Tammy Schack, the owner of the Bridgeview store, said during a Bemus Point Village Board meeting on Tuesday night that the ‘hold’ on her business is so narrow that it is suffocating its vitality.

“My business won’t survive this,” said Schack. “We went from having more than 13,000 cars a day drive by to a trickle since the repair work and construction started,” she reported to the Board of Trustees.

In January, Schack reported a loss of around $45,000 in sales revenue. Recent analyses conducted by her and her accountant reveal that the current sales figures indicate a significantly reduced profit margin compared to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when business plummeted. During that time, despite the challenges, Schack’s business managed to maintain a healthier sales performance, highlighting the extent of the downturn caused by the bridge repairs being conducted.

“Every year, year after year, my business has been growing,” she said. “Since the construction of the bridge, the exact opposite has happened. Who’s going to look out for the small business owners, she asked? My business won’t survive the next two years.”

Tammy Schack, the owner and operator of the Bridgeview storefront at 4910 Main St., addressed the Bemus Point Board of Trustees Tuesday night about the impact the I-86 Bridge repairs and construction work have had on her business.

Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar requested more signs on the I-86 bridge to inform travelers about nearby gas, hotel, and food services in Bemus and Ellery.

“Our hands are kind of tied,” he said. “I’m sympathetic, but I just don’t know what we can do to help out.”

Schack said that she has met with several elected officials at the county, state, and federal levels to voice her complaints, but without any results. There are no programs available to assist small businesses that primarily rely on resale for their financial support.

“I’ve talked with representatives from the CCIDA (Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency) and the ESDC (Empire State Development Corporation) who both told me that they are forbidden to offer services and support to businesses whose 30% or more of their income is from retail resales,” she said.

Molnar emphasized the board’s commitment to supporting local businesses, particularly those impacted by the construction and repair work of I-86. He highlighted their dedication to the community and expressed a concern for those impacted.

In other business:

– The Village Board voted unanimously to change some of the village’s older basketball courts into pickleball courts. Representing a group of 25-30 pickleball players, Bob Goold requested that removable pickleball netting and the required hardware be placed at some of the village’s older and often underutilized basketball courts.

“We will pay for, set up, take down, and maintain the courts,” said Goold. “I firmly believe that if you build it, they will come, and our group of players seems like it is growing in leaps and bounds.”

Trustee Maureen Staley said that creating new pickleball courts seemed a good idea.

– The trustees approved the permit request from the Bemus Point Business Association (BPBA) for three Summer Movie Series. The movies will be shown in the village park from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. on June 25, July 23, and August 13.

– The board has approved the association’s application for Skylighters Fireworks to host the Fourth of July fireworks display. According to BPBA officials, Skylighters will deploy two barges on Chautauqua Lake, launching the fireworks near the end of Lincoln Road. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to provide watercraft support, and the village has been requested to close the street from Lakeside Drive to Main Street, extending to Lenhart Avenue. Additionally, the BPBA asks the village to supply extra trash receptacles and restrooms, including two port-a-potties in the Skillmans/EBC parking lot, as has been done in previous years.

– The anticipated launch of the village’s new summer Farmers Market is set to begin with more than 20 vendors. Additionally, August 2-3, is when the village’s new Summer Fest will take place. The event replaces the former Lake Days event