Park or Recreation Facility?

[gorja]

From the Lancaster Bee -
At Monday night’s Town of Lancaster Board workshop session, Town Attorney Thomas Fowler updated members on a referendum in development to potentially be on the ballot at the upcoming election cycle in November. The referendum will put up to vote a tax increase for the development of a new town park, which would help cover the land purchase and installations required.

I may have interpreted incorrectly what the town attorney was descibing as the purpose of the possible purchase.
My interpretation was that land to be used for field sports such as soccer, lacrosse, baseball etc.

On August 20, 2018, Republican chair Greg Sojka questioned the board about constructing a town recreation facility.


From what I've been reading on Facebook, the chair is back at looking for a recreation facility which would be millions more,
don't you think?







So, what is the real plan?

[gorja]

This is part of 2020 Buffalo News article regarding the Orchard park Recreation center cost.

Orchard Park pledged to borrow no more than $16 million to construct its new community activity center, and that is a pledge the Town Board will keep, according to one councilman.

But the 60,000-square-foot building at Brush Mountain Park will cost well over that, when the cost of site preparation, landscaping, moving fill and new Little Loop football fields are included. This phase will include a new senior center, community activities room and gym. The rest will have to come from fundraising efforts, according to Councilman Michael J. Sherry.

"The total project will exceed $16 million," Sherry said, adding it could be as much as $2 million more.

Total of Awarded Construction Contracts $15,860,928
It looks like the land was owned by the town since 1970.

So, we would have the cost of the land purchase, cost of constructing a recreation building and cost of constructing all the sports fields.
YIKES!

I do hope the board is not in agreement with Mr Sojka

[Buffalobob]

Here we go again. All Sojka & his clan want is to spend tax payers money on this stuff. Did anyone ever ask the residents if they want their town looking like Amherst, OP or any of those other towns that keep getting mentioned. If this clan is allowed to spend freely Lancaster will be bankrupt like Depew. Already had Rinow telling the board that they should raise taxes if needed to get the police contract settled. Lancaster has blown up over the last 10yrs with development upon development but yet all we hear is tax increases, how much more can we take??? I’ve personally seen my taxes almost triple in the 20yrs I’ve owned my home. How about we work with what we have & keep our town small & quiet. It’s bad enough we got an influx of homeless people migrating from Broadway/Bailey area in our neighborhoods. NO MORE BULL*****!!!

[gorja]

Here we go again. All Sojka & his clan want is to spend tax payers money on this stuff. Did anyone ever ask the residents if they want their town looking like Amherst, OP or any of those other towns that keep getting mentioned. If this clan is allowed to spend freely Lancaster will be bankrupt like Depew. Already had Rinow telling the board that they should raise taxes if needed to get the police contract settled. Lancaster has blown up over the last 10yrs with development upon development but yet all we hear is tax increases, how much more can we take??? I’ve personally seen my taxes almost triple in the 20yrs I’ve owned my home. How about we work with what we have & keep our town small & quiet. It’s bad enough we got an influx of homeless people migrating from Broadway/Bailey area in our neighborhoods. NO MORE BULL*****!!!

Buffalobob,

At least, this will go up for a referendum unlike a Biden executive order.
I'm just wondering if the board members are envisioning what their chair is?
In Councilman Leary's defense, he didn't confirm whether he was for this bonding or not at the present time.

[A New Lancaster]

This is wild, is he the democrat chair now? Sure seems interested in increasing taxes and spending. Disappointing to see him trying to force the town board to do this. If he wants this so bad maybe he should run for office himself.

Thankfully leary doesn’t seem to be the type to toe the line of whatever the political bosses demand. Hopefully he will squash this and fight for Lancaster taxpayers instead of the party bosses.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Re-listened to Attorney Fowler’s address on a park possibility. This is what I heard:

Fowler, Town Engineer Ed Schiller, and outside counsel are working on putting together a permissive referendum, hopefully for the November election, for the purpose of purchasing property and installation costs of a park. The cost would be fluid depending on the park size and what was put in it. They are looking at around 20-30 acres of property, with an eye toward pickle ball court, baseball fields, soccer, playground, basketball, lacrosse, maybe, or not, tennis. It can be described as a green scenario. The intention is to put it to the voters and see what they want, whether they want that expense.

Councilmember Leary: That is, if the board agrees to move forward on this.

Fowler: That’s right. We want the residents to see we are not sitting on this.

