Lancaster sprawl and resulting infrastructure issues: Part I

[Lee Chowaniec]

Resident Dan Beutler addressed the town board on comments made by two ladies at the previous meeting on the conditions of Lake Avenue where a tragic accident took place, on lack of sidewalks on Lake and other town roads, the striping of the Lake Avenue, and other.

“Some of us have been coming to town board meetings for a number of years, 15 for me, and can empathize with the ladies as we have been addressing the same concerns for years. Lee Chowaniec and I rode through several neighborhoods a week ago and we both have questions and comments we would like to present.”

Beutler: “It appears from our travel that county roads in Lancaster don’t have or need sidewalks. Yet the town told a lady a few years ago that had a house built on Pleasant View Drive and Forton that she needed to put in a five-foot wide sidewalk. There is another developer building homes along Pleasant View Drive, a county road, and he is not installing sidewalks. In fact, there are no sidewalks on Pleasant View at all.”

Supervisor Fudoli: “This is a county road and this town code says new builds have to put sidewalks in.”

Council Member Donna Stempniak (liaison to the planning board): “The house you referred to on Pleasant View Drive is part of a new subdivision and should have sidewalks as now stated by town code.”

Beutler: “What new subdivisions that are being built on county roads are required to put in sidewalks?”

Stempniak: “All of them.”

Beutler: “Somebody better get over there (because it isn’t happening).

Stempniak: “Yep.”

Beutler: “Wasn’t there supposed to be signalization put in at the intersection of Pleasant View Drive and Juniper Lane when Marrano developed over 25% of his project?”

Stempniak: “No. The signalization was to go in at Pleasant View Drive and Harris Hill. It was determined it was not yet warranted.”

Beutler: “What about the striping of Lake Avenue (south of William Street) that the lady requested?”

Fudoli: “To stripe a road there has to be a certain lane width; on each side of the road. From what I understand, Lake Avenue cannot be striped because it is not wide enough to leave enough road width on both sides. The code has to go by state law which states that the road must be a certain width to stripe it and Lake Avenue does not meet that requirement.”

Beutler: “I understand what you are saying, however, in the past this town has allowed development to take place off Lake Avenue without a thought of making changes and/or road improvements to accommodate such development. And we can’t make these improvements any more. How many kids have to be hit because we don’t have sidewalks?”

Fudoli: “Let us not lose sight of the fact that a drunk driver was involved in the Lake Avenue tragic accident.”

Beutler: It doesn’t have to be a drunken driver. It could be someone who is distracted and hits someone walking in the road. This is but one incident.”

Fudoli: “I understand what you are saying, but the conversation for the last two weeks after the Lake Avenue accident has turned to striping Lake Avenue and lack of sidewalks. E have forgot the factor that in this case someone was driving drunk. Also keep in mind that technically bicycles are not supposed to be ridden on sidewalks. It’s not necessarily the answer, but for now I don’t know the solution."

Councilman John Abraham interjected that many county roads don’t have enough right-away width to expand/improve the road by putting in a turning lane. Such was the case with the Senior Housing complex, on William Street, near Transit Road. “There wasn’t enough right-away and the town couldn’t get permission from the homeowners to put a sidewalk in. That’s another issue with trying to get sidewalks in.”

Beutler spoke the necessity of having sidewalks along roads that are near schools for safety reasons. “You can’t have kids walking in roads where there are now thousands of daily vehicles travelling those same roads. The town wants more residential and commercial development to come in and the town has to look at its responsibility to control the traffic.”

Councilman Ronald Ruffino: “I don’t disagree with you. I live off of Pleasant View Drive. I see kids walking to school every day. I see cars coming down the road pretty quick. I wish everyone had sidewalks.”

Councilman Abraham: “Kids are walking in dark clothes at night.

Councilman Ruffino: “I wish everyone had sidewalks too. But as John (Abraham) said, it is the responsibility of the homeowners to put them in. But the board did move forward and voted on something that says that any if any new build comes in that they are required to have a sidewalk put in. Now it is built into the homeowner’s cost when they purchase their home. That we can control, but we can’t control the past. My kids don’t walk Pleasant View very much or far. I drive them if there is a distance to go. I wish we had sidewalks as well.”

