When is a meeting not a meeting?

[Wag]

When is a meeting not a meeting? When Lisa Lickspittle from the Du-bee-ous says it is. (okay a that's a bit exaggerated) Last week she reported that the depew zoning board was going to meet on April 21 to discuss rezoning the library property so the town could sell it. Where'd she get the information? From the guy selling the library for the town, and the stupervisor. A depew resident questioned the date, saying there was no zoning board meeting that night. Did lickspittle check to see who was right? No! If someone from the town says it, she reports it. If a resident corrects the town's statements, she ignores it. Well guess what? It turns out there isn't a zoning board meeting on the 21st. How do you like that? The ignorant resident was right.

To top things off, Lisa Lickspittle wrote an editorial regurgitating the town's talking point on selling the library. Did she ignore the fact it's spot zoning? No! She came up with some cockamamy line that nobody's gonna buy it to use it as a house. Dah! Spot zoning is wrong, especially when it comes to putting a business in a residential neighborhood. Did she ignore the fact that if the village approves the rezone the current purchaser could sell the building and someone else could buy it and put in a more intrusive business. Yes! Did she ignore the fact that the current village board is concerned with the welfare of it's residents, knows the residents don't want a business next to where they live, and has a history of doing what's in the resident's best interest? Yes! Did she urge the village to stop doing what's in the residents interest and do what the town board wants? Yes!

In her article on the library, Lisa Lickspittle quotes the town lie hook, line, and sinker, that depew was responsible for the failure of the sale of the library to southeast works. Another distortion. The town could have sold the library to southeast while the depew village board was in the hands of a group of people who didn't give a damn about what the residents wanted, the former mayor and his cronies on the board. In their usual incompetence, they dragged their feet and waited too long.

That sale failed because the lancaster town board moves slower than a slug on valium. Don't believe it, look at the list of projects that are taking forever. Lancaster Heritage Trail, over twelve years and not finished. Wal-Mart, over ten years and not finished. The police and courts building, over six years and not finished. The renovation to town hall, now on hold cause they changed their mind on design. New soccer fields from land donated through a legal settlement, eight years at least. The list goes on and on.

It's a good thing they have lisa lickspittle and the the du-Bee-ous on there side. Otherwise, the ignorant residents might find out about these things.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Wag, Wag, come on you should know better. The Bee made an honest mistake. It takes its marching orders from the Supervisor and/or certain Town Board members.

Why even the Bee editor, who I understand lives outside of town, is a co-chair of a new Youth Bureau program. How does that work?

At the recent Town Board meeting, a resident complained once more about the flooding and sewer issues he is experiencing. Not one drop of Bee ink on the matter.

Two ladies complained about the hunting that is taking place near their home; within 500 feet of their homes. See the DEC they were told. "Nothing we can do about, said the town. Not one drop of Bee ink.

Reval is being considered. Not one drop of Bee ink on it. Could it be because the town doesn't want resident input?

Less ink should be going to mundane resolutions which can be read on the town web site.

BTW Wag, I believe the Village has every right to deny a "spot" rezone which would allow the library property owner to sell to whomever or wahtever business type would be interested in the property. A very slippery slope.

The Village would like to get the property back on the tax roll. But, what tax revenue would the village realize that would make them grant a rezone that could adversely impact the neighborhood in the future. The town never met a rezone they didn't like. The village may take a different view on protecting the best interests of its residents.

The building and property is a steal at $325,000. If the prospective owner intends to maintain the business for some years to come, why the immediate concern on getting a rezone and not a "secial use" permit.

But for Gods sake, do something with the building!

[therising]

If the prospective owner intends to maintain the business for some years to come, why the immediate concern on getting a rezone and not a "special use" permit.

