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Coalition for Responsible Economic Development
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Email the GI Town Board
Coalition for Responsible Economic Development
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Email the GI Town Board
Town Board Candidate Responds to Questionnaire - October 2024
CRED4GI NoticeAs a 501(c)(3) organization, CRED4GI does not endorse political candidates. Our mission is to share information and informed discussion related to proposed development efforts on Grand Island. Every election cycle, we send a questionnaire to each of the Town Board candidates so that you may be better informed as to their views on development efforts on Grand Island.
We recently sent our questionnaire to the two individuals seeking a seat on the Town Council. The response from Jose Garcia can be found below. We did not receive a response from Wayne West.
We appreciate Mr. Garcia's willingness to share his thoughts with our group. It is disappointing that in each of the last 3 election cycles, the Democratic candidates have been unwilling to share their views with us by responding to our questionnaire.
Jose Garcia (candidate for Town Council)
October 2024 - CRED4GI Update on Long Road Warehouse
Here is a link to the
Letter sent to the Town Board on October 10, 2024 from CRED4GI.
Citing the recent accident that occurred under the Bedell Road overpass on September 23rd and how it clearly makes the FSEIS questionable.
Ask the TB how they responded, the deadline was October 24th.
Email the GI Town Board with your concerns.
Public Notice from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - April 2024
CRED4GI Notice
Meeting on Tuesday, April 23 at 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors Center Community Room.
Grand Island residents that directly surround the proposed Long Rd Warehouse Project received a package in the mail recently. This package contained a public notice sent by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, dated April 8, 2024. The deadline for responses is May 8, 2024. The full text (and diagrams) of the Public Notice are available online: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll15/id/5336
The Public Notice is asking for local input on the request of the applicant (Acquest) to destroy (fill) 1.36 acres of wetland in exchange for 1.36 credits from the Ducks Unlimited In-Lieu Fee Program.
There are a few things that you can do:
1. Join us for an in-person meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 @5pm at the Visitors Center Community Room. We will be having a discussion on how best to respond to this Notice.
2. Send an email to Shannon.N.Azzarelli@usace.army.mil requesting a public hearing on this issue. This would allow residents to attend a public hearing and speak out against this request.
3. Send an email to Shannon.N.Azzarelli@usace.army.mil stating that you are opposed to granting this exchange due to the already excessive flooding that occurs in and around this property that negatively affects surrounding residents.
4. Send an email to Shannon.N.Azzarelli@usace.army.mil stating that an in-depth inspection of these wetlands should be performed to ensure that there are no endangered species living within the affected wetland area (i.e. northern long-eared bat and salamander mussel) and study how this exchange could jeopardize their critical habitat.
Please help us by making your voices heard! We need as many of you to respond to this public notice as possible so that we can continue to fight this development!
Public Hearings - March 4, 2024.
Long Road Commerce Center - September 2023
Buffalo News story posted September 4, 2023 by Jonathan D. Epstein. Long Road Commerce Center.
YouTube Video - August 7, 2023
Town Board Abruptly Changes Course on Long Rd Warehouse - August 2023
On July 17, the Town Board committed to hosting and participating in a detailed public review of the consultant reports related to the Long Road warehouse project and scheduled the first review for July 31st. They did not follow through on that commitment. The meeting never took place and CRED4GI inquired as to why that didn't happen.
On August 2nd CRED4GI received a communication from Pete Marston (acting Town Supervisor) stating that the Town Board was working on scheduling public reviews of the consultant reports. However, in the closing minutes of the August 7th Town Board meeting, Marston said the approach has changed and that the Town Board is planning to vote to ACCEPT the findings. This means the Town Board intends to accept the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Peer Review documents at the next Town Board meeting (scheduled for 8/28) WITHOUT FURTHER REVIEW. You can view his comments here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZmXfjbfRmY.
