The Fairmount Triangle Stormwater Basin Improvements Project sits close to the Fairmount Avenue viaduct near Fifties Restaurant on the left, and the Save-A-Lot plaza on the right. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD – Lakewood Village Board members have approved a resolution to amend the EcoStrategies Engineering Contract for the Fairmount Triangle Stormwater Basin Improvements Project.

In April, trustees approved a $74,000 construction bid by N. Mathews Enterprises Inc. of Westfield. The firm submitted the lowest bid and it was reviewed and recommended for award by Project Engineer Andrew Johnson of EcoStrategies Engineering & Surveying of Falconer.

The resolution said upon completion of the public bidding process for construction, surplus grant funds remain that can be used to further enhance the benefit of the project to the village and the health of Chautauqua Lake at no additional out-of-pocket cost to the village.

According to the resolution, EcoStrategies contract scope must expand, making necessary an increased fee for additional work related to design, construction-phase, and post-construction services. So, trustees OK’d the additional engineering services, and has already secured grant funding necessary to pay for the services.

Trustees authorized an increase in the contract not to exceed $10,000 for additional engineering work.

“It will be a good thing for the village on all fronts,” Johnson said. “We’ll be able to do a lot more nicer things beyond some of the core values stuff we wanted to get done.”

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.

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.