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4 Foxwood Circle
East Greenbush, New York 12061
6 June 2005
The Honorable Evans Town Board
8787 Erie Road
Angola, NY 14006
RE: Lake Erie Beach Park
Dear Board Members:
I am writing to express my concern
over the stewardship demonstrated by the Town of Evans at the
Lake Erie Beach Park. While I am no longer a resident of the
area, as a past President of the Lake Erie Beach Property
Owners Association and as a former member of the Evans Town
Board, I feel I have some understanding of the issues and also
have some concern for the outcome.
For over sixty years the Lake Erie
Beach Property Owners Association operated, maintained, and
protected the property known as Lake Erie Beach Park. When
transferred to the Town of Evans in the 1980s, there was a
clear understanding that the Town would continue to maintain
that point of public access for the benefit of all residents.
Completion of a Master Plan, the establishment of an Advisory
Committee, and the construction of Phase I of the park itself
were all positive accomplishments.
Since those early activities,
however, the record is less than stellar. The sale of a
portion of the land on the east side of the park to an
adjacent property owner seemed to benefit no one except that
property owner and was done with zero citizen input. I have
never heard an explanation of how the few hundred dollars
received has helped improve the park or public access.
More of a concern is the issue of
the property west of Muddy Creek. The construction of the
private residence at the corner of the park was clearly a
failure on several counts:
1.
Issuing a building permit for a zero
clearance or encroaching structure without any public
discussion. You may claim to have followed the letter of the
law but the spirit certainly got trampled on.
2.
The towns failing to maintain the property for
an extended period of time may have given the residence owner
the idea that the adjacent land was his for the taking which
is why his driveway is in the park property today.
3.
Total lack of any input from residents except
those you may consider gadflies or nuisances. When was the
last real meeting of the Advisory Board?
Stonewalling the issue has generated only bad
feelings and bad press. While one can make a strong case that
the residence in question never should have been built, its
there and has to be dealt with. Removing the house is
probably not an option, since I am assuming all the mistakes
leading to its existence can be laid at the Towns doorstep.
That said, the owner clearly is benefiting from the use of
public property and the public is getting nothing in return,
except for reduced access to a public beach.
I am urging you to settle this. If a survey of
the property shows encroachment, then find an equitable way to
make the Town whole and remove that issue from the table. As
part of the settlement, you should also resolve once and for
all the future of the park itself. If the Master Plan is to
carve off little chunks of land here and there until only the
beach and parking lot are left, then say so.
An alternative would be to reconstitute the
Advisory Board, get some valid public input, and work with the
residents of Lake Erie Beach to develop a gem on the lake into
an asset that will help revitalize the area and make all of
Evans proud. The Lake Erie Beach Property Owners Association
did that as volunteers for over sixty years as public
servants you should do no less.
Thank you for your consideration of these
comments I will be more than happy to contribute to this
effort any way I can.
Sincerely,
George P. Basher
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