Waterfront is preferred topic of discussion at Lewiston Village Board meeting

Campbell offers suggestions on improving setup for anglers, municipality

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

Though winter is in full swing, the Village of Lewiston waterfront was the topic of discussion when trustees met Monday for their monthly work session.

Mayor Anne Welch said a new pavilion is needed to replace the riverfront gathering space lost to recent years’ flooding.

“We used to rent (it) out to people and the boaters and residents. Everybody used to use it down there,” she explained. “We did ask for the grant funding, state funding, but we were denied this time for any funding. So, I thought maybe we should ask for Greenway money.”

She asked board members if they “would agree to send this to the Town of Lewiston for their support for Greenway money. I'm asking for $200,000 to construct that (20-feet-by-30-feet) pavilion down there.”

Trustees approved the measure, and will formally submit a request to their town counterparts.

The village has received funding for projects now underway, including a new grinder at the fish-cleaning station; a new metal staircase by the harbormaster’s office (near the base of The Silo Restaurant); a new fence alongside the park overlooking the river; and new bathrooms.

Though elected leaders have said the waterfront enhancements will boost tourism and please residents, these renovations have caused some concerns as under-construction areas are restricted.

Destination Niagara USA Outdoor Promotions Director Frank Campbell, the sport fishing coordinator for Niagara County and a charter captain for 33 years, said, “We've had some things going on down at the (boat launch) ramp, everything from the ice boom to the bathrooms to the stairs, and that really makes it difficult. I understand that it's only one year (with construction-related inconvenience), but it makes it difficult for these people that we want to try to bring in.”

He said, “We're losing some of those people, or we're going to lose some. Some of these guys haven't been able to run trips – things of that nature. It’s not the way you satisfy customers.

“And it's important in Lewiston, especially, because our fishery is really tailored towards the shoulder season … I say Labor Day to Memorial Day. That's when we have most of the people here fishing. It's really shoulder season, and it's important to these businesses. … I think it helps them get through the wintertime.”

Destination Niagara USA Outdoor Promotions Director Frank Campbell addresses the Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees.

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Campbell cited a 2023 Destination Niagara USA study, conducted by Young Strategies of North Carolina, that noted, “the fishery for Niagara County is worth about $58.55 million a year, of which the charter industry is about $22 million. It's a very significant portion of the economy here in Niagara County.”

He said, “One thing that really stood out to me was that 97% of those people said that they were coming back to Niagara County. The people that did the study, Young Strategy, said they've never seen a number like that. They were usually in a 30% range. So, these people are coming back for a reason. One thing: We have probably the best for fisheries in the country, freshwater-wise. But also, everyone's doing their job, and what I mean by that is the hotels, the motels, the restaurants, Tops, the gas station – they're happy with everything. Ninety-seven percent – the guy said, ‘I've never seen anything like this.’ You know, ‘It’s in usually in a 30% range. Something's going on there.’ So, a tip of the hat to everyone that's involved in the fishery, or keeping these people coming back year after year – not only the charter clients, but also the recreational anglers.

“It’s also in that that you can say that the Village of Lewiston does a good job welcoming these people and keeping them here, keeping them coming back. If you look at some of the study in there, I think 44% of the respondents, of the captains, said that they were leaving out of Lewiston for a charter, which is pretty significant.”

As part of new waterfront renovations in the Village of Lewiston, a staircase was removed – the area is fenced off pending a replacement – and the fish-cleaning station is awaiting a new grinder.

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Campbell suggested more of an emphasis be placed on the shoulder season.

“I think we're leaving a lot on the table. And what I mean by that is we have a harbormaster down there in the month of June that probably sees 15 people. The whole month of June. In November, there are 700 people fishing, or 800 people fishing, but we don't get that revenue, because those people are mostly out-of-towners, mostly weekend guys. So, I think we're leaving some opportunity on the table to raise funds,” he said.

Campbell said, “A lot of people come from out of town; a lot of people that bring their own boats. I mean, in reality, we probably have 30 charter captains that fish out of here on a very regular basis. And in the month of November, if you go down to the dock – especially on the weekends – you can't park. There's 30-40. So, even if half the captains are out, it’s still 25 people that are launching their own boats.

“My suggestion right along, to help raise revenues, is to do something like a QR code down there. People pull down, have them get out their phone, have them do a QR code. They’ll have proof that they launched.

“You're not going to catch everyone, but you're going to catch some people.”

“All I'm saying is I think that there's opportunities,” he said.

With regard to the new waterfront additions, Department of Public Works Superintendent Anthony Mang explained the custom-made grinder “is a new piece of equipment that's going to have parts readily available.” When the previous grinder broke, “It was a month before we were able to get it back up and running, and that was because the company that we purchased it from went out of business. You can't get the parts anymore. So, we were actually having a company manufacture those parts. …

“This new system was picked out specifically so that we can open up a catalog, buy whatever parts we need, have parts on hand … so that there's a limited downtime on that. That was the whole idea behind it.”

Village of Lewiston Engineer Mike Marino said he anticipates the grinder will arrive “in a week or so.”

Of the removed staircase, Welch said, “We're replacing it with metal stairs because, obviously, the wood doesn't last, and people slip and fall; and slivers, and all that. We’re getting a nice set of metal stairs that will last.

“In the spring, we're going to do some more work up on top of the park there, the fence and picnic tables, so people can stay there and enjoy it.”

Mang said the waterfront enhancement project has a targeted end date of April 1.

Campbell explained, “I think we have a world-class fishery here. I think we do a great job. And all I'm looking is to maintain what we already have, and to keep people happy, and keep them coming back, because, ultimately, it's a benefit for everyone. It's a win-win-win.”

He added, “I host people from all over the country – all over the world, for that matter – in the form of customers and media and other captains. And we really are the envy of the whole country. You really should take as much advantage of that as we can.”

Campbell asked if future notice could be provided when there are dock or fishing amenity restrictions: “You don’t want to see people driving from Kentucky to come here to fish to find out the ramp’s closed. Those are the types of things that I think we can do better as a whole, and let people know, ‘Don't come here that week.’ ”

When all is said and done, “Hopefully, we'll get a nice pavilion down there, so you guys can have a little cookout, and fry up some fish,” Welch said.

Campbell quipped, “First, we’ve got to catch them.”

Welch told Campbell, “I know how much the fishing industry brings in here. We appreciate it. A small village like ours – it makes a big difference to our businesses.”