Judgment calls will always be a factor in development
Bee Editorial
In a recent Town Board meeting a resident said if a development proposal was a good one, then it would be approved - not be stalled for seven years.

But the fact is, as long as the board is run by humans there are always going to be judgment calls. The prime example is the Comprehensive Master Plan. Not quite a year old yet, the document has been interpreted many different ways. So much so that a procedure had to be developed for those seeking zoning changes.

One person reads the description for an area of town and believes it should stay residential; another reads it and says some development is OK.

This starts the debating game: developer versus resident. Each goes before the judge - the Town Board - and states his reasoning. Some try to have a second turn; some even sneak by the head judge - Supervisor Satish Mohan - and get in a few extra words. Some don't appear to be fazed, already knowing who they will side with. Others hem and haw, ponder and table.

Currently, there is a David and Goliath situation before the board. Benderson, a huge developer in Western New York, is opposed by a small population of residents living across from the former Buffalo Shooting Club.

The developer claims the multi-use project proposed for the Maple Road property would be good for the overall development of the town. The residents see a hardship instead.

Should that parcel of Maple Road remain barren? It really can't be called "green" space, more like brown, dirt space.

It's no secret Western New York is falling behind on the national scale. Cities in North Carolina and Atlanta are called "second Buffalo," by young adults who have more friends living there than in their hometowns.

A single multi-use development isn't going to change someone's mind, but overall community development could. Areas need to thrive with job opportunities, housing, social life, shopping, and tourist destinations. Another Wal-Mart isn't going to do it.

We think Benderson is onto something, but we urge Town Board members to use their best judgment, along with the facts, when voting - and to be diligent. Be 100 percent sure the land is being cleaned up, 100 percent sure the traffic is designed to the best of its capabilities and 100 percent sure that Maple Road, considered a secondary road, can handle the traffic that comes with this new development.

The area needs change and growth, while protecting the "Davids" living here. When it comes time to vote, have all your ducks in a row and see the project for what it is.