Uniland plans major housing project in Lancaster

[WNYresident]

Uniland plans major housing project in Lancaster

A sprawling suburban property in Lancaster that had once been destined to become an industrial and business park may now become a new housing development instead.

Uniland Development Co., after 16 years of trying unsuccessfully to attract commercial tenants to the Eastport Commerce Center, is now seeking to turn nearly half of the land into a residential community.

The development company proposes subdividing and rezoning 62 acres of the land at the corner of Walden Avenue and Pavement Road, where it would build 98 patio homes and 73 single-family homes.

http://buffalonews.com/2017/02/25/un...389422e19fbb62

[WNYresident]

The development company proposes subdividing and rezoning 62 acres of the land at the corner of Walden Avenue and Pavement Road, where it would build 98 patio homes and 73 single-family homes.

Good thing it isn't zoned properly for this. Have the town board put the current property owners best interest first and say "sorry" homes can not be built in that area. It isn't zoned for that.

[RobB]

Much easier to sell patio homes than attract major corporations. Surprised they didn't come to this conclusion sooner considering how long the property has sat vacant. Any real doubt that they will get the zoning exception?

[WNYresident]

It will go through. The town board will say "We'll get sued if we stand in the way" . Isn't that how it usually happens?

[Lee Chowaniec]

The following are some salient written excerpts sent to the Lancaster Planning Board by Safe Aviation Coalition of Lancaster (SACL) president Dave Hangauer concerning the proposed Uniland residential development at Eastport Commerce Center on 62 acres of rezoned land, at the corner of Walden Avenue and Pavement Road, where 98 patio homes and 73 single-family homes would be built.

It is good for the Town of Lancaster’s tax base (assuming the effect on traffic/infrastructure is not a serious problem) to allow the proposed residential development to take place on the Eastport Commerce Center site because it has been vacant far too long and is in a prime location immediately adjacent to the rapidly developing Cross Creek subdivision –that is when not considering the Lancaster Airport is located in very close proximity to the proposed development site.

Even Yahoo cited the Lancaster Airport several years ago as a major factor in deciding not to locate in the Eastport Commerce Center out of concern of a plane crashing into their building.

Regarding the flight pattern and how that relates to the Eastport Commerce Center location for a proposed residential area. The airport planes will be flying directly over the proposed Eastport Commerce Center residential development area during their standard landing pattern when the wind is out of the East. The two most dangerous times in a flight pattern are during takeoff and during landing.

There have been accidents at the Lancaster airport during takeoffs and landings. For example see the attached “Bee report 4-23-2015” for a crash on takeoff, and “Lancaster Police Dept…” for a crash on landing at the Lancaster airport.

The Lancaster airport also had a very tragic mid-air collision during the Flying Eagles event in 2014 (see attached Lancaster Airport NTSB report). So having this airport in Lancaster has put its residents, and their property, at an involuntary risk despite any proclamations to the contrary by airport officials.

The Lancaster airport does not have a “crosswinds” runway (i.e. a second perpendicular runway---there is no room for one).

The builder/developer of this proposed residential property should engage in full disclosure and transparency regarding the airport so that home purchasers are fully aware of the risk they are taking when purchasing a house there.


This is the same site that was under consideration for a veterans memorial cemetery and not chosen because of traffic, industrial and air traffic noise and other shortcomings.

The tax dollars would be nice but is this type of development in this location in the best interests of the community. It is unfortunate that the Master Plan revision is just in the works.

[Greg Sojka]

Interesting ! The property to the left of this proposed project is owned by Lancaster school. I believe the plan is to put in a new bus garage with gas and diesel fuel pumps. This could cause assessments to be lowered because of buses and fumes. It is an election year as the political coffers fill the permits and zoning changes will flow.

[4248]

What he said +

Interesting ! The property to the left of this proposed project is owned by Lancaster school. I believe the plan is to put in a new bus garage with gas and diesel fuel pumps. This could cause assessments to be lowered because of buses and fumes. It is an election year as the political coffers fill the permits and zoning changes will flow.

[Neubs24]

Good thing it isn't zoned properly for this. Have the town board put the current property owners best interest first and say "sorry" homes can not be built in that area. It isn't zoned for that.

Current property owners? All three (maybe) of them? Ripa's? The town police and courts? Leisure Pools? An RV storage lot?

I see no issue with homes here as long as it adds the traffic to Walden and doesn't add to Pleasant View.

