Planning committee closes Restore New York grant for White Inn, OKs tourism matching application and adopts 2026 planning goals

The Planning & Economic Development Committee of the Chautauqua County Legislature voted July 16 to accept and close out a $1,250,000 Restore New York grant for the White Inn in Fredonia, authorized the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau to apply for state tourism matching funds, and adopted 2026 goals and performance measures for the county Department of Planning and Development.

The actions are the final steps in several projects the committee discussed in public session. The committee discussed the White Inn grant for several minutes, heard that the project has new ownership and operator support, and then approved a resolution to execute the grant disbursement agreement and close out the award.

Nate Aldrich, identified in the meeting as the county's economic development coordinator, summarized the White Inn item and said the resolution "simply allows us to really accept and close out, accept and disperse a $1,250,000 Restore New York grant that we applied for and received a few years back for the White Inn project." Mark Geist, deputy county executive for economic development, described the renovated facility as "truly an asset for the village" and said the project "exceeded our expectations." One legislator who spoke, Legislator Fred Johnson, said he supported the action while registering a general concern about using public funds to support projects that are commercially…