Latest news with #DanOuellet
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New AI traffic light technology will soon be utilized on Peach Street to improve traffic flow
Traffic along Peach Street is set to improve with the installation of new AI traffic light technology, part of the nearly $1 million 'Green Light Go' project funded by PennDOT as well as Millcreek and Summit Townships. The Townships have collaborated to implement this advanced system, aiming to alleviate congestion known locally as 'The Peach Jam.' The project has been underway since 2022 and is expected to take full effect soon. The new AI traffic light technology adjusts signals based on real-time traffic conditions, ensuring optimal flow along Peach Street. 'You can set timers for time of day in anticipation of what traffic flow may be like, but this is real time and it knows exactly what's happening,' explained Dan Ouellet, Supervisor of Millcreek Township. The system utilizes bell-shaped cameras at each intersection from West Gore to Robinson Road to monitor traffic volumes and calculate optimal traffic flow plans. Crews replacing century-old water mains along State Street Poles equipped with communication radio systems signal when to change the lights, ensuring smooth traffic movement. Jeff Tenney, Traffic Bureau Chief of Millcreek Township, described how the system detects vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians, adjusting signals accordingly. 'It's a data right now so they can see the cars coming in,' he said. 'As the cars are going southbound on Peach Street you'll see the detection zones.' The technology aims to reduce pedestrian and bicycle accidents, a significant concern in Erie County. 'Erie County has a high rate of pedestrian and bicycle accidents and that is one of the major reasons that we were able to acquire this grant,' noted Dan Ouellet. Erie DMV hosting REAL ID event with deadline now passed Jade Leah Burns demonstrated the system's effectiveness at the busy intersection of Peach and Interchange, highlighting its role in ensuring pedestrian safety. Both supervisors, Jack Lee and Dan Ouellet, emphasized the importance of their partnership in improving the traffic corridor, with Lee noting, 'Many areas you got six lanes and people are always in a hurry driving.' With the implementation of AI traffic light technology, Peach Street is expected to see significant improvements in traffic flow and safety, benefiting both drivers and pedestrians alike. All facts from this article were gathered by WJET/WFXP journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by WJET/WFXP staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Millcreek, Red Cross installing free smoke alarms amid fatal fires
Already this year, Millcreek Township has had four fatal fires that took the lives of five people. Township officials said even one death is one too many, and now, they're taking steps to make sure township residents are better protected. Erie Insurance announces new $100 million charitable foundation Millcreek Township is working alongside the Red Cross to ensure that everyone in the township has working smoke alarms. Smoke detectors save lives. It's a proven fact and can seriously be the difference in you or your loved ones making it out of a burning home. 'Fires do evolve very quickly. First, you have that generation of smoke, and that's usually what will kill people, is smoke inhalation,' said Millcreek Township Supervisor Dan Ouellet. Since January, five people in Millcreek Township have died in four fires and smoke alarms have been a common denominator in several of these recent tragedies. Waldameer's Ravine Flyer II ranks 4th among best coasters in US In three of the four fatal fires so far in Millcreek, there has either been a smoke alarm that didn't work, or no smoke alarm all together. 'After the first fire, we started looking into opportunities for grants and funding to make a significant impact for getting smoke detectors into people's hands,' said Michael Cliff, chief of the Millcreek Township Fire Department. When a fire breaks out, you only have two to three minutes to get out of the house before you're trapped. And if you're not being woken up by a smoke alarm, that time is cut significantly leaving seconds for you to escape. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now In response to these findings, the fire department, along with the Red Cross, will be going to people's homes and installing smoke detectors in people's homes free of charge. 'It's unique because of the frequency of how many fatal fires we've had in this first quarter. Pennsylvania, unfortunately, has the highest fire fatality rate in the United States. This program came about as a Red Cross initiative to try to reduce that by 20%, and we've been doing this since 2015,' said Red Cross community disaster program manager Geoffrey Domowicz. It's part of the 'Sound the Alarm Campaign,' which not only provides people with the alarms but also a thorough education on home fire safety. 'We are going on about five to six thousand calls per year now that we have the paid staff implemented. We really plan to have fliers made up for advertisement for the partnership with the Red Cross. We plan on distributing those when we're out on calls, out in the community. We're going to do some public campaigns as well and I do foresee us going into some of our higher-risk areas to pass them out,' Chief Cliff went on to say. ECGRA gives out nearly $200K to local organizations through Special Events Grants You can sign up for the program by calling 814-240-7667 or online here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Eighth Street businesses are down or coming down. Now redevelopment begins
