Greenway Commission agrees to leave River Road properties alone

by Ralph Schwarz
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, March 23, 2006

Making good on its promise to work with the residents along the proposed walking trail on the Niagara River, representatives of the Niagara River Greenway Commission said they will not be taking any private properties on River Road in Wheatfield.

Following a discussion with about 80 River Road residents as well as representatives of the Wheatfield Town Board on March 15, Rob Belue, administrative coordinator of the Greenway Commission, and Greenway Commission member Paul Leuchner agreed to honor a resolution that would deny any organization access to riverfront properties in the town.

“The Greenway Commission will honor a Town Board resolution to deny any trail access along the Niagara River (in Wheatfield), which would protect the private properties along the river,” said Wheatfield Town Supervisor Timothy Demler.

Demler arranged the informational meeting after being contacted by a number of River Road residents who expressed fears that the Greenway Commission would take parts of their riverfront properties under eminent domain to create a walking trail along the Niagara River that would stretch from Buffalo to Youngstown. While most parts of the proposed trail already exist, the segment running through Wheatfield would still need to be constructed.

Trail To Be Redirected

“We’re recommending that the Greenway Commission take a look at a potential greenway path north of River Road on established land,” Demler said. “That would accomplish their goal of having a nice greenway path, but at the same time protect the rights of our property owners. And I think we have a very successful win-win (situation) here.”

The Town Board intends to approve its resolution to protect the homeowners on River Road from any eminent domain by any organization in a special meeting on Wednesday, March 29, at 7 p.m.

Although Belue assured River Road residents and members of the recently founded Wheatfield Water Front Association at the earlier March 13 Town Board meeting that the Greenway Commission will include public input in its planning and listen to abutters’ concerns in its planning process, Demler said that the outcome of the meeting even surprised him.

“I expected a discussion tonight,” he said. “I wanted to alert the residents that something like (eminent domain) could happen down the road, so when the Greenway Commission agreed to accept our resolution, I was absolutely shocked but very pleased at the same time.”

Both Belue and Leuchner stressed that the Greenway Commission will stand by its promise to listen to public input.

“We said all along that this would be an open process,” Belue said after the meeting. “We want to work together with the different communities and their residents, and what happened here tonight shows that we’re going to honor the residents’ requests.”

WWFA To Work With Commission

“We wanted to get this (issue resolved) before it gets too late,” said Patrick Tench, chairman of the Wheatfield Water Front Association. “If we waited, a year from now, they would be walking in and run a path through everybody’s backyard.”

Tench added that his group welcomed the support from the Wheatfield Town Board.

“This is not the first time the people on the river have organized, but we never had any government involved,” he said. “Now we have the town with us, which makes a real big difference; everything seems to be working well.”

Still, Tench remains cautious about the Greenway Commission’s concessions.

“They come down and tell you what you want to hear, I think,” he said. “If all materializes what they said tonight and happens in the end, I’ll be happy. But what he said tonight put me a little bit more at ease.”

Tench added that the citizens group plans not only monitor but also work with the Greenway Commission.

“Our agenda right now is to give them something to work with,” he said. “The town is going to make a proposal to them where to put the path through. We all know that they are going to put a path through. … Our goal is to put the trail in where it is amicable for everybody so that it is good for them and good for us. … But the key is we all have to work together.”