Scenic, wealthy, historic, predominantly Republican, with open spaces and
six beautiful town parks -- wants to buy another park, the proposed Beeman
Creek Park site, from its owner, Erie County.
If the deal goes through, Clarence officials plan to create a 400-acre
nature park open exclusively to Clarence residents.
In other words, under this variant of apartheid, Buffalo residents,
Cheektowaga residents, Amherst residents, West Seneca residents --
basically everyone else in Erie County -- would be barred from using a park
we now own.
Currently, two plans have been discussed.
In the option they prefer, Clarence officials would buy the park site for $
90,000 and instate the residents-only policy in effect at the town's other
parks.
The other option, preferred by some Erie County officials, would have the
county donate the land to Clarence with the provision that it be open to
all.
Presently, the Beeman Creek site isn't open to anyone. It's been posted by
Erie County since 1966, the year it was first acquired by the county and
land-banked as a future park.
County officials planned that Beeman Creek Park would open as a county park
by 2002 to serve what they thought would be an expanding population.
Composed of rolling meadow, upland forest, creekside and old-growth
hickory, it's ideal for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It's
understandable that Clarence wants this site. It would give the town a
nearly complete, diversified park system.
What I can't understand is why Clarence officials want to restrict usage of
this park.
Imagine what life would be like if Buffalo restricted its parks and
cultural resources. It's hard to imagine Clarence residents being arrested
for attending Shakespeare in Delaware Park; yet Buffalo residents face
arrest today if they set foot, for example, in Clarence Hollow Park.
Given the choice, Clarence officials would rather buy the land from the
county for $ 90,000 and make a restricted park than take the land for a
dollar and make it public.
The reality is, however, that the land would still be a steal at $ 90,000.
Yes, that's what the county paid for it, but real-estate values in Clarence
have changed over the last 30 years. As a real-estate professional, I would
estimate the value of the land minimally at $ 1.3 million. A developer
could, in fact, add a sewer system and create a cluster development worth $
40 million or better.
Fortunately, there is a better choice. Erie County could open this park.
The county could easily develop a system of hiking trails and maintain the
park for a nominal sum.
As a developer, or under-developer, I have had experience in preserving
forest habitat and creating wildlife sanctuaries. I've preserved land in
the Rush Creek Basin, in Lakeview, along Ransom and Tonawanda creeks in
Clarence, and along 18 Mile Creek Gorge, including Buttermilk Falls, in
Hamburg.
None of these passive-recreation developments was costly. In fact, nearby
development projects associated with some of these conservation sites were
actually profitable.
Increased property values might pay for maintaining Beeman Creek park.
My interest in Clarence's parks stems, however, from more than my
indignation as a county resident. In 1992, I offered to sell a park I
designed to the Town of Clarence.
My proposal had the Town of Clarence paying $ 50,000 for the 25-acre Canoe
Point site, which included almost 3,000 feet of waterfront on the Tonawanda
Creek. No one disputes that the $ 50,000 price tag is less than half of the
market value for the site -- and that I could easily sell the high, dry
waterfront site for residential development.
I told Clarence officials that the highest and best use for the land is a
passive recreation/waterfront park and that I wanted to encourage the
creation of parks of this type in every community.
At the time, Clarence balked at buying this site. The park, which would
provide the only public access to the Tonawanda Creek canoe trail in
Clarence, would draw people from outside of the town, officials thought.
In 1996, when I repeated the offer, they said they preferred developing the
more centrally located Beeman Creek site.
A park is a place where all humankind should be welcome. Clarence is
rejecting an opportunity to share its abundance of natural beauty.
But Erie County has an opportunity also. We have an easy, painless way to
open to the public 400 acres of beautiful, upland forest and open
countryside in Northern Clarence.

FRANK PARLATO JR. is a Buffalo-area real-estate developer and community activist.