Over 200 Town of Tonawanda residents packed the Zion United
Church Of Christ, Wednesday night, to hear Kim Feidler, spokesman for The Benchmark Group, discuss his plan to develop a 45,000 square foot retail store on Koenig road and Niagara Falls Boulevard.
    Since Koenig is a residential street, the developer needs town approval to re-zone approximately 250 feet of the site before demolishing five homes and building.
    Feidler, a vice president of Benchmark, in attempting to explain merits of his plan to a mostly hostile audience, said the "intended user" of the building would be The Best Buy Co. of Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minn.
    He showed the audience a site plan and an artist's rendering of the proposed store, Joyce Hamner of Koenig Road, stood up and, facing the audience, asked if any in the audience were in favor of the project.
    No one raised a hand.
    "The bottom line Mr. Feidler," she said, "is that we are going to do everything that we can possibly to do so that this does not get rezoned.
Green Acres is residential, we want to keep it that way."
    The audience applauded.
    During the two-hour meeting, one town resident after another questioned Feidler. They expressed dismay at how the Amherst developer could seek to convert a residential neighborhood into a busy commercial area.
    Gary Lyford, the neighbor closest to where the proposed Bench-
mark building, said it would cause both the street and the entire town a hardship.
    Feidler introduced Sixto Beltrandy an architect for Best Buy,
who said they operate around 200 retail appliance stores in 27 states.
This would be the first in Western New York.
    According to Beltrandy, the store sells music-entertainment software, audio-video equipment, computers and home appliances and installs car stereo systems, repairs equipment and offers introductory courses for computers sold in the store.
    The store would be 25 feet from the property line, 60 feet from the road and about 50 feet from the nearest home. It would be 28 feet high, higher than any of the existing homes on Koenig. It's 45,000 square feet would make it approximately 40 times larger than neighboring residential buildings.
    Describing benefits, Beltrandy said the store could generate $28-35 million in gross sales annually, spending about $850,000 per year on advertising and employing 120-150.
    Connie Aquino, of Avon road, asked what the wage scale would
be? Beltrandy said there would be a "wide cross Section" ofwages.
    "I can't answer what percentage will be minimum wage or how many will be part time," he said.
    Feidler said constructiom will also create job opportunities. "It pumps money into the economy." he said.
    Three Erie County Legislators, who represent the Town, attended and went on record as unanimously opposed.
    William Pauly (R-Amherst), who represents the district where the
Benchmark project would be located, said, "I'm totally opposed." "Take a look at the Amherst side of Niagara Falls Boulevard and ask yourself, 'do you want that on the Tonawanda side?'"
    Legislator Charles Swanick (D-Kenmore) spoke about the precedent such a proposal would set in town.
"Are we prepared to see this re-zoning begin on a regular basis? This kind of spot zoning will destroy the residential image of Tonawanda. It's wrong, it's unacceptable.
    Swanick's comments drew loud and sustained applause.
    Legislature Chairman, Len Lenihan (D-Town of Tonawanda)
informed the audience that he, Pauly and Swanick were going to send a letter to the Town Board officially recording their opposition to the Benchmark plan.
    The Town Board makes the final decision on rezoning.
    Town Supervisor Carl Calabrese told the audience that anyone has a legal right to petition the town.
    "Once an application for rezoning is filed, the Town Board has a
legal obligation to have a public hearing and then make a determination,"
he said. "However, if we, as a Town Board, make any kind of pre-determination, then our subsequent ruling can be challenged in court and be overturned."
    After the meeting, when asked if the opposition of neighbors and
county legislators might cause Benchmark to reconsider, John
Giordano, an attorney for Benchmark said, "Benchmark is going to have to decide if they want to denote time and resources to developing this area knowing the community's sentiment.
I'm sure were going to sit down and discuss our options."