Appraisal to set stage for sale of Colecraft site

[4248]

The Town of Lancaster has received interest in the former Colecraft building from prospective buyers and, as the next step in the sale process, the Town Board on Monday voted to hire a company to produce an appraisal of the aging commercial structure.

Lancaster officials last month announced their desire to sell the property at 3949 Walden Ave., which the town bought for $1.6 million in 2003 with the intention – never realized – of converting the structure into a police and courts facility.
Monday, the board hired Emminger Newton Pigeon Magyar for $2,200 to appraise the complex, and Supervisor Dino J. Fudoli said prior to the vote that the firm should complete its report within the next one or two weeks.

“There has been some expressed interest in it,” Fudoli said at Monday’s work session, without identifying any company or companies.(END QUOTE)




Home owners get stuck again. This ColeCraft purchase was doomed from the moment Lancaster's past Supervisor/IDA Chairman Giza conspired to purchase it. He mislead the Village government, purchased it with tax dollars and hid the fact the owner was his friend and IDA Board Member that owned it.

To this day no formal pre-sale appraisal has been shown to explain the purchase price of $1.6 million(Tax Dollars) in 2003. Nor a list of content/furniture and office equipment that added $300,000.00(Tax Dollars) to the sale price. There was also a tax funded $50,000.00(Tax Dollar) study done to determine its suitability for the proposed use(Police/Court Building including a shooting range) - Fact is the purchase was signed by the Supervisor prior to the study. A judge said,"It may be bad Governance - but not illegal"

How much will tax payers end up loosing before this white elephant is sold and settled. Tax Dollars in this case translates into Lancaster's home owners present and future property taxes.

[Lee Chowaniec]

The Town of Lancaster has received interest in the former Colecraft building from prospective buyers and, as the next step in the sale process, the Town Board on Monday voted to hire a company to produce an appraisal of the aging commercial structure.

Lancaster officials last month announced their desire to sell the property at 3949 Walden Ave., which the town bought for $1.6 million in 2003 with the intention – never realized – of converting the structure into a police and courts facility.
Monday, the board hired Emminger Newton Pigeon Magyar for $2,200 to appraise the complex, and Supervisor Dino J. Fudoli said prior to the vote that the firm should complete its report within the next one or two weeks.

“There has been some expressed interest in it,” Fudoli said at Monday’s work session, without identifying any company or companies.(END QUOTE)




Home owners get stuck again. This ColeCraft purchase was doomed from the moment Lancaster's past Supervisor/IDA Chairman Giza conspired to purchase it. He mislead the Village government, purchased it with tax dollars and hid the fact the owner was his friend and IDA Board Member that owned it.

To this day no formal pre-sale appraisal has been shown to explain the purchase price of $1.6 million(Tax Dollars) in 2003. Nor a list of content/furniture and office equipment that added $300,000.00(Tax Dollars) to the sale price. There was also a tax funded $50,000.00(Tax Dollar) study done to determine its suitability for the proposed use(Police/Court Building including a shooting range) - Fact is the purchase was signed by the Supervisor prior to the study. A judge said,"It may be bad Governance - but not illegal"

How much will tax payers end up loosing before this white elephant is sold and settled. Tax Dollars in this case translates into Lancaster's home owners present and future property taxes.

As I have posted the exact same thing over the years, on numerous occasions, your post is spot on.

It will be very interesting to see what the appraisal will be and what the building will bring should there be an interested party in purchasing it. The purchase of the Colecraft Building has been the Town of Lancaster's biggest blunder and most costly to the taxpayers. There was never an appraisal done when the building was purchased and when some residents had the balls to take the town to court for purchase and process irregularities, the presiding judge dismissed the case with the words: "There was no criminal intent, just bad governance." No one should ever forget those words or the resulting cost to town taxpayers. Nor should anyone ever forget that the town had the nerve to blame residents for the eight year delay that led to the point where new codes made the Colecraft Building unsuitable for use as a police/courts facility.
(The town creates the problem, the residents complain, the town blames the residents)

"Build new," some of the regular town board attendees suggested. They couldn't because a contract was entered into that was irrevocable and also because a few of the town players at the time stubbornly refused to listen and defended the purchase of the Colecraft Building until the very end - for whatever reason. Then when a feasibility study was performed to consider best build options, they stacked the deck against a new build by estimating the cost of building a new 76,000 sq. ft. building - when now they find a 26,900 sq. ft. new build will meet police/courts requirements.

