New park in South Lancaster?

[gorja]

the town owns plenty of property and this club has used school property in the past or is that not correct? you cant always throw money at a problem to fix it. its time for people in charge to stop the spending. they may need to make some unfavorable decisions...but that is what they signed up for. why cant this soccer club buy the land itself instead of having the tax payers fund it? there is normally more than one solution to a problem. why does the town need to be in the sports business it must not be profitable if the soccer club isn't buying this property itself.

The town is growing by leaps and bounds with that more kids. They'll have to start turning away kids if there is not enough fields to accommodate the number of teams playing. I heard that Hillview school is going to have some expansion that will result in loss of some recreational area.

I'm so happy that my grandsons live and breathe hockey. They'll never be pros but as kids and now teenagers hockey has kept them busy. Hence, no mischief; no drugs, so far. Soccer and lacrosse can do the same for other people's children and grandchildren. I'm not going to say, it takes a village to raise a child but as a community we should provide the opportunity for all our children to be BUSY. Just my opinion.

Me thinks the lady doth protest too much, common sense, almost like someone PO'd because the idea came from someone else.

[common sense]

The town is growing by leaps and bounds with that more kids. They'll have to start turning away kids if there is not enough fields to accommodate the number of teams playing. I heard that Hillview school is going to have some expansion that will result in loss of some recreational area.

I'm so happy that my grandsons live and breathe hockey. They'll never be pros but as kids and now teenagers hockey has kept them busy. Hence, no mischief; no drugs, so far. Soccer and lacrosse can do the same for other people's children and grandchildren. I'm not going to say, it takes a village to raise a child but as a community we should provide the opportunity for all our children to be BUSY. Just my opinion.

Me thinks the lady doth protest too much, common sense, almost like someone PO'd because the idea came from someone else.

bottom line is that the town owns plenty of property as does the county...at some point they need to stop spending and making the tax payer foot the bill. again why does the soccer club not buy the land itself why does the town have to fund their organization. i also believe that kids need to be involved in activities but at some point the tax payers can fund them all. stop throwing money at the problem. i cant speak for anyone else but if i want something i cant demand my employer to give me more money to pay for it like the town seems to do to all the hard working tax payers. the town needs to start living with in its means. maybe you have an unlimited amount of funds for your check book like the town seems to think they do but i'll guess the majority of tax payers don't.

me thinks you live in some fantasy land....please join the rest of us in the real world. you seem like the PO'd one that thinks they are always right.

[gorja]

Yes, I can't ask my employer for more money either.

I think the town taxes went up in 2016 to pay for the police union settlement. Not sure.

If there were no possible tax increase due to a purchase and maintaining a new park, would you still be against it?

My town/county tax bill in 2017 was less than my 2012 town/county tax bill. That's not opinion. That's fact. The county tax bill went up this year not the town.

[common sense]

Yes, I can't ask my employer for more money either.

I think the town taxes went up in 2016 to pay for the police union settlement. Not sure.

If there were no possible tax increase due to a purchase and maintaining a new park, would you still be against it?

My town/county tax bill in 2017 was less than my 2012 town/county tax bill. That's not opinion. That's fact. The county tax bill went up this year not the town.

i'm not against it...just feel the town needs to look at if they really need to fund this. should the tax payers fund a purchase because of an organization needs more land to survive. and i'll ask again why cant the organization purchase it for themselves?

[gorja]

Look at other towns.
West Seneca has 17 fields at their soccer complex 2010 census 44,711
Clarence has 12 at their soccer center plus one field at 3 of their town parks. 2010 census 30,673

Town of Lancaster - 2010 census 40,604
Don't know how many fields they have use of.

The soccer club serves 2,000 families.

[common sense]

Look at other towns.
West Seneca has 17 fields at their soccer complex 2010 census 44,711
Clarence has 12 at their soccer center plus one field at 3 of their town parks. 2010 census 30,673

Town of Lancaster - 2010 census 40,604
Don't know how many fields they have use of.

The soccer club serves 2,000 families.

i'm not concerned with west seneca or clarence i dont live in their town. "apples and oranges" has nothing to do with lancaster.

[gorja]

Originally posted by common sense:
i'm not concerned with west seneca or clarence i dont live in their town. "apples and oranges" has nothing to do with lancaster.

I'm not concerned about those towns either. They were used to show what other communities of similar or lesser size do for their youth. I raised my son in Clarence. He played soccer and baseball from the age of 5 or 6 and through high school. We didn't have money for travel league or anything like that. He played house league in both sports. I never had a problem with him being in trouble at school or get a call to pick him up at the trooper barracks. I credit the availability of sports.

Guess, we just have a difference of opinion.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Hey common sense:

Some comments on your posts and comments – which strangely are pretty close to Supervisor Coleman’s:

• There has been a need for soccer and lacrosse fields for years.