[WNYresident]

Property owners as in the current property owners throughout Lancaster. Sprawl adds to the cost of living to all property owners.

[Neubs24]

Property owners as in the current property owners throughout Lancaster. Sprawl adds to the cost of living to all property owners.

Explain, because if you ask me it adds to the tax rolls. The property is currently subject to tax breaks and is completely vacant, so it adds nothing or next to nothing.

[Lee Chowaniec]

It should not be a simple matter of rezoning a piece of property just for the sake of adding to the tax roll. When development occurs without providing the necessary accommodations to provide for that growth, such growth (sprawl) is not in the best interest of the community.

I would hope that the current Planning and Town Boards would review the 2003 transcripts as to how Uniland well understood the property zoning at the time and committed to filling the property with commercial enterprises. Uniland was confident at that time that a north-south corridor would be built connecting Bowen Road to the NYS Thruway – and that the Williamsville toll booths would be re-located further east.

Uniland declared they had several businesses already interested in locating on the property; CARQUEST for sure. All went to hell and no business was interested in locating here knowing the busy route and distance to a Thruway access.

So it lingered unoccupied and of no interest until Uniland tried to interest its property sale as a Veterans Park memorial. That also fell through for myriad adverse impact reasons.

Uniland made a bad decision and based a lot on what was being told them by the town politicos at the time and getting a handsome grant in the process – which they later had to return as no development took place within the time specified in the grant.

I would hope that the town politicos have learned from the sins of their fathers that residents should not be punished because of the un-kept promises and shortcomings of developers just for added town revenue.

The number one responsibility of the town is to protect its residents – a safe environment and a good quality of life. The proposed project would offer neither – a public/private General Aviation airport across Walden Avenue; Walden Avenue traffic and noise; a school bus garage located next to the property; a required rezone for a project that does not fit the character of the neighborhood.

When one speaks of the low taxes Uniland pays on this piece of property, why is there no outcry that the Lancaster Airport pays only $55,000 in property taxes on a 140 acre piece of property; a piece of property that received $15 million in federal and state grant funding – and three LIDA’s with no job creation?

Yeah, lets no worry about our future fellow residents who did no research or trusted the town to make a serious decision to protect their rights and allow the project to take place; yeah, that’s right, screw them they should have known better. It’s all about the money!

The following subjects should dominate this year’s Town election campaigns:

• The 2018 budget

• The police contract negotiation

• The revised / updated master plan and its impact on zoning regulations

• Development and its impacts on the environment and traffic volume / safety concerns on an overburdened road system lacking major roadways and using subdivision streets as by-passes

• A crumbling subdivision road system needing remediation. Several years ago the code was changed in that a membrane is first applied to the ground to prevent stones from being pushed into the mud and by the addition of six more inches of stone to the six used before the code change.

[Lee Chowaniec]

It was nice to read in the Planning Board minutes that: The Board has no appetite to rezone this property (Uniland's Enterprise Commerce property).

[WNYresident]

Explain, because if you ask me it adds to the tax rolls. The property is currently subject to tax breaks and is completely vacant, so it adds nothing or next to nothing.

I believe these would be patio home which are taxed at a lower rate. Are there home next to this parcel that already receive services? Or would the town have to dedicate services to that area? Sprawl increases cost because of distance. If homes are (as example) 100 feet apart versus 1 mile apart services such as trash pick up cost more to provide because of density. Same goes for plowing etc. Same goes for utility hook ups etc.

I believe the theory holds true home to home or sub division to sub division.

IF building on every piece of green space provides revenue why are they property taxes in Cheektowaga some of the highest?

[Wehner]

For the last fifty years plus...since the infrastructure in the Walden Ave corridor was installed in order to service the new county prison and upgrade the home and infirmary...developers,speculaters and corporations have invested in the Walden corridor in the hopes that Stanley keysa's hopes for a north south connection from the nys thruway and the 400 to an access to the thruway at Gunville road...would somehow become reality.....so much for that dream...thanks mr greco...investments were made risks were taken obviously some won some lost...I don't know if living in a zoned industrial area with a future bus garage on one side, hundreds of trucks moving in and out across the street, air planes flying overhead at low altitude...and the General discomfort of knowing you are completely surrounded by industry....

[WNYresident]

hundreds of trucks moving in and out across the street, air planes flying overhead at low altitude...and the General discomfort of knowing you are completely surrounded by industry....

Once the property is sold and the homes are built those issues are now longer the developers. He ran to the bank.