Although it doesn't matter much this time of year, there's a reason these pittsford businesses face themselves towards the canal.
"It's partially a draw, we get a lot of foot traffic in the summer," said Bridget Kolano, a saleswoman at Mostly Clay in Pittsford.
Foot traffic, from the canal's boat traffic. But now that the state comptroller reccommends the cash-strapped thruway authority dish canal management off to another agency, there are questions about the canal's fiscal future.
"The big problem always is money," said Pieter Smeenk, a member of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Pieter smeenk serves on canal boards, and says that even his first choice, that the canals operate on their own, has a significant drawback.
"If it's a standalone entity, it becomes a political football, if it has to go for funding every year," Smeenk said.
But there are concerns beyond money. Canal groups say that they're concerned that if the canals were to no longer fall under the thruway authority, that replacing the equipment, and the supplies that the thruway authority has access to, could be difficult.
"The thruway authority is a highway, the canal system we see somewhat as a highway, only it's on water, but i'm sure the engineering and resources have been shared," Smeenk said.
So if the thruway passes the canals off, it'll have to be to a department that can maintain them and take on almost eighty million dollars a year. Whatever happens politically, won't change how much nearby businesses depend on the canal's survival.
"From tourist business, as well as locals who come here, we had a busload of people come from buffalo," Kolano said.
But today, a canal advocacy group met in syracuse and passed a resolution that reccomends that the canal remain under the umbrella of the thruway authority.
That puts them at odds with the governor and a local lawmaker, who told me he's open to the possibility of moving the canal system out from underneath the thruway authority.
Two departments mentioned as possible landing places for the canals are parks and transportation.