Councilman Mark Aquino: “Just so you know, I live in the suburbs, in the southern end of Windsor Ridge. I see walkers and runners and they don’t use the sidewalk. They use the streets. I run the streets, unfortunately. You can put sidewalks in, but people use the streets. I don’t know why they do it, but they do.”

Comments

Let’s see, I heard:

• County roads don’t have sidewalks
• The town approved an ordinance that declares all new subdivisions have to put in sidewalks
• But some county roads do have sidewalks in town – Aurora, Como Boulevard, and others
• Some new subdivisions were built after the ordinance, but do not have sidewalks
• Lake Avenue (south of William) can’t be striped because the road isn’t wide enough and yet mass development was permitted along this street over decades and where the town failed to accommodate for the development.

The town creates the problem, the residents complain, the town blames the residents!

Next: Part II: Traffic counts/ William Street accident report

[gshowell]

Resident Dan Beutler addressed the town board on comments made by two ladies at the previous meeting on the conditions of Lake Avenue where a tragic accident took place, on lack of sidewalks on Lake and other town roads, the striping of the Lake Avenue, and other.

“Some of us have been coming to town board meetings for a number of years, 15 for me, and can empathize with the ladies as we have been addressing the same concerns for years. Lee Chowaniec and I rode through several neighborhoods a week ago and we both have questions and comments we would like to present.”

Beutler: “It appears from our travel that county roads in Lancaster don’t have or need sidewalks. Yet the town told a lady a few years ago that had a house built on Pleasant View Drive and Forton that she needed to put in a five-foot wide sidewalk. There is another developer building homes along Pleasant View Drive, a county road, and he is not installing sidewalks. In fact, there are no sidewalks on Pleasant View at all.”

Supervisor Fudoli: “This is a county road and this town code says new builds have to put sidewalks in.”

Council Member Donna Stempniak (liaison to the planning board): “The house you referred to on Pleasant View Drive is part of a new subdivision and should have sidewalks as now stated by town code.”

Beutler: “What new subdivisions that are being built on county roads are required to put in sidewalks?”

Stempniak: “All of them.”

Beutler: “Somebody better get over there (because it isn’t happening).

Stempniak: “Yep.”

Beutler: “Wasn’t there supposed to be signalization put in at the intersection of Pleasant View Drive and Juniper Lane when Marrano developed over 25% of his project?”

Stempniak: “No. The signalization was to go in at Pleasant View Drive and Harris Hill. It was determined it was not yet warranted.”

Beutler: “What about the striping of Lake Avenue (south of William Street) that the lady requested?”

Fudoli: “To stripe a road there has to be a certain lane width; on each side of the road. From what I understand, Lake Avenue cannot be striped because it is not wide enough to leave enough road width on both sides. The code has to go by state law which states that the road must be a certain width to stripe it and Lake Avenue does not meet that requirement.”

Beutler: “I understand what you are saying, however, in the past this town has allowed development to take place off Lake Avenue without a thought of making changes and/or road improvements to accommodate such development. And we can’t make these improvements any more. How many kids have to be hit because we don’t have sidewalks?”

Fudoli: “Let us not lose sight of the fact that a drunk driver was involved in the Lake Avenue tragic accident.”

Beutler: It doesn’t have to be a drunken driver. It could be someone who is distracted and hits someone walking in the road. This is but one incident.”

Fudoli: “I understand what you are saying, but the conversation for the last two weeks after the Lake Avenue accident has turned to striping Lake Avenue and lack of sidewalks. E have forgot the factor that in this case someone was driving drunk. Also keep in mind that technically bicycles are not supposed to be ridden on sidewalks. It’s not necessarily the answer, but for now I don’t know the solution."

Councilman John Abraham interjected that many county roads don’t have enough right-away width to expand/improve the road by putting in a turning lane. Such was the case with the Senior Housing complex, on William Street, near Transit Road. “There wasn’t enough right-away and the town couldn’t get permission from the homeowners to put a sidewalk in. That’s another issue with trying to get sidewalks in.”