Millcreek Township General Authority is taking its first step in marketing authority-owned properties along West Eighth Street. The hotel, motel, restaurants and retail shops previously located on the properties have been or are being demolished to provide approximately eight acres for new development. Demolition of the former Bel-Aire Hotel began on Monday. "That takes this whole project area and prepares it for developers to come in and view the site," said authority member and Millcreek Township Supervisor Dan Ouellet. "We'll be (requesting qualifications) from qualified developers interested in working with us on this project." The authority bought five properties along West Eighth Street for a combined $7.2 million in January 2023 with the goal of developing a walkable neighborhood with buildings fronting the street and parking in the rear. Buildings could include a new hotel plus ground-floor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues with apartments or offices above, according to concepts prepared for the authority by Altair Consulting Group. The request for qualifications was approved by authority members on Tuesday afternoon. Developers will be invited to describe their experience in creating and operating mixed residential and commercial developments and to outline their financial resources and capabilities. "We will make sure that the developers coming to the table have the financial wherewithal to produce, and that they understand the vision," said Chuck Peters, of Altair Consulting. Altair was hired to lead planning for the project. The authority will distribute the request for qualifications to local developers, including several who have expressed interest in the properties, as well as developers in the region and nationwide, authority Executive Director Matt Waldinger said. Responses are to be submitted to the authority by May 15. After that, a short list of qualified firms will be invited to submit development proposals for the properties. Authority members plan to review the proposals and select a developer in late summer. Marketing materials prepared for prospective developers outline the area's pluses, including visitor numbers and consumer spending. Nearby Presque Isle State Park attracts an estimated 4 million visitors annually, accounting for a large share of Erie County's out-of-town visitors. Visitors spent more than $1.7 billion in Pennsylvania's Great Lakes region in 2022, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism. Materials for developers also underline robust consumer spending in the Presque Isle area. Nearby households spend more than $26,000 on average on retail purchases annually, according to consultants. Also outlined for developers are grant programs and tax incentives that might be available for the gateway project, which is included in the Infinite Erie Investment Playbook that is designed to attract money for transformational projects in Erie County. "Presque Isle has long been the cornerstone of our tourism economy," Kim Thomas, Infinite Erie's executive director, said in a statement Tuesday. "Development of the Presque Isle Gateway Project will ensure that our community further benefits from the economic activity it generates." Infinite Erie: Focus is on 'hard to do' parts of regional growth Some of the properties targeted for redevelopment were vacant or deteriorating. The project to revitalize the area is rooted in the "Embrace Millcreek" comprehensive plan adopted by the township in 2018 and the Presque Isle Gateway District plan adopted in 2022. Both plans envision the development of a Main Street-style neighborhood with mixed commercial and residential properties along West Eighth Street. And both were based on "significant public input," Peters, of Altair Consulting, said. The township will use more than $3 million in state grant funding to install sidewalks, landscaping, lighting and other streetscape improvements along the street between Peninsula Drive and Pittsburgh Avenue. The work will tie in with similar improvements along West Eighth Street in Erie, from Pittsburgh Avenue to Greengarden Road. The redevelopment project hasn't been without controversy. A number of residents particularly questioned the $7.2 million cost of the West Eighth Street properties and said the money should have been used to fund other township needs. Other residents support the redevelopment. "Today is an exciting day," Waldinger, the authority executive director, said after Tuesday's request for qualifications vote. "We're turning the corner" on the project by completing preliminary work and preparing to begin redevelopment." Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@ This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Millcreek begins marketing properties as 'Presque Isle gateway'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Eighth Street businesses are down or coming down. Now redevelopment begins
Millcreek Township General Authority is taking its first step in marketing authority-owned properties along West Eighth Street. The hotel, motel, restaurants and retail shops previously located on the properties have been or are being demolished to provide approximately eight acres for new development. Demolition of the former Bel-Aire Hotel began on Monday. "That takes this whole project area and prepares it for developers to come in and view the site," said authority member and Millcreek Township Supervisor Dan Ouellet. "We'll be (requesting qualifications) from qualified developers interested in working with us on this project." The authority bought five properties along West Eighth Street for a combined $7.2 million in January 2023 with the goal of developing a walkable neighborhood with buildings fronting the street and parking in the rear. Buildings could include a new hotel plus ground-floor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues with apartments or offices above, according to concepts prepared for the authority by Altair Consulting Group. The request for qualifications was approved by authority members on Tuesday afternoon. Developers will be invited to describe their experience in creating and operating mixed residential and commercial developments and to outline their financial resources and capabilities. "We will make sure that the developers coming to the table have the financial wherewithal to produce, and that they understand the vision," said Chuck Peters, of Altair Consulting. Altair was hired to lead planning for the project. The authority will distribute the request for qualifications to local developers, including several who have expressed interest in the properties, as