For the past 15 years the town has been approached by the sports leagues and individuals alike to build more playing fields, pocket parks, neighborhood playgrounds, etc. Locations at Genesee & Pavement, Lake Avenue, Broadway, Bowen & William, Bowen, and other locations – more recently at Parkridge.

For one reason or another, and despite numerous promises, nothing materialized. One individual has recently been tenacious in making appearances before the town board to make something happen. Attorney Fowler stated this was a preliminary investigation to determine costs and feasibility and to put it before the public by permissive referendum to let the public know they are not ‘sitting on it’ (doing nothing in considering recent public park requests)..

It would appear that the following questions would be in order:

• Who commissioned Fowler, Schiller, and outside counsel to investigate this project and consider putting it to referendum?

• Do we really need a 20-30-acre park to supplant what we already have available in parks and playing fields? What areas are we underserved?

• Are we underserved? Playgrounds and neighborhood ‘pocket parks’, yes, and we can’t even seem to find the land or afford those.

• Is this the right time to pursue this project when the public is being crushed by inflation, rising interest rates / taxes / energy /costs? When at the next town board meeting the town will be taking on a higher debt load by bonding for projects to provide necessary public services. When we are sure to see higher school taxes as well.

• How much money is in the Recreation Filing Fee fund to offset project cost? Enough to cover the project cost? A large portion of it? Some of it? At this preliminary stage we know nothing.

At least there will be a permissive referendum to let the public have its say in determining project priority and fate.

So far, this is much ado about nothing! Yet, it's let’s get Leary and Sojka BS time again.

How does Sojka come into the picture? Is he employed by the town in any capacity where he has influence. What happened in 2018 is not what is being considered here – in scope or cost! Apples to oranges!

After the year’s the town has been beleaguered with the park(s) request Leary’s name is being bandied about as if this was his idea to spend more money – to bankrupt the town.

Another futile Speakup cheap shot at the Leary-Sojka team.

[WNYresident]

This is wild, is he the democrat chair now? Sure seems interested in increasing taxes and spending. Disappointing to see him trying to force the town board to do this. If he wants this so bad maybe he should run for office himself.

Thankfully leary doesn’t seem to be the type to toe the line of whatever the political bosses demand. Hopefully he will squash this and fight for Lancaster taxpayers instead of the party bosses.

I wouldn't post so much. I see you have 4 post since 2010

This is wild, is he the democrat chair now? Sure seems interested in increasing taxes and spending.

It's funny how people complain when "government" is spending their money but if it's something they want it's ok to spend the money. Follow the money and you might see who is behind it or will profit from it.

[WNYresident]

• Do we really need a 20-30-acre park to supplant what we already have available in parks and playing fields? What areas are we underserved?

Are there lines of people waiting to use the playing fields now?

[yaksplat]

Do we really need a 20-30-acre park to supplant what we already have available in parks and playing fields? What areas are we underserved?

Is there an accessible park south of William for kids? Como park is a non-starter for kids to get to safely.

[WNYresident]

Is there an accessible park south of William for kids? Como park is a non-starter for kids to get to safely.

how so?

Because they would need to cross William street?

[gorja]

Another futile Speakup cheap shot at the Leary-Sojka team.

I did state-
In Councilman Leary's defense, he didn't confirm whether he was for this bonding or not at the present time.

I do believe we need the green area park with the sports fields.
With Summerfield and Windsor Ridge and all the other new housing at the south end of town, I'd be a proponent of a green area park if it's not too costly.

[yaksplat]

how so?

Because they would need to cross William street?

Yeah. No shoulder, no sidewalks and heavy traffic. As far as a park goes, Como Park is what you'd expect from Erie County.

[WNYresident]

I get it.

So would you be ok with just a basic park on the other side of William or do you believe it should be a full recreation type center?

[yaksplat]

Personally, I'd be happy with a baseball diamond and some basic equipment. Slides, swings, monkey bars...

But then again, that's what i grew up with, a half mile from my house and I was there almost every day. The closest baseball diamond is in keysa. The diamonds in Como are nothing more than backstops. No dirt, no bases, no mound. Nothing.

Meadow Lea is an example of what can be done with a small plot of land. A diamond and a court.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Is there an accessible park south of William for kids? Como park is a non-starter for kids to get to safely.

No. But not for a lack of trying. 4 sites along William Street were considered over the last decade and denied for shortcomings in accessibility, environmental reasons, cost.