BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Business owners on Allen Street are upset because earlier this week, no parking bollards popped up between Delaware and Franklin streets and no one knows why.
“First excuse they gave me was there’s more work to be done on the street," Allen Street business owner Justin Barker said. "That makes no sense to me because the project has been complete now.”
For the last two summers, construction has been taking place on Allen Street, but Barker that project finished weeks ago.
“We’ve been told that there could be a congregation of people due to the Blue Jays playing downtown," another Allen Street business owner said. "Which made no sense whatsoever because we’re no where near it.”
“When my neighbors asked about it, they said its cause of restaurants,"Allen Street business owner Giovanni Centurione said. "It's gonna be like this til fall.”
But these business owners are not willing to wait until fall to get their parking spots back.
"Well it’s good for the restaurants, but what about us," Centurione said. "It would make more sense if you would close the spots in front of the restaurant so we can expand their patio, we’re all for that, all of us down here. But to take away a whole street for parking for one or two restaurants, that doesn't make any sense to us."
Cafe 59, Don Tequila, and Colter bay are the three restaurants between Delaware and Franklin streets, but each already have its own patio space.
“You’re not gonna have a patio extending in front of my barber shop when the restaurant is at the corner," Barker said, "So it makes no sense. We need some clarity.”
According to the Department of Public Works, the bollards were put in place to allow miscellaneous construction activities, including road striping. The city went on to say this work will only take a few days and the bollards will be removed.
