A new regional charter has been signed by the Town of Tonawanda, the city of Tonawanda and the city of North Tonawanda.
Niagara River Greenway Commission Executive Director Greg Stevens says the agreement will help with the long-term development of the trails and greenspace along the waterfront shared by the municipalities.
"Tonawanda has become the hub of our statewide connection between the Niagara River Shoreline Trail and the Empire State Trail that runs down the Erie Canal. So it's an opportunity for these three communities to work together in a more effective way to make sure that our regional infrastructure is all coordinated," Stevens said.
The municipalities share nearly 15 miles of shoreline along the Niagara River and about 10 miles of Erie Canal shoreline. North Tonawanda Mayor Art Pappas says the communities are in a unique geographic position to work together.
"It's an opportunity to bring great benefit to our whole region. I think more of a regional approach is what's common everywhere and we like to think to some degree we're in the beginning stages of that and we're promoting this. And I think it's going to help all of us," Pappas said.
The agreement is also expected to strengthen the local governments' applications for state and federal funding for waterfront improvements.
