Benderson Press Conference ~ A Somber Affair
Benderson Development Company held a press conference on Thursday at the Maple Gun Club site where they plan to build a 44 million dollar project.
The Benderson Company hired a Buffalo based survey company to ask residents questions concerning whether the public supports the Benderson project or not. They polled 400 registered Amherst voters. In reality the public has no clue about several key elements: What the question were, how they were asked, or how they were arranged.
Most of Benderson’s press conference was a discussion of this survey. It made sense to allow members of the press who were present see the questions that were asked. Most of us know that surveys can be arranged to “prove” many differ things to many different people, depending on how they are tweaked, and interpreted.
A much more public survey was the one which was in the Amherst Bee for a week which asked if you were in favor of the Benderson project or not. The results were clear. 70 to 80% of the people, who answered the Bee’s survey, were against the Benderson project.
Colleen DiPirro, President of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, was on hand at the Press Conference to explain how her organization is behind Benderson’s project. She cited the fact that there are 2300 businesses in the Chamber but she never addressed how the project could, and very likely would, hurt many of the other businesses in the Chamber.
The last person to speak was a man who lives across the street from the project on Maple Rd. The gentleman happened to be Bob Simmons, the former Chairman of the Amherst Conservative Party and a long time member of Amherst Planning Board, Simmons’ well know nickname was “Mr. Development”. Bob was known as a man who never saw a development he wouldn’t vote for. I suspect that another resident would have been a better choice to support this project, someone more neutral.
This Monday night, May 5th the Town Board members will vote whether or not to rezone this property at the Town Board Meeting.
And so the tug-of-war continues . . .
Tom Says:May 2nd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I would like to also know who they survey because I am against and havent heard of one person who is in favor of the project. Makes you wonder.
Nancy Says:May 2nd, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I am a resident who lives close to the proposed Benderson project and I am in favor of this project.
Alan Says:May 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
I want to thank the Amhersttimes for telling the public how things really are not what they seem to be. Your staff has been writing the Amhersttimes for 6 years and I have to say i respect your web site for having the guts to write the truth.