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Controversial Amherst Town Center Project Approved
Contributed by: Peter Kucera on 6/4/2008

For almost four hours last night, the debate raged over the rezoning of the former Buffalo Shooting Club site on Maple Road in Amherst to allow Benderson Development to build the first "lifestyle center" in Western New York. Catcalls, booing, and raucous applause from both of the sides marked the tempestuous meeting as more than sixty Amherst residents, transportation and planning experts, and each member of the Town Board gave their opinions and arguments for and against the project.


In the end, it was a 4-3 vote in favor of the 34-acre, $44 million mixed-use development. The project will feature multi-story buildings with a mix of apartments, office, retail, restaurants, condominiums, a boutique hotel, and a 4.5-acre linear park along Maple Road.


Both the proponents and opponents of the project were up in arms during the board meeting, which was moved from Town Hall to the Sweethome High School auditorium in order to fit the large number of people expected to attend. Indeed, roughly 400 residents packed the auditorium.


Those in favor of the development had a laundry list of benefits: a new, unique destination in central Amherst, the remediation of vacant land with toxic waste from the Shooting Club's lead shells, the creation of 300 construction jobs, and $1.6 million in annual tax revenue, including $1.1 million for the Sweethome School District.


David Nasca, a member of the board of directors of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, saw the project as a "beautiful, livable, walkable community," and said that Benderson Development was "fighting to make this investment." Bill Savino, a lawyer from Eggertsville, agreed, supporting the development for its walkability. Mr. Savino continued, saying that as gas prices continue to rise, suburbanites need to embrace modes of transportation and development other than the car: "our notions of a suburb must change."


Benderson Development representative Eric Racoon received some of the most raucous applause and jeers of the whole night. He made a number of guarantees to the residents of the community known as "Fairways" and to Amherst residents as a whole, including "the complete remediation of the Brownfield" and a "guarantee against big-box restrictions." The developer has made significant changes to the plan in order to appease the neighbors, Racoon said, including the 4.5-acre park and deed restrictions and architectural guidelines that give to the town the final say on the design of the buildings and size of tenants.


Opponents of the project were not convinced by these arguments. Instead, they say the project encroaches on their neighborhoods. They claim the project ignores the comprehensive master plan that cost taxpayers $750, 000 and was adopted in January, 2007.

Many residents feared the traffic snarls that could accompany a project of this magnitude. Others, like Maureen Schmidt, the owner of the Sunoco gas station at the intersection of North Forest and Maple Roads, worried that future traffic problems caused by the development would lead to the use of eminent domain to take parts of her property.


Holly Hamilton was one of the concerned neighbors who lives in the Fairways neighborhood across from the proposed project attacked Benderson Development, which she said would "say and do anything" to get this project passed. She continued to lambaste the town board, "(They) did not campaign to overthrow the master plan and (they) have a fiduciary duty and moral obligation to uphold the master plan."


Other worries of those opposed to the development included drainage problems and flooding, the future takings of properties, and restricted access to the softball and baseball diamonds directly north of the project. Richard Berger, one of the first opponents of the project who first became concerned in August of last year said that if the town board approved the project, there would be a "great likelihood of litigation."


Anticipating a 4-3 vote in favor of the project, many opponents walked out of the meeting early. Indeed, the resolution did pass in that way, with Council Members Shelly Schratz, Barry Weinstein, and Guy Marlette voting with Supervisor Mohan in favor of rezoning the parcel. Council Members Dan Ward, Deborah Bruch Bucki, and Mark Manna voted against it.


The project will most likely be delayed by the suits threatened by several members of the audience, the "Fairways" group, and possibly the Town's own head of traffic safety. And as many audience members warned, ominously, "We won't forget how you voted at election time."




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Peter Kucera

Amherst , NY

Peter Kucera has posted 7 stories and 0 comments since joining on 5/16/2008. Peter Kucera 's average story rating is 5.
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