Golfview revamp irks residents

By Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

The planned Golfview subdivision at Whitehaven and East River roads was still a hot topic at Monday’s Town Board meeting, even though the board tabled a vote on a recently proposed revision.

Developer Frank Grebenc is seeking Town Board approval to rezone the mixed-use development as a Planned Development District (PDD), or a PDD overlay.

The Golfview site consists of 65.5 acres, 51.1 of which are currently zoned R-2 residential; and 14.4 acres that are now zoned B-1, business.

Supervisor Peter Marston said the final paperwork on the project revisions arrived in his email Monday afternoon – too late to allow for a thorough review by the board.

Instead, Marston granted the developer’s request to say a few words about what has changed in the plan since the Nov. 17 Town Board meeting.

The residents in the audience previously have asked for a 70-foot buffer zone between their homes on Timberlink Drive and those that would be built in Golfview.

Attorney Sean Hopkins outlined the revisions, displaying a new concept plan prepared by project engineer Richard Haight.

“The updated plan that was submitted last week does show a 40-foot conservation area that would be located on the rear of the lots. The reason that we selected 40 feet instead of 50 feet was to keep the buildable area of those lots at 160 feet, which would be consistent with the discussions we originally had,” Hopkins explained. He said those lots are now wider and quite large.

Hopkins asked the board to vote at its next meeting for the new concept plan and the draft report on negative environmental impacts. He cited a five-year history of concessions and modifications that he said the developer has made to conform to Town Board input.

“I also want to note, and I believe it was council member (Jose) Garcia's request, a sunset provision has also been added to the draft local law requiring project construction to commence and then a building permit to be issued. So, we've done everything we can to address the comments that have come up.”

Hopkins added the Golfview team would welcome the opportunity to answer any questions.

The residents in attendance didn’t like the recent revisions from the get-go and said so in public comments. It came down to numbers. Residents want a bigger buffer zone, and they said the Golfview plans contain an unacceptably small buffer zone.

“We’re moving in the wrong direction,” resident Paul Koppman said. He noted a previous offer by the developer of a 50-foot buffer was unacceptable, and a 40-buffer would be even worse. He also said the planned density of 288 units on the acreage remains too high.

“Certainly, the single-family homes behind Timberlink is a step in the right direction. There's no question about that,” Koppman continued. “However, the rest of the development, the density is much too high. I believe a plan can be developed which provides additional protection for the residents on Timberlink as well as East River with a minimal – and I want to stress minimal – impact on density.”

Koppman suggested that a maximum reduction in density of four units could yield a 100- foot buffer as a protection for the residents. He said if the developers can’t make that concession, the Town Board should deny the plan.

Resident Bobbie Cushing urged the board, “Let's just do the right thing. We live on this island. We want to preserve what's on this island. We want it to not be congested. We don't want to make it an apartment island. You know, we've got to care about what we do and what will the future bring for our children and grandchildren on this island.” 

In other news:

• A public hearing was set for Dec. 15 on the plan to increase sewer rent rates from $6.30 per 1,000 gallons to $6.70, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

•Marston announced Sherrie Pufpaff was appointed to the position of assistant to the supervisor, effective Dec. 1. She takes over from Rhonda Diehl, who won a seat on the Town Board in the Nov. 4 election.

•Resident Jennifer Chin said, “I’m just proposing that we continue to hear an ongoing discussion about what we could do about getting that community center.” Voters rejected a referendum on establishing a community center on land currently occupied by Niagara Hyundai at 1910 Alvin Road.

Council member Tom Digati, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, told Chin, “They're still very much working on trying to come up with something from a community center standpoint. So, it's that one didn’t work out, but it's far from over.”

•Resident Bobbie Cushing said, “I'd like to know what the board is doing about the overpopulation of deer. We have literally herds in our yard – 11 deer. They're eating everything.”

She added, “That's why this corridor of 120 feet between two developments is so important, because the deer need this for the food.”

Cushing said that, as she left home, “there were five in the yard. They were so close to my windows, I think they were eyeing my Christmas tree and thinking how they could jump through the window and eat the tree.”

Marston acknowledged the problem, saying there has been a rise in car-deer collisions on Grand Island.

Council member Dan Kilmer said he and Marston have contacted the state Department of Environmental Conservation to help find solutions to the overpopulation of deer on the Island. They were told to wait until deer hunting season is over to work on the problem.