Submitted Photo Pictured is the site of the former Arkwright Grange Hall. The site and its now derelict building have been acquired by the Chautauqua County Land Bank.

ARKWRIGHT — The new Town Hall/Community Center project has garnered most of the attention in the Town of Arkwright in recent months, but Supervisor Brian McAvoy gave residents an update on one of the former gathering spots at the latest meeting.

The Chautauqua County Land Bank has acquired the site of the former Arkwright Grange Hall.

“It’s an important step in the right direction,” McAvoy said.

The former Arkwright Grange Hall, a derelict building, was defined as a “long-standing hazard” on Route 83. The Land Bank offered assistance in demolition of the structure in exchange for all of the Town of Arkwright’s available tipping fees. The Land Bank now assumes the duties of cleaning up the site to be marketed to potential buyers at a later date. It is unclear when that process will begin.

“They’ve got the wherewithal to clean the thing up,” McAvoy said. “I see this as a very positive thing.”

The Town of Arkwright initially made plans to bid on the site at an upcoming tax foreclosure auction, with authorization from the Town Board to spend up to $15,000 to secure control of the site. The Town was considering a public park at the site once it is demolished and cleaned up. The priority, however, was the cleanup of the site, which has been in disrepair for many years.

Asking the Chautauqua County Land Bank to take over the site helped take another project off the town’s plate, with the new Town Hall project on the horizon.

“I’m happy that it’s not our responsibility anymore. It’s gotten into the hands of somebody who’s responsible. That was my goal,” McAvoy said.

The Town of Arkwright is also seeking to address disruptive dogs with a nuisance dog law at a later meeting. McAvoy playfully described several categories of dogs that would cause a nuisance to residents, from strays and aggressive dogs to what he called a “Mutley”, which he called a “classic bad dog.”

McAvoy also playfully included migrant dogs, coyotes, and the rapper Snoop Dogg in his presentation to lighten the mood. He characterized a violent dog as a “Cujo”, which would likely be addressed by the authorities, rather than a Town law.

“All kidding aside, we’ll get a law on the books that tries to encourage people to be responsible; understand that if you are constantly irresponsible, there are consequences; and ensure that neighbors’ quality of life isn’t destroyed by somebody’s dog,” McAvoy said.

The Town Board expects to introduce a nuisance dog law at its next meeting.

The Town collected a total of $162 in the month of August, including two marriage licenses and four building permits issued. The Town Court collected a total of $400 in the month of August.

The Town is also seeking a new Assessor, as Erica Munson will not be seeking reappointment. Munson will continue to fulfill her duties until a replacement is named. Supervisor Brian McAvoy and Councilman Bruce Gustafson will conduct interviews with interested candidates in the coming weeks.

The Arkwright Town Board will hold a budget workshop on Monday, Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.