Copyright buffalonews
The long-lasting debate over the fate of the former Westwood Country Club in Amherst has almost run its course. Amherst, Erie County and state officials held an event Friday morning to mark the transfer of the 170-acre site from the town to the county. Erie County has agreed to spend $9.1 million to construct a nine-hole golf course and passive park at the former country club, which closed in 2014. Willowdale Park, the newest addition to the county park system, could open to the public by the end of next year. “No matter what, it will definitely be open in 2027. But I look at this as a nice little jewel that we’re adding to the park system. This is not a ‘maybe we can get it done.’ We will get it done,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at the ceremonial groundbreaking, where he was joined by town, county and state officials. The event came less than 24 hours after the Amherst Town Board voted Thursday afternoon to transfer the town-owned property to the county for $1. The Town of Amherst had purchased Westwood from the investor group that owned the site with the intent to revive it as a recreational hub. But objections from residents, financial considerations and other complications upended this Amherst Central Park plan, prompting the town to seek a partnership with the county. “We want everybody to be able to continue to use this property. We want everybody to enjoy the beautiful, huge area that we have for generations to come,” Board Member Angela Marinucci said after Thursday’s meeting. “And I think that voting now and moving forward now is vitally important.” There is one remaining potential obstacle to Willowdale Park. Dan Gagliardo, the Republican candidate for town supervisor in this fall’s election, on Thursday announced he is bringing legal action against the Town Board to try to block the transfer from going through. Town and county Democrats say they’re confident the court challenge will fail, but Gagliardo said the land transfer is a bad deal for town taxpayers. “I think that Westwood is the epitome of what the Lavin-Kulpa administration has done over the last eight years,” Gagliardo told reporters, referring to Supervisor Brian Kulpa and Deputy Supervisor Shawn Lavin, his Democratic opponent. “This has all of it: lack of transparency, financial irresponsibility, not keeping us abreast of what’s happening.” Town officials, park neighbors and Amherst taxpayers have wrangled for 13 years over how best to reuse the Westwood site at Sheridan Drive and North Forest Road. By late 2021, the town agreed to buy Westwood from Mensch Capital Partners. Kulpa unveiled ambitious plans for an Amherst Central Park featuring new homes for MusicalFare Theatre and the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, among other attractions. When that concept stalled, the town pivoted and, in April, joined the county in announcing the plans for the new Willowdale Park. Now, the town still must pay off the $7.8 million purchase price for the Westwood site, plus interest, but Amherst leaders say working with the county is the best way to move the project forward. In addition to investing $9.1 million in capital improvements at the park, the county also will cover full maintenance and operational costs in the future. “We’ve been trying to get it moving and kept running into obstacles,” Board Member Jacqualine Berger said Thursday. “But the cost of operations, the number of highway employees we’d have to add and the equipment we would have to purchase, it was not realistic for us to operate the park independently.” Earlier this year, county legislators gave their approval to spending the county funds on the project, which will create Amherst’s first county park. The Town Board on Sept. 2 held a public hearing on the land transfer. Republican candidates for office and other attendees slammed the proposal. Still, the all-Democratic board voted 3-0 on Thursday to approve the purchase sale and agreement with the county, with Lavin and Board Member Michael Szukala recusing themselves. The two men did so to avoid a conflict of interest, on the advice of Town Attorney Steven Bengart, because they’re both high-ranking appointees within county government. Town officials said they needed to call the special meeting, instead of waiting to vote at next week’s regularly scheduled meeting, in large part because one of the three board members able to vote on the agreement would be out of town and unavailable. Some critics of town government complained about the limited advance notice for the meeting, which was announced Tuesday, and about the lack of a public expression period during the meeting. Town officials said they abided by the appropriate policies in setting and holding the special session, which lasted just over three minutes. Several hours before the meeting, Gagliardo announced his intent to take legal action against the town. He said Amherst officials didn’t follow proper procedure in initiating the property transfer to the county and he blasted the plan to keep the site off the tax rolls. He said he would prefer to see the course owned and run by a private group or, failing that, see it remain in town hands so that Amherst receives revenue from course operations. “We’re going to fight as hard as we can because we’re here for the residents,” Gagliardo said. Board Democrats defended the actions the town has taken to ensure the future of the Westwood site and said the legal filing is little more than Gagliardo campaign fodder. “It’s a talking point for him. The talking point for the residents is excitement. The people I talk to are, like, ‘Finally,’” Lavin said Thursday. “So, he wants to fight green space and a park, and I want a park. So, that’s a fight I’m willing to have all day.” Friday morning, Poloncarz said there’s little that will stand in the way of Willowdale Park coming to fruition. There were concerns about the chemicals used to treat parts of the golf course, and the site remains surrounded by fencing to keep the public away. The vehicles parked by Northtown Automotive on the site for years were removed this month, however. The county executive said any environmental issues are minor, likely requiring removal and replacement of a layer of soil from Westwood’s greens and tee boxes. The county had hoped to open the park by next spring or early summer, but the construction schedule won’t allow for that now, Poloncarz said. However, he dismissed the possibility the Gagliardo-led legal action will delay the park or stop it altogether. “There’s going to be a referendum on this. It’s called the election of the supervisor in Amherst, and that’s simple as that,” Poloncarz said. “I feel very confident that the people of Amherst are going to overwhelmingly reject this effort.”
