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City on right path with development

Over the last three and a half years I have been urged on numerous occasions to respond to the negative commentary surrounding the city’s development department. I find that exercise time-consuming and counter productive to accomplishing the directive at hand of growing our city in a sustainable way. However, I cannot continue to shrug off the blatant misinformation put forth on numerous fronts, most recently, by Vicki Westling (Aug. 12) and my opponent.

I will start with the potential senior housing project. The leaked confidential report published in the OBSERVER (Aug. 9) outlined a market rate plan for seniors that would be in the ballpark range of $1,000 per month, hardly low-income. This plan would have included a host of amenities that would have tied in nicely with our existing hotel and path along the waterfront.

Mrs. Westling comments, “we need to look for ways to increase the number of taxpayers in the city, not continue to burden the ones we have.” With all due respect a $5 million private investment, even with a PILOT, will increase our tax base and NOT burden our existing one. It will bring an influx of people to our area as well as keep current residents who have outgrown their larger homes and want to stay here. Residents of these apartments would have disposable incomes to support our local retailers which in turn would spur new retail development.

What is most obviously missed in the drivel of these editorials and commentary is that this proposal was simply that, a proposal.

If the majority of council, which did support the formation of a LDC prior to the Democratic endorsement meeting, authorized the formation of a LDC, that board would have been able to formally market a 27-year- old vacant property over a one month period in an open and transparent setting (I thank Council members Michael Michalski and Bill Rivera for their support).

That process would have allowed ample time for a variety of developers to submit their best plans for those parcels. Once the RFPs were received, the LDC (composed of three council members, development director, myself, a city business owner, and County IDA member), would convene and review ALL proposals, and make the best possible decision with the supplied data and information.

Mrs. Westling also comments on the lack of a comprehensive plan. The city was previously awarded a Brownfield Opportunities Step 2 grant to the tune of $360,000, of which a portion can be used to develop a comprehensive plan that will encompass approximately half of the city. The main purpose of this grant is to develop a marketing/redevelopment use of the former Al Tech site. The city has never had a comprehensive plan, but this is a significant step in the process of developing one.

I must now clarify two grant related items that have been recent fodder from my opponent.

As many of you know, the city, under Development Director Steve Neratko’s efforts, has been able to secure multiple grants over the last three and a half years. Two of them have been politicized during the primary. I cannot be any clearer when I state unequivocally that neither grant was lost, despite my opponent’s claims.

The first, secured with the assistance of Nicole Waite, was a $250,000 New York Main Street grant that is being utilized on the Coburn Block as well as the streetscape (benches, trees, trash/recycling containers) that you now see installed along the first two blocks of Central Avenue.

This progress has enabled the city to submit another Consolidated Funding Application, for $500,000 of NYMS funds that eight downtown business have already submitted an application of interest for in order to improve facades or interiors. If you couple that with the 25 percent required match from the business owner, we are expecting a $750,000 investment in our downtown. The first phase, which was recently completed, was so highly thought of by other business owners that we have had unprecedented interest in this potential phase two.

In regard to the Wright Park amenities, our original plan was to have all or most of the amenities installed in 2015. However, as with many things in life, plans change, requirements change and we as leaders must have the ability to adapt.

In recent weeks we have submitted a new proposal that would allow the city to phase in the original $450,000 Wright Park amenities including an ice skating rink, new playground, splash pad, upgraded parking and bathroom facilities, and volleyball courts, to name a few. While it would have been nice to have everything installed in a shorter period of time, phasing in the work allows for more careful planning and the opportunity for more public input as items are installed. It may even allow us to invest more funds in the Wright Park area.

We continue to promote our city through great festivals – next up Beach Bash, Aug. 22 – and weekly music on the pier that draw an average 2,500 residents and visitors alike, network across the state, and push hard for precious grant dollars that benefit the infrastructure and appearance of our great city.

We continue to partner with the State University of New York at Fredonia and the County IDA on potential projects like the SUNY 2020 grant application for a Lake Erie Discovery Center (a $10 million to $15 million project on our waterfront) as well as numerous discussions with multiple developers interested in the DLDC-controlled Bertges property and the Edgewood Warehouse property on Roberts Road.

This past week we received proposals on the long vacant Niagara Motors property and in short order we will formally select a developer for that site. We stopped the bleeding by not investing city taxpayer funds to pursue development efforts and strive daily to market the properties left to us as we also work to facilitate sales between private business owners and developers.

I could go on and on about development efforts and would be glad to discuss potential projects and plans, as I have over my twelve years in public office, either by phone, email, or in person. Let’s continue to move forward in building up the city of Dunkirk together.

Anthony J. Dolce is mayor of the city of Dunkirk.

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