Creekwoods residents pleased to see park on CIP list
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Creekwoods residents voiced their appreciation for their park's inclusion on the 2008-13 Community Improvement Project list during Monday's public hearing.

"I hope this will give residents an opportunity to use Creekwoods Park," Creekwoods Association President Tony Massop said, adding that upgrades are important.

Massop said there are several young families in the area who could benefit from the park upgrades, on which the association has been working closely with the Planning Department.

"There is no community center for us to get to easily ... This is a place families can go to spend quality time," he said.

Planning Director Rick Gillert said the park has been reviewed for several years and, if approved, 2008 would be a design phase. Construction would start in 2009.

Ideas include repairs to the tennis and basketball courts and soccer field, as well as a paved walking trail, benches, park shelters and trees.

The park is located near Plant 16, so part of the tree planting would take place on the berm, designed to block the view of the facility.

"We have tried to keep this on the front burner, but there are a limited number of people to get the design work done," Gillert said.

The $600,000 project, divided into four, one-year phases, was one of 90 projects submitted. The total for all the phases of the projects, from 2008 to 2013, is $52.9 million. The total is a decrease from last year, Gillert said, which he estimates was in the $70-80 million range.

Projects are paid for with town, state, federal and bonded funds, as well as some grants. Each year the Planning Department organizes the requests from town departments for projects that exceed routine maintenance work.

Also on the list, is $140,000 in town and private funding to repair the Glen Park retaining wall, funding for sanitary sewer replacement and rehabilitation work on Capen Boulevard, Eggert and LeBrun roads and Kings Highway, and $572,980 for phase II of Fetto Park improvements.

The entire CIP list is available for review in Town Hall. The target cap for 2008 is $14.4 million. To comment on a project, residents can e-mail Gillert at egillert@ amherst. ny. us.

The final list will be announced as the 2008 budget process continues. The next step is for Supervisor Satish Mohan to submit his recommendations.

In other Town Board news, three members, Deborah Bruch Bucki, Shelly Schratz and Michael McGuire, rescinded votes from a resolution at the Sept. 4 meeting. The action resulted in the resolution failing.

Moved by Council Member William A O'Loughlin Jr., the resolution called for a 1 percent decrease in the 2008 budget.

Bucki and McGuire both said they changed their votes when they realized there was no protection for jobs. Schratz said she wasn't comfortable with the wording.

O'Loughlin accused McGuire and Schratz of being "bad Republicans." He agreed to an amendment of adding a "no loss of jobs" clause but the motion still failed.

Mohan was the only member to support the resolution, saying it was the only action he has seen that actually had "teeth" to make a change in government and the budget.

• The board voted to maintain the board members' salaries at the current level of approximately $25,600. The two town justice positions were granted a cost of living salary increase.

• A resolution by Bucki, "Reduce the Cost of Government and Hiring Freeze Local Law," was approved, and a public hearing will be held in October.

• The next Town Board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1 in Town Hall, 5583 Main St.