[hawkeye]

As I have posted the exact same thing over the years, on numerous occasions, your post is spot on.

It will be very interesting to see what the appraisal will be and what the building will bring should there be an interested party in purchasing it. The purchase of the Colecraft Building has been the Town of Lancaster's biggest blunder and most costly to the taxpayers. There was never an appraisal done when the building was purchased and when some residents had the balls to take the town to court for purchase and process irregularities, the presiding judge dismissed the case with the words: "There was no criminal intent, just bad governance." No one should ever forget those words or the resulting cost to town taxpayers. Nor should anyone ever forget that the town had the nerve to blame residents for the eight year delay that led to the point where new codes made the Colecraft Building unsuitable for use as a police/courts facility.
(The town creates the problem, the residents complain, the town blames the residents)

"Build new," some of the regular town board attendees suggested. They couldn't because a contract was entered into that was irrevocable and also because a few of the town players at the time stubbornly refused to listen and defended the purchase of the Colecraft Building until the very end - for whatever reason. Then when a feasibility study was performed to consider best build options, they stacked the deck against a new build by estimating the cost of building a new 76,000 sq. ft. building - when now they find a 26,900 sq. ft. new build will meet police/courts requirements.

Lee I have applaud you and the guy's that sued the Town board and will continue to support the efforts of a few for the betterment of Lancaster!!!!!!!!!!!

[gorja]

I hope they don't stall around too long waiting for that appraisal as Clarence is waiting in the wings if a Lancaster deal falls through.

If Harper International decides to leave Lancaster, Hartzell would like to attract the company to Clarence.

"Rather than have them move out of state, if they can't agree to stay in Lancaster, we'd love to have them," Hartzell said. "Obviously we don't want to steal them from Lancaster."

Harper said it is dropping a plan to expand at its current Village of Lancaster campus and is considering other options. Paul Leone, a consultant to the Clarence IDA, said Harper is looking at the former Colecraft building on Walden Avenue in Lancaster.

No matter what anyone says, it has to be a Conflict of Interest serving as a consultant for more than one IDA.

[4248]

First week of July: Monday, the board hired Emminger Newton Pigeon Magyar for $2,200 to appraise the complex, and Supervisor Dino J. Fudoli said prior to the vote that the firm should complete its report within the next one or two weeks.

Quite sure its done - just wondering why it hasn't been made public yet?

Also wondering if the appraisal also includes deficiencies that are used as well as comparable property values - will those factors be made public?

Just askin!!!!!!!!! July 28,2012

[hawkeye]

First week of July: Monday, the board hired Emminger Newton Pigeon Magyar for $2,200 to appraise the complex, and Supervisor Dino J. Fudoli said prior to the vote that the firm should complete its report within the next one or two weeks.

Quite sure its done - just wondering why it hasn't been made public yet?

Also wondering if the appraisal also includes deficiencies that are used as well as comparable property values - will those factors be made public?

Just askin!!!!!!!!! July 28,2012

The fact that the delay is still going on is " NOW WAIT " because the Town has a buyer and doesn't want to allow the appraisal to get out until they sell it!!!!! Reason is the Town will ( O sorry the taxpayers will see the Facts that the Taxpayers got screwed for about $ 250,000 to $500,000. 00. Thats without any monies they paid in Taxes. Watch the appraisal will come in around $790,000.00.

[WNYresident]

The fact that the delay is still going on is " NOW WAIT " because the Town has a buyer and doesn't want to allow the appraisal to get out until they sell it!!!!! Reason is the Town will ( O sorry the taxpayers will see the Facts that the Taxpayers got screwed for about $ 250,000 to $500,000. 00. Thats without any monies they paid in Taxes. Watch the appraisal will come in around $790,000.00.

