MAYVILLE - The Chautauqua County DMV office in Dunkirk may soon have a new home, albeit just down the road.
A resolution has been prefiled with the legislature's Administrative Services Committee to move the Dunkirk DMV branch to 3874 Vineyard Drive - a half-mile away from its current location in the D & F Plaza.
The new location would house the DMV office at the former Blockbuster Video site, now partially occupied by Lawley Tradition - which had its grand opening in March.
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OBSERVER?Photo by Matt Panebianco
The Dunkirk DMV office is planning to move a half-mile down the road to a new location. The county’s lease at its current location within the D & F Plaza is set to expire.
County Executive Greg Edwards, who is requesting the resolution, said the potential move comes down to making a smart business decision.
Because the county's lease at its current location is set to expire, the county executive said he challenged his administration to find an alternative site at no additional cost to taxpayers.
"This is a similar pattern for us," Edwards said Tuesday to the OBSERVER. "Because our lease is up at the current place, we are looking for the best price."
"By moving," he continued, "we plan to enhance our services and streamline our services at that (new) facility at the same or less cost to the taxpayers. It's an improved service for the same price."
The resolution will be discussed next week in committee, and if approved by the legislature later this month, the county would execute a 10-year lease agreement with Roosa Corporation out of Salamanca for 2,447 square feet of office space at the Vineyard Drive location.
The agreement would become effective Sept. 1, 2012 and run through Aug. 31, 2022 with options to renew. The county will pay $17.76 per square foot to rent the space.
Edwards said the new location, while having a smaller footprint in Dunkirk, will give customers a similar - if not improved - DMV experience. He added that the county-operated service also looks to surrounding counties for business, noting that many customers in Erie County make the trek south for vehicle licensing and other services.
"Overall, it will be a much better experience for people who use the DMV," Edwards said. "This is something we had the opportunity to do, and we did our research."