Beutler spoke the necessity of having sidewalks along roads that are near schools for safety reasons. “You can’t have kids walking in roads where there are now thousands of daily vehicles travelling those same roads. The town wants more residential and commercial development to come in and the town has to look at its responsibility to control the traffic.”

Councilman Ronald Ruffino: “I don’t disagree with you. I live off of Pleasant View Drive. I see kids walking to school every day. I see cars coming down the road pretty quick. I wish everyone had sidewalks.”

Councilman Abraham: “Kids are walking in dark clothes at night.

Councilman Ruffino: “I wish everyone had sidewalks too. But as John (Abraham) said, it is the responsibility of the homeowners to put them in. But the board did move forward and voted on something that says that any if any new build comes in that they are required to have a sidewalk put in. Now it is built into the homeowner’s cost when they purchase their home. That we can control, but we can’t control the past. My kids don’t walk Pleasant View very much or far. I drive them if there is a distance to go. I wish we had sidewalks as well.”

Councilman Mark Aquino: “Just so you know, I live in the suburbs, in the southern end of Windsor Ridge. I see walkers and runners and they don’t use the sidewalk. They use the streets. I run the streets, unfortunately. You can put sidewalks in, but people use the streets. I don’t know why they do it, but they do.”

Comments

Let’s see, I heard:

• County roads don’t have sidewalks
• The town approved an ordinance that declares all new subdivisions have to put in sidewalks
• But some county roads do have sidewalks in town – Aurora, Como Boulevard, and others
• Some new subdivisions were built after the ordinance, but do not have sidewalks
• Lake Avenue (south of William) can’t be striped because the road isn’t wide enough and yet mass development was permitted along this street over decades and where the town failed to accommodate for the development.

The town creates the problem, the residents complain, the town blames the residents!

Next: Part II: Traffic counts/ William Street accident report

As a habitual pedestrian and a homeowner who maintains his sidewalk, I think the town, county, and state are behind the times on this issue. Sidewalks should be mandatory, especially on busy streets. Compare Transit to William. Transit's newly renovated. It has sidewalks. William is being upgraded. Where's the sidewalks.

You've got a lot of people on William within walking distance from probably the most heavily commercial district in Lancaster. If I lived there, I wouldn't waste gas driving to a store for small items. I'd walk.

What makes me cringe is when I see elderly folk walking down William to or from a store. There's just no room for them. What makes me nervous is the kids walking two by two down William. Kids are risk takers and they don't understand how getting hit by a car can ruin or end their lives.

If you want to build a people friendly community, build sidewalks on these streets.

My big question is: If they can make folks maintain sidewalks where they exist, make developers put sidewalks in subdivisions, why can't they put sidewalks where they are necessary, but don't exist.

I'm glad I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks.

[therising]

Beutler is way out of line, and distasteful in my opinion, with this:

How many kids have to be hit because we don’t have sidewalks?

Dino was right - it's illegal to ride bikes on a sidewalk. So, even if there was a sidewalk on Lake, we all know that this accident probably would have happened anyway.

Having said that, yes, new subdivisions should all be required to have sidewalks. But, I think that's already on the books.

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
Councilman Mark Aquino: “Just so you know, I live in the suburbs, in the southern end of Windsor Ridge. I see walkers and runners and they don’t use the sidewalk. They use the streets. I run the streets, unfortunately. You can put sidewalks in, but people use the streets. I don’t know why they do it, but they do.”

On streets in the subdivisions, the kids play hockey in the street. So, I think Aquino is safe running in the street in Windsor Ridge.

Aurora may have sidewalks in the village but there are areas where the street has nothing but a very narrow shoulder on each side. I hate driving down Aurora in the dark when it's raining. I'm leary about not being able to see a walker, runner or cyclist.

Central is a county road but has a sidewalk on the east side. My neighbor told me the sidewalk went in when the high school was built.

