Preservation
Lancaster Historic Cemetery welfare bears significance for only a few
By Lee Chowaniec
Mar 3, 2007, 17:28

At the recent Lancaster Board meeting, resident Roy Schneggenburger berated Pleasant Meadows developer Marrano Marc/Equity for dragging its feet to fulfill a site plan condition that requires the developer to properly fence off the Historic Cemetery.

Schneggenburger referred to correspondences that indicated that the developer recently approached the Town Planning Board with either sketch plans or filing name corrections that imply the developer is readying to develop another 156 single-family lots in Phases IV to VII. Conservatively estimating each lot development at a minimum of $200,000, Schneggenburger asserted that “works out to over $31 million dollars in revenues.

Considering that there have been another 500 single-family homes have already been approved in Phases I-III, that’s another $100 million in revenues for Western New York’s largest residential developer.

Schneggenburger went on to say: “What concerns me is that the Historic Lancaster Cemetery is surrounded by this development. When you consider the revenues that will be realized from this project, the little flimsy fence that goes around the cemetery is a disgrace. Our ancestors are buried here. They were the founders of our town and deserve respect.”

Schneggenburger referred to a time when the Planning Board demanded a sturdy structure be erected around the cemetery. He was informed that an iron type enclosure was conditioned in the site plan. “The money it would take to erect this fence is peanuts compared to the revenues this company will take in.”

He then went back to the fall of 2006 when he brought before the board information on the disrepair and debris in the cemetery and the “flimsy” orange plastic fencing. “All the revenues that will come to this developer and he languishes erecting a sturdy fence that was demanded by the town to preserve a historic site. They have an obligation to be upright town citizens and to install a proper fence before the site is desecrated.’

“I don’t know who has the authority, but someone has to get on their case (Marrano Marc/Equity) to make sure this is done now, not later. They have the money to do it now.”

Comment

Mr. Schneggenburger, your only hope for getting the Historic Cemetery properly fenced is if the developer wishes to act as a good citizen in the near future. The condition that was placed on his site plan approval was not dated as to time of completion. Since Marrano estimated his 271-acre project might take up to 35 years to complete, he has ample time to fulfill the condition placed upon him.

Some of us learned from past experience that a condition is near non enforceable by the town unless they opt to take legal action that would result in a court appearance – such as with Aurora Markets.

The Historic Cemetery has been neglected for some time. The flimsy orange plastic fence makes the site a bigger eyesore. The developer may not consider this matter as having significance. The town should!

Spring is near. What was was. Lets make this right!





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