The Village of Williamsville will finally be replanting trees along Main Street that were lost in the October storm of 2006 or otherwise died over the years.
The village plans to order trees to fill 54 vacant spots where trees once stood along Main, from Union Road to Williamsville South High School, said Trustee Dan DeLano, Village Board liaison to the Tree Board.
The trees, which will cost about $150 each, will be ordered for planting in September, DeLano said during Monday’s Village Board meeting. The board has already acquired about $5,000 worth of special soil for the trees, which were funded through a special grant.
The village will order about four to five tree species of varying sizes, he said, and all the trees will be planted by the Public Works Department.
The tree planting is part of the “Picture Main Street” effort to improve the beauty and walkability of the Main Street thoroughfare. The trees and supplies needed to re-tree the street will cost the village about $10,000, DeLano said.
“That’s a huge step,” said Mayor Brian Kulpa, “and it shows the village’s willingness to invest in a road that we’ve heard for years is a state road, and we can’t touch a state road.”
Public Works Crew Chief Ken Kostowniak said it is important to get the trees planted in September so that the program doesn’t interfere with the Public Works Department’s leaf collection responsibilities.
“It’s pretty much going to take the entire workforce to do this,” Kostowniak said.
In other matters, the board:
•Adopted a new law to limit the repair burden for residents to the section of water line between their water meter and the property’s water shut-off valve or curb stop. That shut-off valve is typically located within a few feet of the curb or sidewalk on a homeowner’s property.
Until the law change, residents with broken pipes were responsible for all water line repairs “at any point between the water main and the water meter.” This presented a great financial hardship for some residents who had to pay to dig up public roads in order to fix their water lines all the way out to the water main.
• Again discussed the issue of dogs in Island Park. Board members debated whether dogs should be banned from the park only during town events. They also discussed the possibility of banning dogs from the park altogether. The issue was referred to the board’s Parks Committee for further consideration.

email: stan@buffnews.com