The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

Peru – As previously reported it appears the long-planned Main Street upgrade project isn’t going to happen. Deputy Supervisor Jim Douglass declared the project “pretty much dead” at the Town Board’s March 25, 2019 meeting while emphasizing he does not want to lose the $150,000 in remaining grant monies. Options such as paving the road leading to Heyworth-Mason Park or replacing deteriorated sidewalks are under consideration. Any proposal would have to be approved by one or more New York State departments.  

The Peru Gazette contacted former Town Councilman Donald McBrayer and two Main Street Committee members for comments regarding the project’s fate. McBrayer responded, “I looked at the Main Street Project as a long term plan spanning the next few decades to ensure Peru would remain competitive when attracting families and businesses. As Clinton County grows and develops its communities will no doubt compete for residential and commercial expansion. Without a plan Peru risks losing in such a competition. The Main Street Project was carefully crafted to meet Peru’s Comprehensive Plan goals, but it requires in-kind services performed by our own employees which would be used in a series of grant matches…When implemented as planned the final result would have been a thriving hamlet that is thoughtful of its residents and friendly to business development with almost no cost to the taxpayers.”

Diana Padron commented, “I think it would have been nice to have a bigger draw to the center of town making it more family-friendly and good for biking. We were thinking this was the first of several upgrades.” 

Becky Pace talked about the many hours Committee Chair Adele Douglas has devoted to the project. Pace loves the project’s additional green space – replacing asphalt with earth, grass and trees. Pace commented, “It would have made our community more appealing. It would have attracted more visitors and perhaps more people to live here. We want to keep this a vital community. The fact that the Town will not step up to put this project in their schedule to make this a better place is upsetting.”  

The Town Board asked the Main Street Committee for a recommendation after learning that the New York Department of State would not waive its Minority/Women’s Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) requirement and learning, furthermore, that the contractor they planned on hiring had gone out of business. Three members of the  Main Street Committee met two weeks ago.  They asked the Town Board if Peru’s Highway Department assisted by the Water/Sewer Department could undertake the project. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell responded that he does not have time because of upcoming road paving, culvert replacement and street sweeping projects. Pending personnel retirements will also leave him short-staffed. Farrell did say he has the experience to do the project.  

The Main Street project has a long and complicated history. It dates to 2014 when the Town received a $25,000 New York Department of State Local Waterfront Improvement Grant. The Town was to provide some in-kind sevices by its personnel, but the project would be fully grant funded. A Main Street Committee was formed. Its members included Adele Douglas, Diana Padron, Dr. Anne Marie Boule Spear, Becky Pace, Jerry Ross, Mark Robinson, Judy Grant, and Nicole Laplante. Adele Douglas chairs the committee. Counselor Donald McBrayer was the Town Board’s Committee liaison.  

In 2015 NYS awarded an additional $46,000 grant to hire a consultant to develop more detailed plans. Community input was sought and public hearings were held. The plan envisioned Town Highway Department personnel removing Main Street’s very wide paved shoulder from the Stewart’s intersection to the Dollar Store and replacing it with trees, grass and wider sidewalks.  Very few parking spaces would be lost and the street would be more visually appealing. The Little Ausable River Walking Trail loop through the hamlet would be improved and the narrower street would slow traffic. Future grant-funded phases south on Main Street to Heyworth/Mason Park were envisioned. The consultant predicted quick NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) approval with construction beginning in summer 2017. DOT took a year to approve the project.  

In early 2018 Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell said his Department did not have the time to undertake the project because of a busy summer paving schedule; therefore, in March the Town Board put the project out to bid.  The first two bid rounds yielded prices far exceeding the grant.The Board reacted by reducing the project’s distance down Main Street. Instead of stopping at the Dollar Store, it would stop when the money ran out. A contractor submitted a bid under $150,000; however, because the contractor did not comply with NYS’s Minority/Women’s Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) requirement, a NY Department of State waiver had to be requested. The Department took months to deny the waiver and during the hiatus the contractor ceased operation. Main Street Committee Chair Adele Douglas said, “The project was so small it didn’t attract bidders and contractors couldn’t subcontract part of the work to MBE qualified contractors. We have to figure out some project that we can do.” There is one bit of good news. The State Department did extend the time limit to use the grant to March 2020.  

That’s where the project stands today. The Town has a grant, but only a few months to use it and the beginnings of a major change in Peru’s “downtown” appear to be dead. 

Click here to see the project details.