Residents of Blaine Avenue this morning woke up to an exciting surprise, the entire three block stretch of their street has been milled in anticipation of being repaved. That wasn’t the surprise that got people through, it was the original brick street that was exposed as part of the project. Blaine Avenue is located in the Hamlin Park Historic District and home to a mix of long time homeowners and very prominent community activists. Neighbors are banding together to make their voices heard to the City of Buffalo in the mayor’s office and Department of Public Works for having the brick streets exposed and not repaved. Neighbors not only cite the improved look of the street with brick instead of asphalt, but several other great aspects that come along with having it exposed. The brick streets are in great shape and relatively uniform, but they help to mitigate speeding drivers to be more cautious and the permeable surface is much better for reducing storm water run off in heavy rain fall. That would go a long way in reducing any water that could back up into residents basements during heavy storms.
While I was on my way to grab some pictures of the brick streets, I ran into long time resident Leslie who fondly recalled the brick streets before the asphalt was laid down. Leslie remembered coming home on long family trips back to Hamlin Park where she would fall asleep on the ride home, but the transition from asphalt on East Delavan to Blaine would gently wake her up and let her know she was home. Leslie is only one of many long time residents that wants the brick back. The mayor’s office and the Department of Public Works has been notified and plan to investigate with the city engineer if having the brick streets exposed once again will be feasible. Check back here for updates!
In similar fashion to the exposed brick at Ardmore Place two years ago, neighbors are calling into City Hall to ask the brick stay exposed. This would be a huge win for a very deserving east side neighborhood and historic district. If you want yo hear your voice heard in support of having the brick streets come back, please call the following people below and let them know you support it!
Mayor Byron Brown & Michael DeGeorge, Director of Communications: (716) 851-4841
Department of Public Works, Steve Stepniak: (716) 851-5636