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Editorials
"Harper Industrial is still looking around to expand its business and Lancaster is still in the top three choices," Lancaster Supervisor Robert Giza informed Town Board members at their work session and residents at the later regular meeting public comment session.
"We are competing against Empire Zone which grants zero tax responsibilities for years. They are also interested in the Cemetery Road site, which is adjacent to the Kulbach’s site."
"They have a plant that shows customers in small scale how carbon fiber is made and what it would take to build a larger version for their customers to manufacture the carbon fiber on an industrial scale."
Giza estimates that Harper manufactures 90 percent of equipment used by industries to manufacture carbon fiber. "They don’t manufacture the product (carbon fiber), they manufacture the machine that manufactures the product."
"They are hesitant on the purchase of the Walden Avenue site because they need only 30,000 square feet and the facility is 76,000 square feet in size. They also use a ten-ton crane in the operation and that would mean extra girders would need to be installed. So, they don’t know if they want to put that kind of money in the plant."
Harper's expansion would create a number of jobs, estmated at 100. It is Giza’s understanding that there are enough carbon fiber orders for the airline industry to hold the plant over for the next ten years. “For now they are still exploring their options and what best fits their business interests,” said Giza.
Library
"As you know, we had the library sold for $400,000 a number of years ago," Giza informed the board members. "And everyone in this room knows what happened. And, I’m tired of taking the heat on this. CSEA has not officially contacted me yet. Rumor has it that they are considering putting something together."
"It is not feasible to put the Recreation Department in it because you have to renovate it. You would then have the Recreation and Parks Director and his staff in that building and the workers, materials and equipment on Pavement Road. I don’t think that would work, but if you guys want to do that, I’m open to any suggestions."
“We need a new dog control facility,” said Giza. “We can put the dog control operation there.” The town had put in for a $300,000 grant to renovate or move the dog control facility from its present location. That grant request has been denied.
"We can put in a government agency, a church or a single-family home in there and nobody can stop you. "Anything else requires a special use permit from the Village of Depew."
Giza informed the board that he spoke with Southeast Works Director Judith Shanley two weeks ago and that Southeast Works is still interested in purchasing the building if they can Depew off-center.
Councilman Dan Amatura asked on how the process would work should any party be interested in purchasing either building. “Would it have to go to bid?” “Yes” was the
response.
“So then we would have to advertise it,” interjected Amatura.
“Same procedure we went through the last time,” responded Giza. “It still bothers me that the last time we did this, we could have accepted the $400,000 at the last minute when Southeast Works initialed it (contract). We had $400,000 in our hands that night and we were told we could not do it legally.”
Amatura: “But the Village of Depew would not change their rezone. Maybe you should think about John Visone handling the matter with the Village?”
Giza: “Not the first time. It was before their new board took place. They (Southeast Works) said they had $385,000 and Rich (former Town Attorney Richard Sherwood) said we couldn’t accept it. They said we will initial the contract and go up to $400,000 and John Visone was there."
Comment
It is my understanding that the town could not have accepted the initial $385,000 Southeast Works offered, based on the town’s appraisal report at the time. It would have had to go through the advertising and the open bid processs.
John Visone was at a later meeting when Southeast Works entered the $400,000 purchase offer. It was the Southeast attorney that added contingency language that should the Village of Depew not issue a non-conforming use permit the contract would become null and void.
Was the building really sold? Not to my knowledge.
NEXT: Part II: Residents question sales
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