Took a ride down Pleasantview, it seems the Bosse homes have no sidewalks. Farther east, I don't know if they are Essex or Ryan homes without sidewalks

[gshowell]

On streets in the subdivisions, the kids play hockey in the street. So, I think Aquino is safe running in the street in Windsor Ridge.

Aurora may have sidewalks in the village but there are areas where the street has nothing but a very narrow shoulder on each side. I hate driving down Aurora in the dark when it's raining. I'm leary about not being able to see a walker, runner or cyclist.

Central is a county road but has a sidewalk on the east side. My neighbor told me the sidewalk went in when the high school was built.

Took a ride down Pleasantview, it seems the Bosse homes have no sidewalks. Farther east, I don't know if they are Essex or Ryan homes without sidewalks

The kids in my neighborhood play hockey in the street too. But, it's sort of a dead-end street, the neighbors all know each other and watch out for the kids, etc. But I still worry a little cause kids are risk takers and I'd be devastated if I hit one of them.

[TheNewGuy]

Resident Dan Beutler addressed the town board on comments made by two ladies at the previous meeting on the conditions of Lake Avenue where a tragic accident took place, on lack of sidewalks on Lake and other town roads, the striping of the Lake Avenue, and other.

“Some of us have been coming to town board meetings for a number of years, 15 for me, and can empathize with the ladies as we have been addressing the same concerns for years. Lee Chowaniec and I rode through several neighborhoods a week ago and we both have questions and comments we would like to present.”

Beutler: “It appears from our travel that county roads in Lancaster don’t have or need sidewalks. Yet the town told a lady a few years ago that had a house built on Pleasant View Drive and Forton that she needed to put in a five-foot wide sidewalk. There is another developer building homes along Pleasant View Drive, a county road, and he is not installing sidewalks. In fact, there are no sidewalks on Pleasant View at all.”

Supervisor Fudoli: “This is a county road and this town code says new builds have to put sidewalks in.”

Council Member Donna Stempniak (liaison to the planning board): “The house you referred to on Pleasant View Drive is part of a new subdivision and should have sidewalks as now stated by town code.”

Beutler: “What new subdivisions that are being built on county roads are required to put in sidewalks?”

Stempniak: “All of them.”

Beutler: “Somebody better get over there (because it isn’t happening).

Stempniak: “Yep.”

Beutler: “Wasn’t there supposed to be signalization put in at the intersection of Pleasant View Drive and Juniper Lane when Marrano developed over 25% of his project?”

Stempniak: “No. The signalization was to go in at Pleasant View Drive and Harris Hill. It was determined it was not yet warranted.”

Beutler: “What about the striping of Lake Avenue (south of William Street) that the lady requested?”

Fudoli: “To stripe a road there has to be a certain lane width; on each side of the road. From what I understand, Lake Avenue cannot be striped because it is not wide enough to leave enough road width on both sides. The code has to go by state law which states that the road must be a certain width to stripe it and Lake Avenue does not meet that requirement.”

Beutler: “I understand what you are saying, however, in the past this town has allowed development to take place off Lake Avenue without a thought of making changes and/or road improvements to accommodate such development. And we can’t make these improvements any more. How many kids have to be hit because we don’t have sidewalks?”

Fudoli: “Let us not lose sight of the fact that a drunk driver was involved in the Lake Avenue tragic accident.”

Beutler: It doesn’t have to be a drunken driver. It could be someone who is distracted and hits someone walking in the road. This is but one incident.”

Fudoli: “I understand what you are saying, but the conversation for the last two weeks after the Lake Avenue accident has turned to striping Lake Avenue and lack of sidewalks. E have forgot the factor that in this case someone was driving drunk. Also keep in mind that technically bicycles are not supposed to be ridden on sidewalks. It’s not necessarily the answer, but for now I don’t know the solution."

Councilman John Abraham interjected that many county roads don’t have enough right-away width to expand/improve the road by putting in a turning lane. Such was the case with the Senior Housing complex, on William Street, near Transit Road. “There wasn’t enough right-away and the town couldn’t get permission from the homeowners to put a sidewalk in. That’s another issue with trying to get sidewalks in.”