CRED4GI spoke to two different Town Board members about why their approach has changed. Based on their answers we conclude that they are being pressured by the developer's lawyers to move forward. The Board's acceptance of the findings at this stage would be an egregious breach of trust and a failure to fulfill their duties as public officials, especially given they sat on these findings for three months before even posting them for public review. Our town officials appear to be waiting for public comments to define the issues and criticisms of the project for them instead of taking responsibility to proactively protect the public interest. And what about our advisory boards? From what we understand, none of the Town's advisory boards have been asked to weigh in on the DEIS or consultant findings. Why are they being excluded from the process?
When challenged to explain how the Board could accept the findings when there have already been major issues raised by the public that have not been addressed in the reports, the Board members had no response. It is time for the public to hold our officials accountable and to take action to protect the future of Grand Island. Here are four critical actions you are urged to take:
1) Show up to speak at the 8/28 Town Board meeting to protest the duplicitous process announced by the Town Board. Let our officials know that they cannot cancel the essential review process of thousands of pages of reports that should involve their consultants and the public in open discourse. Let them know that before accepting any findings they must address the various problems with this project proposal. Bring your yard signs and participate in a public protest similar to that held in opposition to the Amazon warehouse. Mark your calendars and plan to participate!
2) If the Town Board decides to move forward with their current plan and the project's DEIS receives approval without addressing the serious issues raised by residents, CRED4GI has secured legal representation to file an Article 78 (legal proceedings against the Town). Please help to fund this action! Please send checks to CRED4GI, PO Box 121, Grand Island, NY 14072 or you can donate online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/cred4gi.
3) Show your opposition to this project! Please put your yard signs up. If you need a yard sign email us at CRED4GI@gmail.com and we will deliver one to your front yard. Bring your signs to the protest on August 28th. Yard signs will be distributed at the protest as well.
4) If the Town Board goes ahead with their plan to accept the DEIS, they must wait at least 30 days to schedule a public hearing. This would put the hearing at late September/early October. We need All Hands On Deck at the public hearing to voice objections and issues with the project, so mark your calendars!
Cathy Rayhill, spokesperson
Coalition for Responsible Economic Development for Grand Island - cred4gi.org
New Yard Signs Available! - January 2023
CRED4GI has purchased 150 new yard signs to display across Grand Island. We will be handing out the signs at the Visitors Center, between 6-7pm tonight (Thursday, Jan 12) and tomorrow night (Friday, Jan 13). We have also purchased stickers to paste over the old "No Amazon Warehouse" signs.
We have been monitoring the Town Board meeting agendas and they have yet to vote on ordering independent consultants to refute the findings of the developer (that conclude there will be no issues with traffic, noise, pollution, etc). We want the Town Board to order independent consultants to review ALL aspects of this project and still believe that the project does not comply with the zoning requirements of a B1 property.
Revised Warehouse Plan Submitted - October 2022.
Peaceful Opposition Walk - August 3, 2020
First Public Meeting - July 10, 2020.
Public Notice from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - April 2024
CRED4GI NoticeMeeting on Tuesday, April 23 at 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors Center Community Room. Grand Island residents that directly surround the proposed Long Rd Warehouse Project received a package in the mail recently. This package contained a public notice sent by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, dated April 8, 2024. The deadline for responses is May 8, 2024. The full text (and diagrams) of the Public Notice are available online: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll15/id/5336
The Public Notice is asking for local input on the request of the applicant (Acquest) to destroy (fill) 1.36 acres of wetland in exchange for 1.36 credits from the Ducks Unlimited In-Lieu Fee Program.
There are a few things that you can do: 1. Join us for an in-person meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 @5pm at the Visitors Center Community Room. We will be having a discussion on how best to respond to this Notice. 2. Send an email to Shannon.N.Azzarelli@usace.army.mil requesting a public hearing on this issue. This would allow residents to attend a public hearing and speak out against this request. 3. Send an email to Shannon.N.Azzarelli@usace.army.mil stating that you are opposed to granting this exchange due to the already excessive flooding that occurs in and around this property that negatively affects surrounding residents. 4. Send an email to Shannon.N.Azzarelli@usace.army.mil stating that an in-depth inspection of these wetlands should be performed to ensure that there are no endangered species living within the affected wetland area (i.e. northern long-eared bat and salamander mussel) and study how this exchange could jeopardize their critical habitat. Please help us by making your voices heard! We need as many of you to respond to this public notice as possible so that we can continue to fight this development!
