On the evening of May 5th, at the Amherst Town Hall, an important vote is scheduled to be taken. Our Town Board will vote whether or not to rezone the Maple Rd. Gun Club property, which is now owned by Benderson Development Company, to a GB zoning.
This GB zoning would allow the Benderson Company to begin working on their new development. I have seen the layout of their revised plans for the development. It will have small boutique type stores, apartments, a hotel, restaurants, a food store, a community playhouse, a European type spa and possibly a movie house containing 6 or more theaters.
The majority of the public hasn’t seen Benderson’s revised plan and I strongly advocate the new plans be viewed by the public and explained by Mr. Todd Benderson. He sees the development as a different type of land use which he wants to bring to Amherst.
Benderson is the man who has the answers most Amherst residents need to understand the development. Why is Todd Benderson fighting so hard for this project to be realized? The Benderson Company is a billion dollar company, so if you think it’s to add more money to the Company pot, you are partly right; but mostly it’s because Todd wants to change the negative feelings people have for the Benderson name.
Todd’s belief in this project is truly heartfelt. He is aware there is strong opposition from the people who live in the area who believe that granting a GB rating on Maple Rd. near their homes will bring a flow of other developers wanting a piece of Maple Rd. They fear their neighborhood will turn into another Niagara Falls Blvd. in a very short period of time. They also fear increased traffic and problems for their property stemming from the Benderson Project.
The opposing groups have made huge blunders presenting their points of view to one another. It may take longer but the most important thing yet to be done is that each side must offer clear, concise information concerning their stand for or against the project.
The home owners must open their ears and eyes to honestly see and hear Benderson’s ideas. The home owners must respond with more precise questions about their fears of what could happen in their neighborhood if the revised project comes to realization.
Both groups closing their eyes and ears to each other and the distrust both groups have towards each other is a hard stumbling block to overcome.