Beutler spoke the necessity of having sidewalks along roads that are near schools for safety reasons. “You can’t have kids walking in roads where there are now thousands of daily vehicles travelling those same roads. The town wants more residential and commercial development to come in and the town has to look at its responsibility to control the traffic.”

Councilman Ronald Ruffino: “I don’t disagree with you. I live off of Pleasant View Drive. I see kids walking to school every day. I see cars coming down the road pretty quick. I wish everyone had sidewalks.”

Councilman Abraham: “Kids are walking in dark clothes at night.

Councilman Ruffino: “I wish everyone had sidewalks too. But as John (Abraham) said, it is the responsibility of the homeowners to put them in. But the board did move forward and voted on something that says that any if any new build comes in that they are required to have a sidewalk put in. Now it is built into the homeowner’s cost when they purchase their home. That we can control, but we can’t control the past. My kids don’t walk Pleasant View very much or far. I drive them if there is a distance to go. I wish we had sidewalks as well.”

Councilman Mark Aquino: “Just so you know, I live in the suburbs, in the southern end of Windsor Ridge. I see walkers and runners and they don’t use the sidewalk. They use the streets. I run the streets, unfortunately. You can put sidewalks in, but people use the streets. I don’t know why they do it, but they do.”

Comments

Let’s see, I heard:

• County roads don’t have sidewalks
• The town approved an ordinance that declares all new subdivisions have to put in sidewalks
• But some county roads do have sidewalks in town – Aurora, Como Boulevard, and others
• Some new subdivisions were built after the ordinance, but do not have sidewalks
• Lake Avenue (south of William) can’t be striped because the road isn’t wide enough and yet mass development was permitted along this street over decades and where the town failed to accommodate for the development.

The town creates the problem, the residents complain, the town blames the residents!

Next: Part II: Traffic counts/ William Street accident report

Very well written.

Widen the road. Case solved.

[Lee Chowaniec]

GSHowell: As a habitual pedestrian and a homeowner who maintains his sidewalk, I think the town, county, and state are behind the times on this issue. Sidewalks should be mandatory, especially on busy streets. Compare Transit to William. Transit's newly renovated. It has sidewalks. William is being upgraded. Where's the sidewalks.

Transit Road is a state road and William Street is a county road.

A few years ago when the town appealed to the county to widen William Street and put in a turning lane from Transit to Bowen Road, the cost estimate to do so was estimated at $15 million. The county did not have the money. The town and county appealed to the federal government for a grant. It never happened. The road was simply repaved after the town waterline project was completed. There is nothing more to be done, it is what it is.

You've got a lot of people on William within walking distance from probably the most heavily commercial district in Lancaster. If I lived there, I wouldn't waste gas driving to a store for small items. I'd walk.

But you can’t walk safely on William Street, anywhere as there are no sidewalks and there are no bike or pedestrian lanes.

What makes me cringe is when I see elderly folk walking down William to or from a store. There's just no room for them.

There is no room to safely walk or bike and when you see the traffic accident report (Transit to Bowen) coming in Part II you will find there are numerous accidents on the road with both property damage and personal injury.

What makes me nervous is the kids walking two by two down William. Kids are risk takers and they don't understand how getting hit by a car can ruin or end their lives.

There are some individuals who say they should know better (including the “walkers/runners’”) and that they should stay off the road.

If you want to build a people friendly community, build sidewalks on these streets.

Ah, remember the so-called Comprehensive Plan, which later became the Generic Master Plan, where it was stated that Lancaster was advocating for ‘walk-able neighborhoods” with neighborhood retail stores nearby to discourage vehicular use? That wsounded good, right?

My big question is: If they can make folks maintain sidewalks where they exist, make developers put sidewalks in subdivisions, why can't they put sidewalks where they are necessary, but don't exist.

At whose expense, the town’s, the resident who often doesn’t want a sidewalk that he would have to shovel in the winter and maintain at a cost? Fudoli was spot on when he said there are no immediate solutions. It does not help that the major roads in Lancaster are county roads and cannot be improved because there is no money.

