How Two Groups Messed Up From the Get Go ~ Benderson Company and Fairways Homeowners
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.
Don Oakley Says:April 28th, 2008 at 6:43 am
For once an honest portrayal of the Town Centre development. The opposition is so blinded by their nimby position that you can expect unreasoned attacks on your article and accusations of personal motivation. I favor the Town Centre, but I believe the political pressure on the TB by certain individuals domms the project. It’s a sad commentary on state of political affairs in Amherst.
Tom Says:April 28th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I am not a neighbor and I am NOT in favor of this project.Just what Amherst needs are more buildings. USE the buildings we have and the land that already has been developed. Look around how many buildings are empty in Amherst. Wake up Amherst your greenspace is disappearing and once its gone you can’t get it back. Hasn’t anybody learned anything on Arbor Day or Earth Day!!!!
Concerned Resident Says:April 28th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Hey Tricoli (the author and person responsible for this article) you all of a sudden are flip flopping. Weeks ago you would have told Benderson to take a hike. Now I see you chatting in the halls and patting each other on the back. What’s up with that. Do you knwo you are being played? It didn’t take long for Benderson to get in your pocket huh? Don’t try to blame this lack of communication on the Fairways Group. Benderson is a snake and has threatened the home owners group already. Benderson: behind close doors meetings, having his employees and relatives speak at meetings, come on. Now you Jim? What the heck is going on here? You call Mohan distrustful? Benderson is worried about his family name. I would too if I were him, he is a disgrace. I am sure you won’t post this comment will ya?
Save Our Town Says:April 28th, 2008 at 11:24 am
“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.”
I do not live adjacent to the site or in the Fairways neighborhood. I speak for myself and many others who resent the implication only a small group of affected residents are opposed to the project. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Before responding to the article, I would like to note that, regardless of what the current site plan shows, there is no guarantee the uses listed in the article will ever come to fruition. Once the property is zoned GB any high density development could be approved. Also it is false to assume that only a small number of residents opposite the site are opposed to this development. There are residents all over town who can clearly see this site is not appropriate for GB zoning.
I would also like to note that many members of the public have not seen the current site plan because it came after the public review process for the project had closed. It does include, however, zoning gimmicks designed to circumvent a law that supports the public voice in opposition. That is some kind of gesture from Mr. Benderson to the residents, but it’s not quite an open hand of friendship.
Please note the following:
1) Small boutiques and a community theater could be allowed with a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) zoning designation. They would be allowed under TND zoning but would be restricted in size and have to be much lower percentage of the developed site than the 80% high-density development that would be allowed under the current GB zoning designation request.
2) There is an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and food stores on the section of Maple Road already zoned commercial as well as Niagara Falls Boulevard from Sheridan Drive to the Youngman. A very partial list would include Comfort Inn, Hotel Indigo, Ramada Inn, Red Roof Inn, Residence Inn, Motel 6, Tops, Wegmans, Aldi’s, Fuddruckers, Friendly’s, Uno’s, Boston Market, Taco Bell, Subway, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Red Robin, Wendy’s, Friday’s, Johnny Rockets, etc. There is no overriding need for additional hotels, restaurants, or food stores in this area that would justify overriding the Comprehensive Masterplan.
3) There is a new fitness center in the plaza at the corner of Maple and North Forest and the University has every conceivable recreational facility, sports team, and sport club available for free to the students. Many of the athletic facilities are also available for the faculty and staff to use. There is also an abundance of public recreational facilities surrounding this site including the golf courses, Pepsi Center, baseball and softball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts, and the Ellicott Creek Trailway. A “European type spa” is hardly needed in this area of town and is not worth ignoring the Comprehensive Masterplan.
4) There is a multi-screen movie complex in the Maple Ridge plaza, the Student Union at UB has a movie theater that is free to students, there is a Blockbuster video at Maple and North Forest, and many students use online movie services like netflix. There is no overwhelming need for another movie theater complex that would justify ignoring the Comprehensive Masterplan.
It seems so easy for some people to ignore the recommendations of the Amherst Comprehensive Masterplan, which clearly sites Maple Road east of Millersport should be protected from this type of commercial development encroachment. This is a legal document developed over several years by a diverse segment of the community and included plenty of opportunity for public input. It was unanimously adopted by the Amherst Town Board. The planning committee included politicians, planners, developers, business leaders, and members of the real estate community. Its intent was to discourage the type of improper spot zoning we are now being pressured to accept from this well financed corporation and their vocal minority of pro-development-at-all-cost supporters.
Running over neighborhoods is a strange way for any individual to endear themselves to our town residents. If Benderson Development’s intentions were honorable, they would withdraw this proposal and come back with a site plan that does not require 3 separate zoning designations or zoning gimmicks to take away the existing property owners rights to protect their properties, neighborhood, and quality of life.
Instead they continue to force this proposed project upon the true majority of Amherst residents that oppose it, along with many others who sympathize with the neighborhood, any many more who could not care one way or another if Benderson’s strip plaza are ever built on this site.
The sad political state of affairs in Amherst is that this proposal is being seriously considered at all against the findings of the masterplan and all logical sense of planning.