County Planning Board Annual Dinner
70 People Attend Annual Leadership Dinner
(l-r) John and Sheila Burrell, 2005 Brooks Patterson Community Leadership Award Winners and William Sprague, Chairman, Cattaraugus County Planning Board. (Photo by Paul Bishop)
The Cattaraugus County Planning Board held its Annual Dinner Meeting and Leadership Conference on Wednesday, June 8, 2005, hosted by the Franklinville Area Chamber of Commerce at DeLynn's Gallery and Studios in Franklinville, New York with 70 people in attendance. The focus of the meeting was Creating Quality Communities in Cattaraugus County by the Adaptive Reuse on Main Street - Making the Best Use of Upper Floors.
The Keynote Speaker, Gary Beasley, Executive Director, Neighbors Of Watertown, Inc. was arranged and funded by the Preservation League of New York State and made possible through the generous support of The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. Mr. Beasley challenged the audience by stating, "There is an old building on your Main Street. What do you do with it? Tear it down? Build something in its place? Stabilize and Moth Ball it? Fix it up? Historically rehabilitate and adaptively reuse it?" He then proceeded to explained how to determine what the best course of action might be in any given circumstance and how to finance it.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Brooks Patterson Community Leadership Award for 2005 to John and Sheila Burrell for their outstanding leadership, creative problem solving and years of dedicated work in community planning and economic development for the Village of Ellicottville in Cattaraugus County. The recipients of this annual award are chosen to give countywide recognition to leaders and volunteers who make lasting contributions to the people and communities of Cattaraugus County and its region and who exemplify the outstanding spirit and example that Torrance Brooks and Donald Patterson set during their lifetime of dedicated service to their respective communities, County Legislature, County Planning Board, and regional agencies.
As a member of the Village of Ellicottville Planning Board and Past Chair of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, Sheila was involved in the complete rewrite of the comprehensive plan and zoning law, which has helped to preserve the village, while at the same time guide the ongoing development in the community. She worked with the State Historic Preservation Office to gain Historic District status for a large portion of the Village in 1991 and is a past member of the New York Planning Federation Board of Directors. Sheila received the New York State Woman of Distinction Award from the New York Senate in 2004. She is an officer of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Summer Festival of the Arts Committee, the Vice President of the Ellicottville Memorial Library Board of Directors and on the Chautauqua/Cattaraugus Library System Board of Directors serving as its Secretary.
John is a lifelong resident of Ellicottville and has been active in the community for many years. He was a Village Board member for twelve years, Mayor for six years, and served on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Assessment Review where he has served for the past 31 years. John was very active on the Route 219 Task Force for Ellicottville, and an inter-municipal planning group to guide growth in the communities around the Holiday Valley Resort. John is a member of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and Past President, has served on the Fall Festival Committee from its inception and currently serves as the Chairman. He has participated in the Ellicottville Fire Company for the past 40 years, and is an active member of the Ellicottville/Great Valley Ambulance Service, Inc. where he has served as a Past President and current Director. John owns and operates Burrell Cutlery Co., Inc. in Ellicottville, a company started by his grandparents in 1940.