The disturbing part is that when the county did have the money, the town did not have the vision and did not push to have county roads improved and/or widened in Lancaster; poor planning on the part of the town, Mr. Howell. But the people who don’t know past history make the asinine statement that the residents should have known better.

I'm glad I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks.

So would the people who live along Pleasant View Drive. The town passed an ordinance that stated that all new development along Pleasant View Drive should have driveways installed. When Dan Beutler asked where they were in the three developments taking place along Pleasant View Drive, a council member retorted: Yep, that needs to be looked at.”

That’s why I use your mantra so often: he town creates the problems, the residents complain, the town blames the residents.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Beutler is way out of line, and distasteful in my opinion, with this:



Dino was right - it's illegal to ride bikes on a sidewalk. So, even if there was a sidewalk on Lake, we all know that this accident probably would have happened anyway.

Having said that, yes, new subdivisions should all be required to have sidewalks. But, I think that's already on the books.

Had you been at the meeting you would have well understood that Beutler was not only referring to the fatal accident on Lake Avenue but where adults, children and bike riders have to use a busy road to get from point A to Point B and do so because there are no sidewalks, and at risk.

He wanted to know why the sidewalk issue wasn't addressed years ago, as well as widening county roads. And, most importantly, why the town passed a sidewalk ordinance a few years ago that requires developers to put sidewalks in new subdivisions and why that law is not being enforced.

For 15 years Mr. Beutler has been an asset in holding this town accountable. He was not out of line at the meeting and his comments resonated well with the public who attended the meeting.

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
For 15 years Mr. Beutler has been an asset in holding this town accountable. He was not out of line at the meeting and his comments resonated well with the public who attended the meeting.

He also would have been a very valuable asset had he been chosen to serve on the Ethics committee. How in the world was he overlooked?

[therising]

Had you been at the meeting you would have well understood that Beutler was not only referring to the fatal accident on Lake Avenue but where adults, children and bike riders have to use a busy road to get from point A to Point B and do so because there are no sidewalks, and at risk.

He wanted to know why the sidewalk issue wasn't addressed years ago, as well as widening county roads. And, most importantly, why the town passed a sidewalk ordinance a few years ago that requires developers to put sidewalks in new subdivisions and why that law is not being enforced.

For 15 years Mr. Beutler has been an asset in holding this town accountable. He was not out of line at the meeting and his comments resonated well with the public who attended the meeting.

His "How many kids have to be hit because we don’t have sidewalks?" line infers that the boy wouldn't have died had their been sidewalks.
You and I both know that a) bikes are not legally supposed to be ridden on a sidewalk, and b) kids will usually walk in the street even if there is a sidewalk

I understand that he was trying to make a larger point. But his pretending that the boy would be alive today, had there been sidewalks on Lake Avenue is repugnant as far as I'm concerned. Good for him that he's been going to the meetings for 15 years. Maybe he is an asset, but that has no bearing on this.

[reformthi$]

i missed the past tb meeting, however buetler does create an image
when setting the ground work for what the real impact is

one would have to attend the tb meeting to get the jest of what
beutler was stating

therising, looking at it from yours and one who did not attend the meeting
i can see your viewpoint...it does seem a bit strange, you make a good point

having been at the last several meetings, heard buetler in action, his
points are well taken

i also agree, buetler would have been a great asset to the board of ethics committe
because he represents a resident who is not a business owner, the committee should
represent a mixture of both residents who do not own a business & business owners

[4248]

A few facts to consider:

Councilman Stempniak has been the Town Boards liaison to the Planning Board for almost as long as shes been on the Town Board.
Mr.Neil Connoly was a past Town Board Member who was voted out of office -he has now been quietly installed on the planning Board.

Point being there may be a Town Code in place - many of those on the Board and the Past Supervisor created this and many other codes.

Look at past new build, commercial and subdivisions - the side walk code has been routinely "waved" for everyone but private owner/built homes. I bet 99.9% of all sidewalk wavers were approved at the planning level/Board and then approved by the Town Board.

