Comments will continue to be accepted until June 23 on the Western New York Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park -- known as the STAMP project.
At the request of the Alabama Town Board, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) has extended the deadline for residents to submit comments on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement, or DGEIS.
Anyone wanting to weigh in on the Final Generic Impact Statement and what it should address or include can write to: Mark Masse, senior vice president of operations at GCEDC, 99 MedTech Drive, Suite 106, Batavia.
Last night, residents attended a public hearing at the town hall to voice their concerns, such as increased traffic, possible discharges into water during manufacturing processes and how Alabama would benefit by allowing the park to locate within its jurisdiction.
“The purpose of the meeting [last night] was to solicit comments and feedback from the public on the DGEIS which has been released for public review. The GCEDC believes that objectives of the meeting were met,” Masse said in a statement.
The site consists of about 1,300 acres along Route 77.
“The purpose of the project is to develop a high technology manufacturing center with a focus on renewable energy and to provide economic development opportunities within the region,” according to the draft plan.
While the first phase of construction could begin within the next few years, the park may not be fully developed for another 10 to 25 years.
The document says, “The DGEIS analyzes several alternatives for the STAMP site. The Preferred Alternative includes 6.1-million square feet of development, including, among other things, technology manufacturing facilities; flex space and support facilities, office space, retail support uses, a new multi-use Town Hall building site, and a network of open space and trails that meander throughout the property.”
In regard to bringing water to the proposed park, the DGEIS explains that a “phased approach” would be necessary.
“Water resources and large diameter water mains are very limited in the vicinity of the project area. This results in a challenging and complex situation to providing an adequate water supply to the STAMP site.”
Many sources were considered and studied because such a high-volume of water demand calls for more than one supplier, according to the document. A summary of the alternatives considered can be found here.
The DGEIS also includes -- in the Economic Impact Analysis -- projected decreases in property tax rates as follows:
The Town of Alabama could realize a decrease in the tax rate per $1,000 in value from $1.11 to 11 cents.
Genesee County could realize a decrease in the tax rate per $1,000 in value from $9.82 to $7.97.
Oakfield-Alabama School District could realize a decrease in the tax rate per $1,000 in value from $23.73 to $16.94.
GCEDC officials made clear in a statement that all comments received would be compiled into the Final Generic Impact Statement which, when finished, will be made available to the public at the Alabama Town Hall, GCEDC offices and online.
Howard; It would interesting
Howard; It would interesting to hear the 4 Congressional candidates comments on the STAMP project. I also wonder if they think it's OK for GCEDC to ram this down Alabama residents' throats if they don't want it, in the interest of what's good for the county or region or whatever reason is used. It'd also be useful to hear their positions on "quasi-public corporations", EDC's, IDA's and the like. I know these are typically state and local issues, but a representative needs to be on top of what's going on in their district.
Lorna...great post! I have
Lorna...great post! I have several of GCEDC's documents from their original website downloaded in PDF format. If there is anything you need, let me know, and I will be happy to send it to you if I have it.
I sent the GCEDC an email a while back requesting a copy of their Uniform Tax Exempt Policy (UTEP) and my email was ignored. I emailed the NYS ABO and they suggested I file a formal FOIL request to get a copy of the UTEP, which I did. They also said that they would follow up with GCEDC to make sure that the UTEP gets posted on their website. They did follow up and it is now on their website.
Lorna, First, I'd like to
Lorna,
First, I'd like to thank you for your comments - constructive criticism will make me a better reporter, regardless of what "heavy hands" I'm working for or have been "freed" from (although I certainly wouldn't consider losing a full-time job "freeing" from anything other than a steady paycheck...) so I'd like to point out that you're right - I was not at the meeting. This was written the following day.
And no, I am not interviewing for a position with the GCEDC. An unnecessary reply for an uncalled-for question.
While I'm not going to attack you or your work personally or publicly (as it seems you've taken a considerable amount of time doing to me) I'll charge you with this: As someone who's on the planning board who has attended as many meetings as possible, why not use our public posting forum yourself? All registered users are free to create blog posts as well as leave comments. Our readers could benefit from your input. You have posed many relevant questions for everyone in this county, not just Alabama.
