From left, Lakewood Village Trustee Ellen Barnes, Mayor Randy Holcomb, Trustee Ben Troche, and Trustee Scott Cooper conduct business Monday. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD – The Lakewood Board of Trustees have approved Monday a $74,000 construction bid for the Fairmount Triangle Stormwater Basin Improvement Project.

N. Mathews Enterprises, Inc. of Westfield submitted the lowest bid and it was reviewed and recommended for award by Project Engineer Andrew Johnson of EcoStrategies Engineering & Surveying of Falconer.

Jay Young, of the Chautauqua Lake & Water Management Alliance, said the bids were received on April 10.

In January, Johnson told trustees that the project sits close to the Fairmount Avenue viaduct near Fifties Restaurant and the Save-A-Lot plaza.

Johnson said the water comes down and funnels through the basin before it goes under the train tracks.

Johnson said in January, EcoStrategies did a feasibility study in 2021 where it helped figure out that the project was feasible.

The engineering firm then helped Lakewood get the funding to build it and design it. He said discussions were held with the state Department of Transportation and the Western New York & PA Railroad company because both share some of the infrastructure that is on site. Johnson said the basin has filled in with a lot of sediment over the years, and it’s overgrown with vegetation.

“So the water just kind of short circuits through it right now, and doesn’t provide any treatment. The design would be to excavate out all the old sediments, remove the overgrown vegetation, and basically beautify it,” Johnson noted in January.

The engineer also said in January that new trees will be planted for the neighboring house, and the basin will treat pollutants going to Chautauqua Lake, and also provide flood control.

“It (the basin) would really be an asset to the village and community,” Johnson said.

Young said construction can start this year.

“We’re looking forward to getting started on this,” Young noted. “We’re looking at just one year of construction. We’re hoping to have it done this year, and maybe some touch up in (20)27.”