Depends on what type of restrictions they would want to impose with the Special Use permit.
If Depew wants to keep the zoning as is (Residential?), but give a Special Permit only for this particular use, then the buyers would be foolish to go through with it. Suppose, they have an unforeseen reason for needing to sell a few years down the road (health problems, business grows quicker than expected, etc.), then they would only be allowed to sell the building to their competitors.

Can you imagine how much that would devalue the property, when there's only a handful of people you can sell it to?

But for Gods sake, do something with the building!

If not this, then what other options are there?


The old "we don't want a strip club go there!" scare tactic is the oldest, and, least valid defense in the book. (Mark my words, someone will use that defense.) All Towns and Villages have (or should have), ordinances defining where adult entertainment is allowed (i.e. must be industrial, can't be near residences/schools/churches, etc.).

[Wag]

Wag, Wag, come on you should know better. The Bee made an honest mistake. It takes its marching orders from the Supervisor and/or certain Town Board members.

Why even the Bee editor, who I understand lives outside of town, is a co-chair of a new Youth Bureau program. How does that work?

At the recent Town Board meeting, a resident complained once more about the flooding and sewer issues he is experiencing. Not one drop of Bee ink on the matter.

Two ladies complained about the hunting that is taking place near their home; within 500 feet of their homes. See the DEC they were told. "Nothing we can do about, said the town. Not one drop of Bee ink.

Reval is being considered. Not one drop of Bee ink on it. Could it be because the town doesn't want resident input?

Less ink should be going to mundane resolutions which can be read on the town web site.

BTW Wag, I believe the Village has every right to deny a "spot" rezone which would allow the library property owner to sell to whomever or wahtever business type would be interested in the property. A very slippery slope.

The Village would like to get the property back on the tax roll. But, what tax revenue would the village realize that would make them grant a rezone that could adversely impact the neighborhood in the future. The town never met a rezone they didn't like. The village may take a different view on protecting the best interests of its residents.

The building and property is a steal at $325,000. If the prospective owner intends to maintain the business for some years to come, why the immediate concern on getting a rezone and not a "secial use" permit.

But for Gods sake, do something with the building!

There's something else I don't get here. One year ago, we were told the library was assessed at around $400,000. There hasn't been a reval since then. the library is now listed on the town web site as worth $334,000. How did the assessed value drop so much. was it a spot reval? did the value of the property really go down that much? And if it did, how come the other properties in the neighborhood didn't drop in value. This raises a lot of questions. Why was the value of the library changed while the neighboring properties stayed the same. We are being told that property values in lancaster are not dropping. Is that really true? If property values in that area dropped and the taxed properties weren't reduced, aren't the people in that neighborhood being overtaxed? How come the investigative reporters on the du-Bee-ous aren't asking questions about this? What's really going on here?

[hawkeye]

Depends on what type of restrictions they would want to impose with the Special Use permit.
If Depew wants to keep the zoning as is (Residential?), but give a Special Permit only for this particular use, then the buyers would be foolish to go through with it. Suppose, they have an unforeseen reason for needing to sell a few years down the road (health problems, business grows quicker than expected, etc.), then they would only be allowed to sell the building to their competitors.

Can you imagine how much that would devalue the property, when there's only a handful of people you can sell it to?



If not this, then what other options are there?


The old "we don't want a strip club go there!" scare tactic is the oldest, and, least valid defense in the book. (Mark my words, someone will use that defense.) All Towns and Villages have (or should have), ordinances defining where adult entertainment is allowed (i.e. must be industrial, can't be near residences/schools/churches, etc.).

What is the purpose of the strip club remark or are you in the business ?
What is the interest ? sounds like your part of the action. Look at the facts $400,000.00 last year and now $325,000.00 and Giza doesn't think it - will hurt the neighborhood. Giza lives 1.4 miles from the lib. and it's the people that live in the area that will judge the ruling not some Town Supervisor or Real estate agent. What happen to a youth program at the site for the school districts and town and village. The taxes for Depew is est. at about $4,000 per year and the Town would see est. $15,000.00 cheap at any of the cost. No sale no commission!!!!!!!!

