Clarence's interest in developing a park in the northern part of the town has shifted from a 23-acre site on Tonawanda Creek to nearly 400 acres land-banked by Erie County for 30 years.
Clarence and county officials have already met once on the possibility of the town's acquiring the so-called Beeman Creek Park acreage, and a follow-up session is scheduled for Sept. 9, town officials said.
Meanwhile, a Clarence Town Board member said the board has not discussed naturalist developer Frank Parlato Jr.'s offer of a waterfront parcel on
Tonawanda Creek, although Parlato in January was promised an answer by June.
Beeman Creek Park -- a misnomer since it has yet to be developed as a park and is not open to the public -- is generally bounded by Lapp, Salt and Parker roads in the north-central part of town.
The county acquired the property in 1966 for about $ 90,000 in state and federal funds, land-banking it for a park.
Although the year 2002 is technically the target date for park development, an indefinite postponement would not be surprising, given the county's financial situation, officials say.
However, the town's interest in the county property doesn't mean that it has lost interest in Parlato's land at the end of Goodrich Road, across Tonawanda Creek from Niagara County, said Councilwoman Anne L. Case.
"We're looking at a lot of different things," Mrs. Case said. She added, however, that the board has not discussed Parlato's offer lately and probably will not do it anytime soon.
The subject of parklands will be one of many addressed in a forthcoming report by the Clarence Recreation Advisory Committee. The yearlong study, which had been due in June, now is not expected until fall.
However, at a time when the board is mulling future expansion of Town Hall and construction of a court facility and library, officials think that the simultaneous pursuit of two major land acquisitions is probably unlikely.
Clarence Supervisor Paul R. McCarthy, who suffered a heart attack in April, returned to work part time this week. He said Friday that he "definitely favors" Beeman Creek Park over the Parlato property.
Not only is the county parcel bigger than Parlato's, its location in the town's "north country" is closer to the population, McCarthy told The Buffalo News. For those and other reasons related to safety and security, he said, he opposes acquisition of the Parlato land.
Parlato in January proposed that the town develop "Canoe Point" on 23 acres of forest and meadowland on the town's northernmost border. The parcel has about 3,000 feet of creek frontage.
Parlato wants $ 50,000 for the land, the same price he sought in 1992 when the board rejected the offer in a split vote. Clarence has no other public access to the winding, scenic creek, Parlato noted.
If the town turns him down again, Parlato said, he plans to develop four five-acre building lots for homes and a pond while preserving the creek frontage and wooded part of the parcel.
Parlato is known across Western New York for planning developments that preserve trees and other natural features.
In 1992, the board turned down Parlato's offer by a 3-2 vote. Four of those board members are still around. They are Councilmen Daniel A. Herberger and John F. Love, who opposed the purchase, and Mrs. Case and Councilman Daniel M. Gregorio, who favored it.
Herberger and Love have said the drawbacks include price, location, security problems and insurance risk when the creek runs high. They apparently can count on the support of McCarthy, who became supervisor Jan. 1.