Van Buren officials awarded the Canton Woods Senior Center parking lot paving and labor bid to Earth Road Inc. in the amount of $17,514 during the Sept. 4 board meeting. The project is slated to begin Sept. 17.

“The new parking lot is needed because much of the existing lot is damaged,” said Ruth Troy, director of the center. “Some disruption is unavoidable during construction, but we are trying to minimize the disruption.”

Troy said the center averages 110 visitors daily not to mention traffic coming in and out of the center for Baldwinsville Meals on Wheels, which creates a very full and busy parking lot. Therefore, the center has created a plan to reduce the number of vehicles the center needs to accommodate during construction, which includes encouraging visitors to car pool.

“We plan to use the entrance closest to the sidewalk on Canton Street during the project,” Troy added. “The safety of our seniors is, of course, a priority.”

Despite the disruption, Troy said the new parking lot will be well worth the hassle.

“The completion of the Canton Woods parking lot project may indeed call for a celebration,” she said.