[Lee Chowaniec]

=therising;477843]Depends on what type of restrictions they would want to impose with the Special Use permit.
If Depew wants to keep the zoning as is (Residential?), but give a Special Permit only for this particular use, then the buyers would be foolish to go through with it. Suppose, they have an unforeseen reason for needing to sell a few years down the road (health problems, business grows quicker than expected, etc.), then they would only be allowed to sell the building to their competitors.

But you don’t see the Village as being foolish or irresponsible in granting a rezone to appease a business at the risk that some future owner could put whatever business that fit within commercial use code at the expense of resident quality of life? I believe the Village of Depew would grant a special use permit for the enterprise in a heartbeat as it would be less intrusive than the formerly proposed Southeast project.

The town had set it up for Southeast Works (SEW) to purchase the building but Judith Shanley of SEW underbid the $400,000 asking price by $15,000 and started a pissing match where there was lying, backdoor collusion, backstabbing, etc., taking place by seller and purchaser alike. SEW later relented and offered $400,000 but after the zoning reverted to residential, the Village Board changed and SEW insisted on a sale contingency based on ability to get a special use permit.

What are residents to think when the town tells us the building was appraised and worth more than $400,000 several years ago, is now on the assessment roll at $344,000 and the town thinks it’s now getting a fair price at $325,000? The building has lost value at a time when we are being told resale value is still strong in our area?

Can you imagine how much that would devalue the property, when there are only a handful of people you can sell it to?

You think? It is what it is, don’t buy it!

If not this, then what other options are there?

Community Center, Town Department use (OEM), funeral parlor, less intrusive commercial enterprise using a special use permit with conditions.

The old "we don't want a strip club go there!" scare tactic is the
oldest and, least valid defense in the book. (Mark my words, someone will use that defense.) All Towns and Villages have (or should have), ordinances defining where adult entertainment is allowed (i.e. must be industrial, can't be near residences/schools/churches, etc.).

The only individual I heard use the strip club scare reference was Supervisor Giza; just as he used the threat of putting in the Dog Control Department at the library. And, any informed person knows that code would not allow a strip club to come in under commercial zoning.

It’s a shame that residents have to take sides on issues that never should have come forward because of government ineptness. This should have been resolved years ago, as should have the construction of a new Lancaster town police building, the town hall expansion, the waterline project, road improvements, etc.

[WNYresident]

Are the people looking to buy the building a local company? Do they hire local workers?


Wasn't there a thread about this a week or two ago, in which everyone said they should put it back on the tax roles? So, what's the problem now? How much again would this produce in revenue? You know that stuff you use to pay you politically connected friend width? I assume that will perk up the town board's ears.

A libary causes a lot of traffic anyway, with parents dropping their kids off all day. Is the company looking at the building a high or low traffic type company? Isn't this place next to a banquet hall that get's loads of traffic when there is an event held like weddings and stuff?

[Lee Chowaniec]

WNYresident;478492]Are the people looking to buy the building a local company? Do they hire local workers?

What does that have to do about anything with this project? Does Wal-Mart?

Wasn't there a thread about this a week or two ago, in which everyone said they should put it back on the tax roles? So, what's the problem now? How much again would this produce in revenue? You know that stuff you use to pay you politically connected friend width? I assume that will perk up the town board's ears.

The Village of Depew wants it back on the tax rolls. They will issue a special use permit to make it happen. They are balking at issuing a "spot rezone" which would leave a future buyer open to putting a business in that could possibly adversely impact the neighborhood.

A libary causes a lot of traffic anyway, with parents dropping their kids off all day. Is the company looking at the building a high or low traffic type company? Isn't this place next to a banquet hall that get's loads of traffic when there is an event held like weddings and stuff

Again, its not the traffic as much as hours of operation and type of operation.

Really, what does that have to do with this piece of property and the way it's zoned?