Preservation
NT School Board reverses decision to sell land
By Lee Chowaniec
Nov 16, 2005, 01:25

There was a packed house at the North Tonawanda Board of Education meeting tonight. In a show of hands, everyone in attendance was FOR the school district giving its land to Buffalo Audubon Society instead of selling it to developers.

At its October meeting, the board directed the district's lawyer to start paperwork for a referendum on the sale of the property.

Liz Kaszubski of Buffalo Audubon and NTHS Earth Science teacher, Paul Swisher, presented the case for preservation to the board.


Later in the meeting, the school board unanimously reversed their unanimous vote of last month to sell their Klydel Wetland nature preserve property through Hunt Realty. The school district attorney will now research selling the 9.2-acre district property located at 1014 Raymond St. to Audubon for $1.

Under state law, that sale to Audubon must be approved by North Tonawanda taxpayers.

Members of the Sierra Club were in attendance at the board meeting as well as many Adirondack Mtn. Club members.

There were students and a science teacher from North Tonawanda High School. Some members of the City of North Tonawanda Environmental Committee were in attendance and also a Western New York Land Conservancy board member, Paul Lehman.

There were quite a few residents present, including those living in the neighborhood adjacent to the nature preserve.

The support showing was responsible for the BOE changing its mind.


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