Public Hearings - March 4, 2024.
Long Road Commerce Center - September 2023
Buffalo News story posted September 4, 2023 by Jonathan D. Epstein. Long Road Commerce Center.YouTube Video - August 7, 2023
Town Board Abruptly Changes Course on Long Rd Warehouse - August 2023
On July 17, the Town Board committed to hosting and participating in a detailed public review of the consultant reports related to the Long Road warehouse project and scheduled the first review for July 31st. They did not follow through on that commitment. The meeting never took place and CRED4GI inquired as to why that didn't happen.On August 2nd CRED4GI received a communication from Pete Marston (acting Town Supervisor) stating that the Town Board was working on scheduling public reviews of the consultant reports. However, in the closing minutes of the August 7th Town Board meeting, Marston said the approach has changed and that the Town Board is planning to vote to ACCEPT the findings. This means the Town Board intends to accept the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Peer Review documents at the next Town Board meeting (scheduled for 8/28) WITHOUT FURTHER REVIEW. You can view his comments here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZmXfjbfRmY.
CRED4GI spoke to two different Town Board members about why their approach has changed. Based on their answers we conclude that they are being pressured by the developer's lawyers to move forward. The Board's acceptance of the findings at this stage would be an egregious breach of trust and a failure to fulfill their duties as public officials, especially given they sat on these findings for three months before even posting them for public review. Our town officials appear to be waiting for public comments to define the issues and criticisms of the project for them instead of taking responsibility to proactively protect the public interest. And what about our advisory boards? From what we understand, none of the Town's advisory boards have been asked to weigh in on the DEIS or consultant findings. Why are they being excluded from the process?
When challenged to explain how the Board could accept the findings when there have already been major issues raised by the public that have not been addressed in the reports, the Board members had no response. It is time for the public to hold our officials accountable and to take action to protect the future of Grand Island. Here are four critical actions you are urged to take:
1) Show up to speak at the 8/28 Town Board meeting to protest the duplicitous process announced by the Town Board. Let our officials know that they cannot cancel the essential review process of thousands of pages of reports that should involve their consultants and the public in open discourse. Let them know that before accepting any findings they must address the various problems with this project proposal. Bring your yard signs and participate in a public protest similar to that held in opposition to the Amazon warehouse. Mark your calendars and plan to participate!
2) If the Town Board decides to move forward with their current plan and the project's DEIS receives approval without addressing the serious issues raised by residents, CRED4GI has secured legal representation to file an Article 78 (legal proceedings against the Town). Please help to fund this action! Please send checks to CRED4GI, PO Box 121, Grand Island, NY 14072 or you can donate online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/cred4gi.
3) Show your opposition to this project! Please put your yard signs up. If you need a yard sign email us at CRED4GI@gmail.com and we will deliver one to your front yard. Bring your signs to the protest on August 28th. Yard signs will be distributed at the protest as well.
4) If the Town Board goes ahead with their plan to accept the DEIS, they must wait at least 30 days to schedule a public hearing. This would put the hearing at late September/early October. We need All Hands On Deck at the public hearing to voice objections and issues with the project, so mark your calendars!
Cathy Rayhill, spokesperson
Coalition for Responsible Economic Development for Grand Island - cred4gi.org
New Yard Signs Available! - January 2023
CRED4GI has purchased 150 new yard signs to display across Grand Island. We will be handing out the signs at the Visitors Center, between 6-7pm tonight (Thursday, Jan 12) and tomorrow night (Friday, Jan 13). We have also purchased stickers to paste over the old "No Amazon Warehouse" signs. We have been monitoring the Town Board meeting agendas and they have yet to vote on ordering independent consultants to refute the findings of the developer (that conclude there will be no issues with traffic, noise, pollution, etc). We want the Town Board to order independent consultants to review ALL aspects of this project and still believe that the project does not comply with the zoning requirements of a B1 property.
Revised Warehouse Plan Submitted - October 2022.
Peaceful Opposition Walk - August 3, 2020
First Public Meeting - July 10, 2020.
