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John J. Mills - District 13 March 19, 2007 Mills gains concessions from the state on the 219 expansion project (Erie County – New York) On Thursday, March 15, 2006 the Erie County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution that will allow the New York State Department of Transportation's (NYSDOT) Route 219 Expressway expansion project to being. The resolution submitted by Minority Leader John J. Mills gave the approval for the NYSDOT to utilize a portion of the Scoby Hill Park, in Springville, as a staging area for the construction phase of the project. Legislator Mills' resolution came to a vote on the floor of the Legislature after weeks of negotiations, led by Mills, on this issue. Mills stated that "this resolution passed unanimously, without any partisan bickering, because I did my homework on the subject, and it was good for Scoby Hill Park and it protected the rights of the residents surrounding the route 219 expansion site." Negotiations between the NYSDOT, the Erie County Departments of Parks, Forestry, & Recreation, Public Works, and Environment & Planning, and local officials began after Legislator Mills assembled a forum to discuss the various concerns. This forum was conducted on March 8, 2007. At this meeting, the interested parties discussed several concerns and were able to come up with an agreement that was beneficial to every party involved. "The meeting between the interested parties of this expansion project was very productive, and placed the taxpayers' interests first," said Minority Leader Mills. The NYSDOT's main concern was the need for an access road through Scoby Hill Park to aide in the construction of two bridges over Cattaraugus Creek. Legislator Mills and Erie County officials were concerned about preserving the integrity of the park and maintaining the peacefulness of the area for the residents. The interested parties drafted a memorandum of understanding that allowed the NYSDOT access to Scoby Hill Park under the condition that the parks integrity not be compromised, and that additional benefits are provided to the county and local towns, such as improved parking at the park along with the repaving of Scoby Hill Road. Furthermore, the NYSDOT contractor for the project (Cold Springs) has agreed, at the request of Legislator Mills, to limit traffic through the Village of Springville and maintain and repair roads along their haul routes should they be adversely impacted by the expansion project. Legislator Mills added that "this project is not just great for my district, its great for Western New York. Soon the 219 expressway will provide a direct link between Buffalo and Ellicottville, which will be a great benefit for residents in both areas. It will also add some much needed repairs and maintenance to roads and parks in my district." Back to District 13 Homepage