new sidewalks are constructed, they will be too close to residential property lines.

Fischer also contends that in December the state did not give accurate information to the village before trustees passed the resolution.

“They (state officials) said it had to be signed that night. We never had a chance to look at the resolution. It (the resolution) got passed that night and that was one of the reasons they went forward with the grant. We won’t know anything until the state receives the grant information back,” Fischer added.

On Dec. 14, 2023, there was a community outreach meeting that was to gauge the community’s support for new sidewalks connecting the western edge of Route 394 (Fairmount Avenue) in the town and village to the existing sidewalk on the northern and southern sides of Route 394.

At the community meeting, Paul Presutti, a consultant engineer with the Erdman Anthony firm along with state Department of Transportation Engineer Robert Schaller said the project will have two phases.

Phase 1, which is currently funded, will include asphalt pavement throughout the project from the bridge west of Ashville Road to McDaniel Avenue; reconfigure road striping within the current curb to curb width; minor traffic signal improvements; replace non-compliant curb ramps; and upgrade traffic signage. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2025.

Phase two, which is not currently funded, includes a new sidewalk connecting the western edge of Route 394 in the town and village to the existing sidewalk on the northern and southern sides of Route 394. The second phase also calls for short retaining walls along the new sidewalk to limit grading. Construction is anticipated for 2027.

The plan calls for the removal of 207 trees, 144 property rights of way adjustments, and utility pole relocations.

Trustee Ellen Barnes said the application was submitted to the state DOT on Jan. 9.

In other business, trustees discussed the upcoming solar eclipse that is scheduled to take place April 8 at about 3:15 p.m. There is a board meeting scheduled for that day, but Trustee Ben Troche said that maybe the meeting should be postponed until April 9 because of the visitors that may be coming to the county and maybe to the village.

Trustees took no action, and will discuss the possible postponement at a future meeting.