• The town has been looking to get land of size to build more recreational fields for years. Several promises made by developers and businesses to donate such property were bogus promises and fell by the wayside.

• The town does not own property of size or quality that is large enough to accommodate several fields and a track – here there are 42 acres.

• The town has every intention to pay for the project by the use of Recreation Filing fees and possible grants; which are what recreation filing fees are supposed to be used for – not by any increase in town taxes.

• You are incorrect when you declare that taxes go up every year. From 2013 (then Supervisor Fudoli’s first budget and every budget he proposed for the next three years) taxes were lowered – and again last year under the current administration. I don’t know where you live in the town or why your taxes should have gone up as there has been no reassessment.

• In 2012, the last year of the Giza administration the taxes on a property assessed at $100,000 was $962.i5. In 2013 it was lowered to $945.65 and Fudoli’s last budget for 2016 the taxes were lowered to $906.52. In 2017 the amount of taxes was again lowered to $905.79. The budgets from 2012 to 2017 are on the town website. These are facts. Why did your taxes go up?

• You say you are not against the project but you give every indication that you are. I also feel that is the same with an individual on the town board. A straight out vote should have been taken to validate that the supervisor and council members are on the same page and favor this project.

• Please tell us where all these fields are in the town and why you consider we have enough and don’t need any in the south of Lancaster? Then call the recreation department and tell them there is no need for more fields.

• Then go to a board meeting and tell those individuals professing the need for more fields at the recent meetings to stop wasting recreation filing fee monies from developers who are supposed to provide for land/green space that is intended to provide for parks and recreation.

[common sense]

Hey common sense:

Some comments on your posts and comments – which strangely are pretty close to Supervisor Coleman’s:

• There has been a need for soccer and lacrosse fields for years.

• The town has been looking to get land of size to build more recreational fields for years. Several promises made by developers and businesses to donate such property were bogus promises and fell by the wayside.

• The town does not own property of size or quality that is large enough to accommodate several fields and a track – here there are 42 acres.

• The town has every intention to pay for the project by the use of Recreation Filing fees and possible grants; which are what recreation filing fees are supposed to be used for – not by any increase in town taxes.

• You are incorrect when you declare that taxes go up every year. From 2013 (then Supervisor Fudoli’s first budget and every budget he proposed for the next three years) taxes were lowered – and again last year under the current administration. I don’t know where you live in the town or why your taxes should have gone up as there has been no reassessment.

• In 2012, the last year of the Giza administration the taxes on a property assessed at $100,000 was $962.i5. In 2013 it was lowered to $945.65 and Fudoli’s last budget for 2016 the taxes were lowered to $906.52. In 2017 the amount of taxes was again lowered to $905.79. The budgets from 2012 to 2017 are on the town website. These are facts. Why did your taxes go up?

• You say you are not against the project but you give every indication that you are. I also feel that is the same with an individual on the town board. A straight out vote should have been taken to validate that the supervisor and council members are on the same page and favor this project.

• Please tell us where all these fields are in the town and why you consider we have enough and don’t need any in the south of Lancaster? Then call the recreation department and tell them there is no need for more fields.

• Then go to a board meeting and tell those individuals professing the need for more fields at the recent meetings to stop wasting recreation filing fee monies from developers who are supposed to provide for land/green space that is intended to provide for parks and recreation.

why does the town need to fund the purchase of land so that a soccer club can have more fields. why can't the soccer club just buy it themselves. no one can seem to answer that. if anything maybe the town can buy it and sell it back to that organization with interest at least then there would be some revenue to support such purchase. the town can't continue to throw money at a problem to solve it at the tax payers expense. unfortunately sometimes you need to make decisions that are unfavorable but they need to be made.

[Neubs24]

Look at other towns.
West Seneca has 17 fields at their soccer complex 2010 census 44,711
Clarence has 12 at their soccer center plus one field at 3 of their town parks. 2010 census 30,673

Town of Lancaster - 2010 census 40,604
Don't know how many fields they have use of.

The soccer club serves 2,000 families.

As far as town parks I believe there's only 2 full size fields, Walden Pond and the artificial at Westwood. There are also 2 smaller fields at Westwood near the Schwartz Road entrance. Hillview School, William Street, Court Street, Sciole and the middle school have one full size field and the high school has multiple fields that have been affected by construction. So all told that's 9 full size fields if you count the high school as 2 fields.

[shortstuff]

I have no issues with another park forming for these sport activities. I believe more greenspace is great. Como Park is a county park, it serves the county. Lancaster does not need to be renting fields and suddenly find they are no longer available.

