Port Allegany Mayor Encouraging Residents Participation

 COMMUNITY MEETING – YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

I am asking the residents and business owner who care about the future of Port Allegany to attend the upcoming zoning hearing regarding a request to allow ground-floor apartments in a Main Street business property.

Port Allegany is already an economically challenged community. We have a limited number of commercial storefronts and business-ready properties on Main Street. Every time we remove one of those opportunities, we make it harder to attract new businesses, create jobs, increase foot traffic, and strengthen our tax base.

This isn't just about one building. It's about the precedent we set for our downtown. If we continue to allow commercial spaces to become residential units, we risk slowly losing the very things our community needs to grow and thrive.

Main Street should be a place for businesses to open, expand, and invest. Once commercial space is converted to residential use, it becomes much harder to bring that space back into productive business use in the future.

I also believe it is important to note that this request is being made by a property owner who does not reside in Port Allegany. The people who live here, raise families here, own businesses here, and will live with the long-term consequences of these decisions deserve to have their voices heard.

This decision could impact the future of our downtown for years to come. I encourage everyone, regardless of where you stand on the issue, to attend, ask questions, and participate in the process.

 Date: July 15th

 Time: 2 P.M.

 Location: Borough Council Chambers - Borough Building.