You, along with the other residents of the town who question or oppose the STAMP project are educated and successful, I agree. They are far from "backwards hicks" or anything of the like. I'll point out that I certainly have not portrayed them as otherwise - whether it be in my work here at the Batavian or in anything I wrote during my time at the Daily News.
Again, thank you for your readership and your concern for the quality of my work.
Attention readers! Brittany
Attention readers! Brittany correctly points out that The Batavian is a forum that is more accessible than many people seem to know.
You, your organization, your business, your team, etc., can post a blog item about something you feel is newsworthy at anytime. All you need to do is become a registered user of the site, which is free.
If you want your blog article to appear in the sports section, just tag it sports in the tag line, and create your own headline. Save it. And there it is, in sports.
Ditto for blog items for business or announcements or milestones, etc. Sometimes more than one tag is appropriate. Tags are used to file stories in the appropriate place, say for both announcements and business, as well as to aid in a user search of the site.
All registered users probably know they can comment on any post, so long as they don't get mean and nasty and start name-calling, whereupon their comment will be deleted. We have a real-name policy, no phonies.
Any business or organization is free to post an event themselves, too, for the calender.
It is only the Home Page that must be pre-screened and posted by us. But if you think something is worthy of Home Page attention, e-mail or call us and we will consider it. We have posted several items on the Home Page from readers who have a wealth of knowledge about a timely topic or some compelling insights.
Perhaps this information will encourage more people to post their own stuff or at least realize their hands are not bound, they are not without a voice. That's the whole point.
We may edit blog items published on our site for grammar, spelling, punctuation and AP style consistancy only, with the exception of most press releases which are verbatim. Comments are never edited, only rarely deleted with cause.
As a news organization, we
As a news organization, we should be able to take our lumps when people are unhappy with something we've done; however, we also have a rule against personal attacks.
Upon further reflection, I've done something I probably should have done in the first place and deleted Lorna's comment.
Brittany if you were not at
Brittany if you were not at the meeting where did you get your information about the meeting? If this was a GCEDC press release you should have called it that.
Well, much to my
Well, much to my astonishment, I have been deleted in my first post to the Batavian...for being mean-spirited. I did not intend to be mean-spirited. I have just gotten so tired of hearing people parrot the GCEDC's facts and figures without questioning them or analyzing them or asking them to back them up in any way. For Brittany Baker to do the same is a huge disappointment to me! Brittany Baker is way too smart, too saavy, too experienced to swallow the GCEDC's line without more analysis. I think it was reasonable for me to wonder about the content of her article!
I did not call anyone any names. I did not insult anyone. I raised a lot of questions, questions that so far, no one but Brittany has had the courage to answer. I did not see Brittany at the meeting although I questioned why someone from the Batavian was not at the meeting. At that point, I was told that Brittany was sitting with the GCEDC folk, and hence, in light of her inaccurate-in-my-opinion article the next day, I wondered about the job interview. I am glad Brittany was not interviewing with them--She's way better than that! I think the Daily News was foolish to eliminate her position on their staff--a decision of the paper which cemented my resolve not to subscribe right when I was on the verge of weakening and paying up.
It now seems that the GCEDC wins another round bc no one is allowed to question them, their practices or their mouthpieces. Brittany, your article was not worthy of your talents, or in keeping with your normal practice. That disappoints me. However, we all slip up now and then--look at me in my original post--got myself deleted--so I am certain that you will live to write another day. The Daily News should not have let you go, and The Batavian should have hired you full-time! ...as long as you check your facts next time!
Hmmm, just re-read Brittany's
Hmmm, just re-read Brittany's article and realized I forgot to mention: Every comment made publicly at the STAMP public hearing was negative. The supporters in the crowd said not a word...a fact that neither the Batavian nor the Daily News mentioned. THere was a diverse group of people who commented negatively & who raised practical and philosophical questions at the microphone. Neither media outlet mentioned the people who said, "Just say no to this, Alabama Town Board!" Those seem to me to be serious reporting errors. As for Alabama residents using this forum for a blog, it must be remembered that many in Alabama don't have access to high speed internet at home which makes regular blogging difficult. And Brittany, of course I didn't "take a lot of time to attack you personally or publicly!" I asked a question based on wrong information I had received, have corrected myself above, and I hope I have publicly stated my real very positive opinion of you and your writing so that you and all others will understand why I found your article so appalling. (That's a strong word, but that's how deep my disappointment and frustration ran.)