The recreation fees are accumulated from the new builds in the Town of Lancaster. I believe, if it has not increased, for every home built roughly $1200 is added to the build which is then put into this rec fund. That fund is used for these types of purposes. I don't know how much is in that fund currently, a good question to ask at the next town board meeting, but if I recall when that turf was installed at Westwood Park-not much was in the fund. However, building has skyrocketed in Lancaster so no doubt that has replenished.

I still feel Lancaster should model Clarence's greenspace policy where for every subdivision created, the developer must provide with cost to the developer greenspace which is usually a park. The taxpayers do not foot that bill.

[Lee Chowaniec]

why does the town need to fund the purchase of land so that a soccer club can have more fields. why can't the soccer club just buy it themselves. no one can seem to answer that. if anything maybe the town can buy it and sell it back to that organization with interest at least then there would be some revenue to support such purchase. the town can't continue to throw money at a problem to solve it at the tax payers expense. unfortunately sometimes you need to make decisions that are unfavorable but they need to be made.

I can’t believe you are so clueless.

The town’s intent is to build a recreation park with fields, a playground, a track and other amenities. A town park to be used by the entire community and for free. That is what the Recreational Filing Fees are intended for and will not cost the taxpayers a dime to fund the project. How many times does not need repeating before you stop the tax increase nonsense?

And, there is over one million in the current fund.

If the property were purchased by the Lancaster-Depew Soccer Club it would no longer be open to the public, but under their operational control – and they don’t have that kind of money to purchase the land and build fields in the first place. And you suggest the town buy the land and sell it to the league for profit? How repulsive is that.

The use of the county park, where there is one baseball diamond and one other field, is ludicrous at best – and you should know that. I asked where all the fields were in the north end and you provided no answer – others did. You have nothing going for you and give a disingenuous, “I’m for the project,” answer.

As someone who has no family members who will be using the proposed park, I should be against its development. But I see the community value in doing this and the importance of providing our children a venue that keeps them off the streets and I-phones. Such athletic activities bring structure, character, commitment and responsibility to the lives of some children who receive none of that at home.

The one thing that does piss me off is the participation trophies that are handed out and often not earned in any way, shape or form.

Have the guts to come out and openly object to the project, but give valid facts as to why.

[gorja]

Originally posted by yaksplat:
It looks like the Lancaster Depew Soccer Club is trying to get the ball rolling on a town land acquisition.

https://www.change.org/p/new-york-st...n-lancaster-ny

Bump

[common sense]

I can’t believe you are so clueless.

The town’s intent is to build a recreation park with fields, a playground, a track and other amenities. A town park to be used by the entire community and for free. That is what the Recreational Filing Fees are intended for and will not cost the taxpayers a dime to fund the project. How many times does not need repeating before you stop the tax increase nonsense?

And, there is over one million in the current fund.

If the property were purchased by the Lancaster-Depew Soccer Club it would no longer be open to the public, but under their operational control – and they don’t have that kind of money to purchase the land and build fields in the first place. And you suggest the town buy the land and sell it to the league for profit? How repulsive is that.

The use of the county park, where there is one baseball diamond and one other field, is ludicrous at best – and you should know that. I asked where all the fields were in the north end and you provided no answer – others did. You have nothing going for you and give a disingenuous, “I’m for the project,” answer.

As someone who has no family members who will be using the proposed park, I should be against its development. But I see the community value in doing this and the importance of providing our children a venue that keeps them off the streets and I-phones. Such athletic activities bring structure, character, commitment and responsibility to the lives of some children who receive none of that at home.

The one thing that does piss me off is the participation trophies that are handed out and often not earned in any way, shape or form.

Have the guts to come out and openly object to the project, but give valid facts as to why.

as for being clueless that's your opinion and your entitled to it and mainly a rude comment. let me ask you this how many parks does one community actually need? and what's so repulsive with the idea of the town buying and selling the property at a profit. i find it interesting that the town and residents like yourself that think it's ok for the board to have a blank check when it comes to spending. time for someone to stop the bleeding which will never happen because that will mean career suicide for the career politicians from town all the way to state governments. time to get back to basics. i will agree with your comments and thoughts on participation trophies thogugh. you sir have a good day.

[Lee Chowaniec]

as for being clueless that's your opinion and your entitled to it and mainly a rude comment. let me ask you this how many parks does one community actually need? and what's so repulsive with the idea of the town buying and selling the property at a profit. i find it interesting that the town and residents like yourself that think it's ok for the board to have a blank check when it comes to spending. time for someone to stop the bleeding which will never happen because that will mean career suicide for the career politicians from town all the way to state governments. time to get back to basics. i will agree with your comments and thoughts on participation trophies thogugh. you sir have a good day.

I stand by my comment that you are clueless – here used to mean uniformed, unaware on how government works, not intended to be rude as in using words such as stupid or moron.

Your latest post speaks for itself in that regard. You are entitled to your opinion but not the facts – which you have misstated on several occasions.