The building is worth what the buyer will offer. That is the real value. We'll see how much "bad governance" cost your town. Are any of the people who voted yes for that purchase still on the town board?

Was there $100,000's spent on contents or Furniture?

[WNYresident]

And the little crew from your Lancaster IDA was involved in that purchase weren't they... correct?

[Lee Chowaniec]

The fact that the delay is still going on is " NOW WAIT " because the Town has a buyer and doesn't want to allow the appraisal to get out until they sell it!!!!! Reason is the Town will ( O sorry the taxpayers will see the Facts that the Taxpayers got screwed for about $ 250,000 to $500,000. 00. Thats without any monies they paid in Taxes. Watch the appraisal will come in around $790,000.00.

Sorry, but that it not the way this should go. Considering the Lancaster taxpayers are footing the bill for this white elephant they should be told what the building is appraised for. But wait, it didn't work that way when the town wanted to sell the Columbia Avenue Depew Library. The town established a number they would sell the building for and that they would accept no offers below that amount.

Could it be that the town is embarrassed by the appraisal number? It has to come out sooner or later. And, Fudoli promised an open and transparent government.

[Lee Chowaniec]

WNYresident;971344]The building is worth what the buyer will offer. That is the real value. We'll see how much "bad governance" cost your town. Are any of the people who voted yes for that purchase still on the town board?

True, the building is only worth what the market will bear.

Was there $100,000's spent on contents or Furniture

The building was purchased for $1.6 million. Another $300,000 went for furniture, computers, etc.

[Lee Chowaniec]

And the little crew from your Lancaster IDA was involved in that purchase weren't they... correct?

No IDA money went toward the purchase. There have been numerous rumors that the building was purchased from a company that one of the LIDA members worked for in an executive position.

[Lee Chowaniec]

WNYresidnet asked if there are any members currently sitting on the town board today who voted approval for the purchase of the Colecraft Building in 2003.

Yes, two remain, council members Ruffino and Stempniak. Supervisor Robaert Giza and former council member Mark Montour also voted approval of the purchase. The remianing council member was Richard Zarbo who was absent during the vote and for much of that year's town board meetings.

[reformthi$]

i don't know much about appraisals, not my field
if the appraisal came in significantly less, how bad is it then for giza and his "poor judgement"?
does this mean that it could be illegal? does this mean that ruffino who has been acting as the "liaison" for the colecraft fiasco be responsible at some level, and what ramifications would that mean for him?

was this colecraft building prior to giza/town purchase ever up for sale for less than what it was purchased for?

[4248]

My take on the current situation:

Remember when you state, "The Town" is doing this or not doing that - most often that means the man in charge. Supervisor Fudoli is now that man, but is he in charge or was he elected to be a Supervisor figure head?

Remember he relies on the everyday Town workers from each office - he relies on each Board Member - committee and Department. What does he rely on them for -

To do their jobs in a honest and nonbias fashion - are they doing that?

He relies on all Town Employee to be focused on their tasks and not finding ways to muck up the system - is politics affecting that?

I could go on - but I think you get the picture! Who is handling the appraisal - not the duties of the actual appraisal - the Towns "Liaison" to the company?

Who handles or controls most of the information the Supervisor receives?

Who is in charge of actually producing what agenda items get added and what information is included and when it gets released?

Yes, Supervisor Fudoli was elected to be the Towns Supervisor - is he actually in control of the actions within each Department - does he truly know what happens behind closed doors in every tax funded office - ?

I am in no way insinuating he doesn't care - he has shown he does - I am in no way saying he is not doing what he's lead to believe he has authority over - what I guess I am saying is theres no true job description or outline of extent of authority handed to him when he took office.

So who is accountable - who is responsible - are they accountable to the taxpayers - are they responsible to honestly complete tasks in a non bias manner - Think about it then you will see why no one in Town Government is accountable for wasted tax dollars.

[reformthi$]

that $uck$....