From left Lakewood Trustee John Shedd, Trustee Ellen Barnes, Mayor Randy Holcomb, Trustee Ben Troche, and Trustee Scott Cooper hear comments Monday from village residents and business owners concerning the proposed Route 394 Sidewalk Extension project. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD – Village Trustees heard from residents Monday about the proposed Route 394 (Fairmount Avenue) sidewalk Extension Project.

For some residents, the project has been problematic because they believe their properties will be greatly affected.

Former Trustee Rich Fischer has been very outspoken about the project. He doesn’t see the need for a project that will ultimately affect his property. While serving as a trustee, Fischer was against any sidewalk proposal by the New York State Department of Transportation.

Fischer said the board needs to listen to the residents and businesses concerns about the road, and is asking the board for better communication.

“Residents and businesses on Fairmount say ‘no’ to sidewalks,” Fischer told trustees. “Certain Lakewood board members say ‘We don’t care. Install them.'”

Residents have received from the NYS DOT stating that the DOT is proposing a project on Route 394 from Ashville Road to Elmcrest Avenue in Lakewood, and the town of Busti.

A public hearing is scheduled for March 5, at the Busti Town Hall, 125 Chautauqua Ave., from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

“The project involves improvements to highway facilities within the project limits,” the letter stated. “This will include mill and overlay of existing asphalt pavement from Winch Road to Elmcrest Avenue, constructing new sidewalks on one side of the roadway from Ashville Road to Shadyside Avenue, and widening the roadway between Shadyside Avenue and Elmcrest Avenue. In addition, the project proposes to replace signage.”

Former Trustee Nancy Jones also is not in favor of the project. She added that the project will take away driveways from residents’ properties.

“I would just like the reasons why you think it’s so necessary, and such a good thing,” Jones said to trustees.

Jones said the board needs to tell the DOT that we don’t need sidewalks.

Tom Bertges, co-owner of Lakewood Furniture Gallery, 75 Fairmount Ave., echoed Jones’s thoughts.

“Once the state comes in and puts the sidewalk down, then we have to pay more people to plow it. We have to maintain the look of it,” Bertges said.

Trustee Scott Cooper said there are questions that many people have, and the board’s first responsibility is to listen to residents and business owners.

“There’s obviously concern about this project,” Cooper said. “We need to roll up our sleeves and dig into this more thoroughly.”

Trustee Ben Troche said he has heard from many people about the project, but he said, there is not 100 percent of opposition to the project.

“So we can agree that it’s a controversial subject. It’s a controversial project that the state is pushing. … And one of the reasons that the state is pushing sidewalks is public safety,” Troche noted.

Trustee John Shedd said he is 100 percent in favor of the sidewalk project because of safety concerns, and said the board has listened to comments, and reached out to the DOT relaying those comments.

“We’ve reached right out to the state and encouraged them to make changes to their design, to mitigate impact on trees, mitigate impact on any of the properties there in a good way,” Shedd said. “They changed the plan for us, from comments that we’ve made, that you’ve given us, we’ve done a lot so far.”

In an Aug. 13, 2025 Post-Journal article, DOT Assistant Regional Design Engineer Robert Schaller said the original project was to have sidewalks on both sides of the road, but because of resistance from business owners and residents, the DOT scaled it back to one side of the road.

The letter stated the project is currently scheduled for construction bids to be opened in March 2027, and construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed by fall 2028.