Drama continues for Lewiston recreation center

Local News

February 5, 2012

Referendum a no-go for now, up to attorney to go forward

By Timothy Chipp Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Sun Feb 05, 2012, 11:06 PM EST

VILLAGE OF LEWISTON — It appears the Village of Lewiston’s plan to put a referendum on the ballot concerning the construction of a potential recreation complex will not happen. At least not as village administrators planned.

Mayor Terry Collesano said the original idea, to put a referendum to the people to determine if public interest would support the construction of a multi-use center somewhere in the square mile village, isn’t permissible.

“We went through the (New York Conference of Mayors) in Albany, and they said it could not be brought up in that sense,” he said. “There are ways getting around it, and ways of getting it on a referendum, but that’s up to our attorney.”

Attorney Edward Jesella, however, is on vacation in Florida and won’t be at the next work session of the Village Board at 6 p.m. today at Village Hall, 145 N. Fourth St., Lewiston.

The recreation complex was originally proposed by Gary P. Hall, president and chief executive officer of Waste Technology Services.

He proposed building a $2 million center in Marilyn Toohey Park, adjacent to the current village recreation department in the former Red Brick school on North Fourth Street, but public comment caused the businessman to back away.

A public hearing on the issue was held last month, where several residents spoke about having a referendum to gauge interest in building the complex, even at a secondary location proposed next to the dog park on the plateau.

“We’re not going to do anything about it yet,” Collesano said.

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