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Thread: Clarence extends Greenprint program 10 more years

  1. #1
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Clarence extends Greenprint program 10 more years

    Clarence is extending the Greenprint program for 10 more years. The program adds about $14 in taxes per $100,000. In my opinion, it is worth the extra tax to keep the town from being totally developed.

    http://www.buffalonews.com/city/comm...icle926936.ece

    Georgia L Schlager

  2. #2
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Greenprint, approved by voters in 2002, enables the town to buy undeveloped land or just the development rights to property, to preserve it as green space.
    That is something the entire town benefits from correct? Clarence will still sort of look like Clarence 25 years from now versus empty parking lots with vacant buildings......

  3. #3
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident View Post
    That is something the entire town benefits from correct? Clarence will still sort of look like Clarence 25 years from now versus empty parking lots with vacant buildings......
    Hopefully, that will be the case.

    Georgia L Schlager

  4. #4
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    That seems to be a good idea as long as games are not played purchasing land.

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    Meh, as more people move into a burb it will ultimately suffer the same fate as other burbs. I expect to see vacant strip malls courtesy of Benderson, et. al., before too many years have gone by.

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie View Post
    Meh, as more people move into a burb it will ultimately suffer the same fate as other burbs. I expect to see vacant strip malls courtesy of Benderson, et. al., before too many years have gone by.
    I avoid Transit Rd, there may be vacant strip plazas now.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    From the Clarence Bee -

    Greenprint addition alludes to extension of bike path

    by STEVEN JAGORD

    Editor

    The Town of Clarence added a large parcel to its Greenprint program at the Town Board meeting on April 24 after a presentation by the Western New York Land Conservancy, and it stands to become a major player for connecting portions of the town’s bike path.

    Currently vacant except for a section that has been leased for corn grown by the Kelkenberg family, the roughly 66-acre lot features many attributes the conservancy values highly when deciding which areas to advocate for to remain undeveloped.

    “What I want to point out is how it’s connected with other protected properties, and that’s really, really important from an ecological point of view and also from preserving the rural character,” said Kathleen McCormick, stewardship director with the Land Conservancy.


    McCormick described to the board and audience members the major attributes that make the parcel located south of Clarence Center Road and east of Strickler Road ideal for Clarence’s Greenprint program. They include water purity, as the majority of the property is wetlands.

    “Water quality, having a wetland in a forest, which provides a natural buffer to that wetland, and then the creek running through that wetland is very, very important to water quality,” McCormick said. “The wetland acts as a filter for water quality.

    “Having a forest and a wetland provides very, very diverse habitat with lots and lots of species and a very mature forest with oak, maple and beech trees in the forest. This is very, very good wildlife habitat; all these plants support a variety of wildlife species, and again it’s a perfect place for those species to live.”

    McCormick said it’s an all-around perfect fit, both with what the town aims to achieve with its Greenprint program and what the conservancy hopes to see municipalities strive to preserve.

    “It’s a lovely piece of property that provides working farmland, diverse wildlife habitat and water quality protection for the Town of Clarence,” she said.

    One resident who attended the meeting expressed interest in purchasing some of the land for his horses, while another raised concerns about a north-south bike path extension eventually being installed in the parcel near his own adjacent property.

    Deputy Town Attorney Steve Bengart explained that specifics for use aren’t available yet, but one of the purposes of the Greenprint program is to provide access to the public for recreational purposes, which may include an extension of the town’s bike path. Other than that, most development projects would be prohibited.

    “The plan is to purchase the property as Greenprint,” Bengart said. “A small piece would be set aside that we would make a determination on so that we could consider putting a bike path somewhere in a logical, reasonable spot on the property.

    “My concern would be that under the Greenprint program if we would be able to even consider selling [a resident] something that he would want to put horses with fences on.”

    Currently the town has multiple sections of bike path that are not fully connected, and the parcel purchased could provide a significant connection piece.

    “We don’t have a specific spot in mind yet,” Bengart said. “But we would try to connect it with the other parcels we purchased.

    “Any time we have bought one of these parcels in the last 10 years since I have been involved, we not only look at the possibility of the green space but also how to connect it so our citizens can use the bike path so they can enjoy the land that we are purchasing to keep forever green or forever wild or whatever it might be.”

    Started in 2002, the Greenprint program strives to preserve as much open space as possible through land purchases.

    Town Supervisor Dave Hartzell praised the addition as a needed connection for residents who use the path and then have to make irritating detours not only out of the way, but sometimes alongside busy roadways.

    “The one thing we really lack right now is a good north-south link,” Hartzell said. “Right now if you’re on the bike path you have to go all the way out to Akron so this would make perfect sense in the scope of the whole bike path.”
    I just love the idea that the town keeps purchasing these properties to preserve some greenspace and avoid overdevelopment.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    From the Clarence Bee -



    I just love the idea that the town keeps purchasing these properties to preserve some greenspace and avoid overdevelopment.
    They should just build a wall and have their own passports.

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    Bravo - saving "Green Space" is nothing like building a "Boarder" - its preserving nature and helping preserve our environment. Great!

    The only people against green space are those who benefit from destroying it! Money is more important to some people, even at the cost of our children's future.
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

  10. #10
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    he Clarence Greenprint open space preservation program has been awarded the 2014 Planning Excellence Award for Implementation by the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association at its recent annual conference in Rochester.

    “Using the Greenprint plan, the Town of Clarence has successfully protected acres of forests, meadows, stream corridors and working farms,” said chapter president Ellen Parker in presenting the award.

    “One unique aspect of the Greenprint program is that it makes protected farmland available to farmers, keeping these lands in active agricultural use. The Greenprint is a model for preserving open space that other communities can emulate.”

    Greenprint planning began in 1998 and was implemented with the approval of a $12.5 million bond authorization by voters in 2002. So far, the program has protected 1,315 acres.

    The town’s director of community development, Jim Callahan, notes that sale price of properties adjacent to preserved properties has increased an average of 15 percent.

    http://www.buffalonews.com/city-regi...rence-20140928

    Georgia L Schlager

  11. #11
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    BRAVO! Looks like the Town of Clarence wants to purchase development rights on more vacant land


    Public Hearing Nov. 1, 2017 at 6:20 p.m. -Consider purchase of Development Rights of 90 +/- acres at 7225 Goodrich Rd.
    Type: Notice of Public Hearing
    Date: Nov 1 2017
    TOWN OF CLARENCE
    NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING



    Please take notice that the Town Board of the Town of Clarence will hold a Public Hearing at the Clarence Town Hall, One Town Place, Clarence, New York on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 6:20 p.m. to consider the purchase of Development Rights by the Town of Clarence of approximately 90+/- acres of vacant land located at 7225 Goodrich Road in the Town of Clarence, Erie County, NY and further being described as SBL No. 30.00-2-17.111 at a purchase price not exceed $525,000 plus any closing costs, processing costs, baseline studies, future stewardship fees and any and all costs and disbursements for open space purposes. All funds are to be allocated from the open space bond resolution, general fund and recreation fees (if it is determined that any portion of this property will be used for recreation purposes).

    All persons interested are invited to attend and be heard.

    BY ORDER OF THE CLARENCE TOWN BOARD
    Nancy C. Metzger, Town Clerk
    October 18, 2017

    Georgia L Schlager

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