WESTFIELD - In the past, Everett Smith has kept quiet with his concerns about what is happening near his property on Lake Erie along Route 5.
Now, the Westfield resident has had enough.
Smith took his concerns to the Town of Westfield Board, where he spoke about having trouble with smoke from bonfires on the beach, loud noise and the actions of people near his property, which sits just east the Dan Reed Pier.
"It's quite a problem to us, but we've been very patient," Smith said. "We haven't said a thing about it."
"We know there have been some problems," said Town of Westfield Supervisor Martha Bills, "and we're looking into ways of solving them."
Mrs. Bills also said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation does not prohibit camping or the building of fires on the beach, which is popular location for those looking to escape the summer heat due to the sand which sits on the lake's bottom and along the shore.
"You can't have a bonfire, though," added Councilman Jim Herbert.
Town officials discussed placing a sign outlining certain rules and regulations near the beach. Highway Superintendent Dave Babcock said he could erect such a sign.
Smith also voiced his concerns with the individuals who jump off of the break wall.
"It's bad for the boaters," he said. "They can't see."
Posting more signs warning swimmers of the dangers around the break wall, Smith said, could help the situation. But, since the break wall is owned by the federal government, Mrs. Bills said, the feds would have to decide to place additional signage.
"That's something that's out of our hands," Mrs. Bills said of the extra signs.
Also at the meeting, Mrs. Bills announced that the Light The Lakes event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. The event will feature music, food and fireworks at the pier in Barcelona.
Town officials also announced that work on Route 5, starting at Mathews Road in the Town of Portland, was scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 9. The work, which will go until the Pennsylvania stateline, will take around three weeks to finish. The road is not expected to be closed during the construction.