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.