While Dawson Metal isn’t looking to take any legal action or relocate in the near future, the decision isn’t sitting well, saying decisions like this make it more difficult to operate.

A lot of businesses that have struggled end up leaving. Company officials hope that won’t happen to them, but they recognize that possibility exists.

In May, David Dawson, President of Dawson Metal, Dawson Doors, and Spray Tech Finishing, sent a letter to the Chautauqua County Legislature for consideration of funding assistance for an access road for truck traffic to access the plant.

Currently, there is a bridge off of Allen Street but it is closed to heavy truck traffic. The bridge is restricted for vehicles more than 16 tons.

Pictured is Dawson Metal Company, Inc. in Jamestown.

Because of this, tractor trailers have to travel on Crescent Street, which has residential houses, go down a curvy road, and cross a set of railroad tracks when making deliveries.

After county officials announced their decision, Dawson and company Chief Executive Officer Jeff Parks, invited The Post-Journal to come and discuss the issue from their perspective.

PRIVATE BRIDGE, PUBLIC USE

Dawson noted there are 19 bridges that cross the Chadakoin River in Chautauqua County. Eighteen of them are maintained by the government; the bridge on Allen Street is the only one that isn’t.

For several years, Dawson has been talking with city, county and state officials, seeking a solution.

Dawson Metal, Dawson Doors, and EMCO Finishing Products, Inc., as well as Anabec Solutions all utilize the Allen Street bridge. It can’t be used by vehicles that weigh more than 16 tons.

He said the bridge was installed before Dawson Metal relocated there in the 1960s, likely by the company that was there before them. Because it was installed by a business, it’s always been treated as a private bridge.

Dawson Metal makes sure the bridge is plowed in the winter and paved when needed.

But even though it’s a private bridge, it’s used by other businesses as well as the general public.

Across the bridge is both Dawson Metal and Dawson Doors. But there is also EMCO Finishing Products, Inc. and Anabec Solutions, neither of which are affiliated with Dawson Metal.

Parks noted that police, firefighters, UPS, FedEx and the general public also drive through the area.

Dawson Metal officials note that tractor trailers must use this entrance off of Crescent Street in Jamestown, but they don’t like it due to the shape of the road, crossing a railroad and that they must drive through a neighborhood.

“Probably 10 to 20% of the traffic that comes through every day is not related to any of the businesses,” he said.

In 2021, a massive fire broke out at 308 Crescent St., formerly home to the Jamestown-Royal Upholstery Corp. “The 80 ton fire trucks came roaring across the bridge,” Dawson said.

Since the bridge is used by emergency vehicles and multiple businesses besides Dawson Metal, Dawson said they offered to deed the bridge to the county.

To sweeten the deal, they offered the county an undeveloped four-acre plot of land that could be used to attract businesses, like the county is doing in both Ripley and in the town of Ellicott.

In response, Dawson said they just wanted the bridge upgraded so tractor trailers could drive on it. But no one took them up on their offer.

In fact, Dawson guesses it’s been about 20 years he’s been trying to get a government agency to upgrade that bridge, with the price continuing to rise.

“It was the IDA (Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency) or the city came up with a price tag, saying it was going to be a $4 million project,” Parks explained. “David and I said there’s no way that’s a $4 million project, so David said, let’s look at alternatives.”

That alternative was an access road. The road would go through the four acres that Dawson Metal owns. It would have to cross a set of railroad tracks, but would be much easier to navigate for truck drivers.

Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said during a June legislative committee meeting that the county was rejecting that idea as well.

Dawson said although he was told by Nate Aldrich with the county IDA that the access road proposal wasn’t going through, he never heard from either County Executive PJ Wendel or IDA Chief Executive Officer Mark Geise directly.

Dawson wasn’t told Wendel and Geise would be speaking at a legislative committee meeting regarding the decision or invited to the meeting to hear from the county leaders firsthand or share their views publicly.

The committee meeting was covered by The Post-Journal and OBSERVER and an article was published a few days afterward.

“We were sitting in here in a meeting and somebody said, ‘You’re in the paper,’ so that’s when we found out,” Parks said.

DISAPPOINTED IN DECISION

Dawson admits he’s disappointed the county won’t consider an access road.

“I find it ironic that the two big projects that the county is talking about doing involve access roads. One is the South County Industrial Park, behind the empty Bush Industries and the empty mattress factory, putting an access road into that site. The other one is an access road up in Ripley. … it’s going to be a stub road with a cul-de-sac and into an empty field, and no employees at either place,” he said.

In addition, Dawson said he believes that if a business wanted to build on the vacant four acres, he suspects either the county or the state would be willing to fund an access road. But because it’s for existing businesses, it’s not under consideration.

Dawson was the head of the Industrial Development Agency from 1974 to 1994. He says during that time, he worked not only with future businesses, but also current businesses to help them succeed and remain in the county.

“When I was the IDA director and we had issues like this come up, we always stepped in and provided those resources – not necessarily county employees, but we hired out to make sure that we got the right answers for whatever the issue was,” he said. “It could have been storm drainage, it could have been access roads, it could have been getting portable water, getting city water, like we put together a line out to Cummins. Cummins couldn’t locate there without Jamestown water, and worked with the BPU, the town of Ellicott and the town of Busti, in getting that done. We put an access road in for Cummins. We upgraded with state assistance. We upgraded Baker Street for Cummins, but when we got to the actual site, we put an access road in because their access was not good.”

He feels moves like that are key to growing a local economy. “The whole concept of economic development is being aware of what the needs of local industry is and figuring out a way for you to be a player in demonstrating your concern for them to be here, stay here, and continue to provide jobs here,” he said.

During the conversation, The Post-Journal asked Dawson if he would take legal action against the county, which he quickly said he was not interested in going down that route.

Dawson was also asked if this decision could impact Dawson Metal’s future on Allen Street. Some of his own managers have recommended they consider relocating to Pennsylvania.

That’s not the only place that has been proposed.

Dawson said about a year ago, a company had approached him and said they were interested in acquiring the various businesses. But when they told him their intent was to move the company down south, he shut down the conversation.

“There are no plans to move,” Dawson said firmly.

When pressed if the possibility exists that Dawson Metal could eventually leave, Dawson replied, “Of course, if I’m not here as the gatekeeper.”

For now, they’re continuing to work on a solution. “Jeff and I are working with our resources to try and figure out a way to correct the bridge problem on our own, since apparently we’re on our own. We’re not turning our back on it and saying we hope it doesn’t fall into the river,” Dawson said.