well as developers in the region and nationwide, authority Executive Director Matt Waldinger said. Responses are to be submitted to the authority by May 15. After that, a short list of qualified firms will be invited to submit development proposals for the properties. Authority members plan to review the proposals and select a developer in late summer. Marketing materials prepared for prospective developers outline the area's pluses, including visitor numbers and consumer spending. Nearby Presque Isle State Park attracts an estimated 4 million visitors annually, accounting for a large share of Erie County's out-of-town visitors. Visitors spent more than $1.7 billion in Pennsylvania's Great Lakes region in 2022, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism. Materials for developers also underline robust consumer spending in the Presque Isle area. Nearby households spend more than $26,000 on average on retail purchases annually, according to consultants. Also outlined for developers are grant programs and tax incentives that might be available for the gateway project, which is included in the Infinite Erie Investment Playbook that is designed to attract money for transformational projects in Erie County. "Presque Isle has long been the cornerstone of our tourism economy," Kim Thomas, Infinite Erie's executive director, said in a statement Tuesday. "Development of the Presque Isle Gateway Project will ensure that our community further benefits from the economic activity it generates." Infinite Erie: Focus is on 'hard to do' parts of regional growth Some of the properties targeted for redevelopment were vacant or deteriorating. The project to revitalize the area is rooted in the "Embrace Millcreek" comprehensive plan adopted by the township in 2018 and the Presque Isle Gateway District plan adopted in 2022. Both plans envision the development of a Main Street-style neighborhood with mixed commercial and residential properties along West Eighth Street. And both were based on "significant public input," Peters, of Altair Consulting, said. The township will use more than $3 million in state grant funding to install sidewalks, landscaping, lighting and other streetscape improvements along the street between Peninsula Drive and Pittsburgh Avenue. The work will tie in with similar improvements along West Eighth Street in Erie, from Pittsburgh Avenue to Greengarden Road. The redevelopment project hasn't been without controversy. A number of residents particularly questioned the $7.2 million cost of the West Eighth Street properties and said the money should have been used to fund other township needs. Other residents support the redevelopment. "Today is an exciting day," Waldinger, the authority executive director, said after Tuesday's request for qualifications vote. "We're turning the corner" on the project by completing preliminary work and preparing to begin redevelopment." Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@ This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Millcreek begins marketing properties as 'Presque Isle gateway'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spring cleaning– Demolition starts on Bel-Aire Hotel
Now that the cold winter season has come and gone, demolition in Millcreek Township is back on track. Crews began working on the main portion of the Bel-Aire Hotel and are tearing it all down as we speak. Sandbar demolished as part of Millcreek Twp. project, more buildings soon to follow People driving by should expect to see work being done for the better part of this week and by Friday, it's likely to be totally leveled. The Bel-Aire Hotel is the latest building to go down in line with Millcreek Township's Presque Isle Gateway District project. Last year, the township, with the help of the Erie Land Bank, tore down Joe Roots, The Sandbar, the Manor Motel, and a small portion of the Bel-Aire. 'We were very fortunate that the land bank saw the value in this project and actually we came in way under what the estimate was for the amount that we were provided, which was $1 million. We are just over half a million,' said Dan Ouellet, a Millcreek Township supervisor. Make a splash, earn some cash — Waldameer and Water World hosts hiring fair Now, the township wants to get to work on the main portion of the Bel-Aire Hotel early in the year so that the land is totally leveled, asphalt and foundation are torn up, and grass is planted by Memorial Day. Later in April, they plan on tearing down the grasshopper building. The township believes the investment will pay dividends in helping to spur investment to the corridor. 'We have a lot of developers from all over the nation actually that have expressed interest in these properties and we're really excited because they understand and see the potential for the area with this being the gateway to Pennsylvania's largest and most visited state park,' said Kim Clear, a Millcreek Township supervisor. But not everyone feels that way. Mixed opinions ensue following seven-figure settlement in Diverse Erie lawsuit 'I do not agree with Millcreek Township taking hard-earned taxpayer money and developing with it. We're not developers. We should have incentivized our developers to come in and do this project,' said Harry Morgan, who is running for Millcreek Township supervisor. 'I understand the vision of it and why we need to revitalize the area, but as township supervisors, we should not be taking it on, and it should not be our burden.' But the township stood firm in saying that site control is key to setting a focused direction for development that is best for the community. 'All of these properties that we invested in were not able to be redeveloped because of their size but assembled together, they have the potential for a developer to come in and actually rejuvenate the area and region,' Clear said. 'We are just excited to play a part in the redevelopment of Erie County.' Clear said they expect both the bel-aire property and the former grasshopper building to be fully cleared with grass planted on the land that remains by Memorial Day. The Grasshopper building is set to be demolished in April. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
