Corfu residents unhappy with DOT's sidewalk to nowhere

Some folks in Corfu are upset over a new sidewalk along the west side of Alleghany Road that they say they didn't want, don't think is needed and didn't know was coming until construction was already under way.

The sidewalk was installed last month by NYS Department of Transportation.

"This section of highway was evaluated for improved pedestrian mobility from the residential area on the south side of the village towards the business district where likely destinations of foot traffic travel to including the school, retail and service areas," said DOT regional public information officer Lori Maher.

While the sidewalk removes what some residents once considered a part of their yard, the sidewalk is entirely within DOT right-of-way, Maher noted.

But that's not the worst of it. Residents complain about grading, leaving gas line extensions exposed and the poor quality of fill dirt used for landscaping.

They also say the sidewalk is a potential pedestrian hazard on both ends of the 113-yard-long strip of concrete.

On the north end, tractor-trailers making a right-hand turn from Genesee Street onto Alleghany have no choice but to cross over the top of the sidewalk.

On the south end, the sidewalk ends about 20 yards short of the viaduct, leaving a pedestrian planning on continuing south -- perhaps to the Pizza Pantry, no choice but to cross Route 77 at a point where northbound drivers might have a hard time seeing an unexpected pedestrian.

"Every piece of sidewalk starts someplace and ends in a logical terminus," Maher said.

Jenny McMartin, an Alleghany Road resident who, with her husband, had to spend more than $300 on new landscaping after the DOT chopped a steep incline into their front yard, attends every village board meeting and said the village was presented with three sets of plans for the project. None of them included the sidewalk.

Maher acknowledged that the DOT dropped the ball on notification to the Village of Corfu.

"The new sidewalk was constructed in the state right-of-way so no land was acquired, hence no formal notification prior to construction was made," Maher said. "During the construction phase, we worked with individuals to get grading releases, etc. Sidewalks are generally welcomed as a safety measure and added curb appeal. Since this was a fraction of the project’s scope, deliberate outreach with the homeowners was overlooked. We apologize for the oversight and will reevaluate our polices for future projects."

Grading releases were necessary to regrade driveways along the route.

Rob McNally kind of now regrets agreeing to his. He has two driveways on his property and now one of them is a bumpy ride in and out. A volunteer firefighter who rents the second floor of his house to tenants, McNally worries that anybody trying to make a quick exit off Route 77 into his driveway will hit that bump and lose control.

"Each of the driveways were built to standard and should pose no further concern," Maher said.

Last Saturday, McNally (top photo) spent the afternoon regrading his front lawn and removing a wheelbarrow full of pebbles and rocks from the fill the DOT dumped on his property.

At that point, the hydroseed -- which should sprout in seven to 10 days -- was two weeks old and hardly a blade of grass had sprouted in many areas. There were also patches in the parkway where no seed was applied.

Maher said the DOT will monitor the grass situation, but the fill used was up to state-approved specifications.

Earlier this week a DOT designer did meet with some of the residents, including McMartin and Trustee Dave Bielac.

The DOT's position, McMartin said, is that if the village thinks a guard rail is necessary at the south end of the sidewalk, the village will need to install it.

"They also said they are not putting in crosswalk," McMartin said. "If you need to cross the road go to Genesee and cross there."

McMartin praised Bielac for trying to work with the DOT to resolve the issues.

"Dave has been great during all this," she said.