OBSERVER Photo by Anthony Dolce Matt Bourke from the Chautauqua County Department Planning and Development gave an update to the Hanover Town Board on the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

HANOVER — Matt Bourke, senior planner of the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development, has been making rounds across the 10 Lake Erie municipalities in the county to give an update on the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. This week, Bourke’s stop was the Hanover Town Board.

Bourke began by highlighting some of the benefits of the program, including the options it opens up for planning on the lakefront. These spots are vaulalube properties for businesses and other endeavors, and thinks the community should take time to consider what they’d like to see on the lakefront.

“I think for all the lakefronts, they’re just really valuable areas and I think the ability to take some time to plan for them and take some time to think about what you want to see on the lakefront is really important,” said Bourke.

In the case of the LWRP, the lakefront extends further in than right along the lake, including the quarter of Routes 5 and 20, which Bourke thinks provides a strong opportunity for the town.

The biggest upside of the LWRP, according to Bourke, is the ability for grant funding. There are a number of grants funded projects from the LWRP over the past several years, including the kayak launch project that the Town of Hanover was a part of.

“In total, I think the LWRP has funded over $2 million worth of grants toward communities in Chautauqua County,” said Bourke. “Accessing the grant funding as part of the program has been a big benefit to all of the communities who have participated.”

The current effort of the LWRP Project dates back to 2014, with Phase 1 concluding in 2014 and Phase 2 completing in 2018. The process of getting the community’s additional funding is ongoing, according to Bourke.

One concern for communities is that the Department of State has been stricter over the last few years, and Bourke didn’t know exactly what that could entail. Ultimately, Bourke thinks that in spite of those challenges, the positives still outweigh the negatives.

“Being part of this program, working with neighboring communities, and having access to this funding make it worthwhile,” said Bourke.

The project has support from within the town of Hanover as well. Nancy Adams Fry, a town of Hanover Planning Board Member, encouraged the board to continue forward with the project.

“I come to you tonight happy that Matt Bourke will be talking to you about the lake’s initiative,” said Adams Fry. “The Planning Board reviewed the relationship with LWRP with this town and other towns in the county and the Planning Board saw this is a long-term activity that the town has taken and continues to endorse that, and moving forward, we recommend strongly to the Town Board that we continue our involvement.”

Town of Hanover Councilman Lou Pelletter asked Bourke what other projects were being considered as part of the LWRP, and while Bourke didn’t know off the top of his head, a list of projects will be updated as necessary, based on a list the town made in 2018.

While the Board took no official action on the state of the project, they appeared receptive to Bourke’s presentation, as well as Adams Fry’s recommendation to continue as part of the LWRP.