Because residents cant speak or question the planning board - when it reaches the Town Board level usually Council-member Stempniak explains how the planning Board has approved the side walk wavers and then she usually helps pass the resolution to approve same. Check the records - youl find the same clear voting record for Councilman Stempniak, Councilman Abraham and of course Council-member Ron(Clocks)Ruffino.

The blame game as far as who maintains certain roads, water lines and drainage has also been played for years - if it feeds the need of new development - it gets done.

[Lee Chowaniec]

therising;931052]His "How many kids have to be hit because we don’t have sidewalks?" line infers that the boy wouldn't have died had their been sidewalks.

He made no such inference and I can say that because we rode around the southside of town the other day to collaborate presentations that were in respmse to the reamrks made by two individuals who spoke at the previous town board meeting on the fatal Lake Avenue accident. As Beutler does not write on the website, I am answeing for him.

You and I both know that a) bikes are not legally supposed to be ridden on a sidewalk, and b) kids will usually walk in the street even if there is a sidewalk

I agree.

I understand that he was trying to make a larger point. But his pretending that the boy would be alive today, had there been sidewalks on Lake Avenue is repugnant as far as I'm concerned.

Beutler made no such claim. He was referring to all accidents that have occurred because there were no sidewalks or bike paths on three-rod roads. There wasn't anyone at the meeting the other night that didn't agree with Fudoli that sidewalks on Lake Avenue would have prevented an accident where a drunk driver crossed lanes and hit the child twho was well off the road. This was primarily about past boards who had no vision on the safety of having sidewalks in place and/or improvingwidening roads. Yes, the town did put a sidewalk ordinance in place that requires all new builds to put sidewalks in. They are not enforcing the law, so what good is it?

Good for him that he's been going to the meetings for 15 years. Maybe he is an asset, but that has no bearing on this.

Yes it does!

[4248]

Congratulations - work has started - new optimism is flowing -

Now we see the Legacy of "Supervisor Giza" and his biggest Town Board ally Councilman Stempniak!

Town wide for over 20 years these two chorus line members with the assistance of "Planning Board" band leader xSupervisor Stan Keysa have over built with minimal interests in updates or upgrades in infra structure.

There are areas of Lancaster that have not seen any road work, no sewer maintenance or waterline improvements. Stony road - where the past supervisor stated, "I'd rather close the street,bulldoze the homes than invest money there." Well drive down Stony Rd - some ditch's have not been cleared in over twenty years - some are 80% closed and increase flood affects. Sewer lines back up as it has to be actually pumped up to Pleasantview in order to enter main trunk.(Most home owners fear loss of property value if they complain)

Side walks and any other issues that could be ignored were - any cost for things like side walks were forced on home owners because of waivers granted to developers - drainage ponds were deeded to the Town to relieve developers future maintenance costs - promised recreation/green spaces promised weren't delivered - cemetery's were abandoned or actually hidden so to not scare potential home buyers - developers helped steer the "Master Plan" so any water lines or sewer work could be aimed at the proposed new areas.

Now we will all pay - the new Supervisor will be forced to spend millions and millions of tax dollars just to cover past neglected areas - Thanks to some of those who still inhabit Town Hall -

[hawkeye]

i missed the past tb meeting, however buetler does create an image
when setting the ground work for what the real impact is

one would have to attend the tb meeting to get the jest of what
beutler was stating

therising, looking at it from yours and one who did not attend the meeting
i can see your viewpoint...it does seem a bit strange, you make a good point

having been at the last several meetings, heard buetler in action, his
points are well taken

i also agree, buetler would have been a great asset to the board of ethics committe
because he represents a resident who is not a business owner, the committee should
represent a mixture of both residents who do not own a business & business owners

I could understand why Beutler didn't get the appointment to the ethic's committee ( 1) he was one of the five residents that sued the Town Board on the Coldcraft building and two of the present board members were on the Board at the time. (2) Beutler was one of the Few people that has question the actions of this board on many actions that have had Possible ethical issues. So this is just a few of the reasons that he shouldn't have been picked! The fact that people like therising states that Beutler is wrong, shows you that as a real estate agent? Has his agenda to defend. More built more money's at the cost to safety of taxpayers and families in Lancaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!