Mikes Pond Strikes Back
The RED SHIRT clad FRIENDS OF MIKES POND will be in Town Hall tonight at 7 p.m to discuss the rezoning of Mikes Pond. The Pond is currently split zoned commercial and residential. The pond owners, The Livingston Parkway Association, has requested that the entire pond be rezoned residential, an item which was tabled last fall upon objection from Iskalo, who proposes the Hyatt hotel on the banks of the pond. The rezone itself is accomplished by the Town authorization of the change in zoning classification and the adoption of a survey of the pond, which sets forth its shape and size. Iskalo maintains that the pond is in fact, smaller that it is in actuality, thus allowing for their massive hotel to ‘fit” on this small, irregularly shaped lot in the backyards of the Livingston Parkway neighbors.
The Iskalo Hyatt won a huge victory last week when the Zoning Board of Appeals approved, without comment or discussion, nine variances for the proposed Hyatt, moving it a step closer to reality. Further, Iskalo has an additional request on the agenda of the Amherst IDA (this is the THIRD request from the gift giving IDA) for 3-22 for an additional $2 Million in preferential tax treatment.
We are not going away. This project is NOT a done deal until the town issues a building permit. We are hoping to engage the Town Board in a discussion of the Hyatt tonight. We believe it is prudent and appropriate that the Town Board weigh in on this project and state for the record and in public just how this project will blend in to Snyder and just how this is something envisioned by the Comprehensive Plan, said Michele Marconi, one of the organizers from FRIENDS OF MIKES POND. Over 90% of parcel rezoning requests which come before the Town board are approved. However, most are from developers requesting a land rezone to commercial. This request is from homeowners, asking that part of their backyard be rezoned to residential.
“We are not asking for special treatment, we are asked for equal treatment, or minimally consistent with the preferential treatment afforded Iskalo and other commercial developers in Amherst. We expect the rezone request to be approved., Marconi said.
Town Board meeting tonight 7 p.m.
Political Insider Said,
March 11, 2013 @ 7:27 pm
Lets see we were told the Town could not afford NEW POLICE CARS last year but we can afford a 2 million dollar tax abatement. Am I the only one who has a problem with this.
Steve Said,
March 12, 2013 @ 5:18 pm
Well first of all you were NEVER told the town could not afford new police cars. Second a tax abatement is based upon the new construction, not the existing land value. So while most of us (I’m assuming you included) do not support abatements, if by some miracle they get one, it does not come from the existing town tax base.
Mikes Pond Said,
March 12, 2013 @ 8:28 pm
Steve I know you had a bad night last night. Classic Flip-Flop. Lets relax.Worried about your campaign funding?
AnotherVoice Said,
March 12, 2013 @ 9:18 pm
Actually,it’s based on the increased assessment (value) of the entire property. The town would get tax revenue based upon the new assessment if there is no abatement. If there is an abatement it will be at least 10 years before they see the full amount of revenue.
Iskalo would build this without abatements anyway and will be reaping profits before the town ever sees the full tax revenue. As for jobs created, these will, for the most part, be low wage unskilled jobs. I don’t see the benefit for the town.
Jay Said,
March 12, 2013 @ 10:01 pm
Iskalalo = Rip Off !
Dave Said,
March 12, 2013 @ 11:33 pm
All of the Republicans on the board have been paid off by the developer. In other words, this is business as usual in the Town of Amherst. There’s no way this project is not going through. They simply don’t care about the residents.
Concerned Citizen Said,
March 13, 2013 @ 12:31 am
Steve, there you go again!
Deaf to the residents voices (as usual), and dismissive of their needs until prodded by the supervisor to do political damage control. You made one of the biggest political blunder’s at a town board meeting I have ever seen. Keep this up, and you and Jay will be singing in the same choir at 7 pm on Monday nights.
Its pretty clear a tax abatement in these situations means the town gives a promise to a developer of less future taxes as an incentive to get something it wants. It would be grossly unethical to give a tax abatement for something the town doesn’t want, or where the developer would build it anyway.
The real issue is the vision for where this town is going. The boards vision is hotels on Boardwalk (S. Union) and Park Place (I 290) …. oops sorry that’s the game of Monopoly!
Sound familiar?
Steve Said,
March 13, 2013 @ 3:40 pm
WHOA…. First of all I am not on the Town Board. Secondly, I am a registered Democrat. Third, I said I did not agree with any abatements for the Hyatt.
Concerned Citizen Said,
March 14, 2013 @ 4:22 am
My apologies Steve, my comments were for a different Steve I guess, the one who is a Town Board member. However you do sound a little like him to me, so you can see how I made that mistake.
Steve Said,
March 14, 2013 @ 1:36 pm
No worries Concerned Citizen… I should probably change my name to avoid the confusion.
Norman Said,
March 19, 2013 @ 12:34 am
Holy Cow!! Watched this Town Board meeting from March 11 on TV, last night, 7:00 pm, channel 22. It is a must see for all Amherst residents. It encapsulates the allegiance and alliance that the Amherst politicians have with their special interest-cronies. In this case, it is Iskalo who wants to build a 77 ft. hotel in a residential neighborhood. This could happen in anyone’s neighborhood. Especially now, that the Comprehensive Plan has undergone purposeful changes to facilitate developers’ fancies. No coincidence that Weinstein is a developer.
The residents have very real, logical concerns about the issues facing them with this development. Sewage and drainage among them since Amherst already has a problematic infrastructure.
The geniuses, developers, town board members and anyone else that puts out phony information, that feel there is no problem, with any development, should be held accountable for 5-8 years after construction. It is about time that they too suffer the consequences from their short-sighted, stupid decisions.
That is one scenario that would cause them to give a damn. The other is to inform the public that some Republicans, just like in Washington, have a tin ear to the ordinary citizens and need to be replaced.