AMHERST TIMES
The town of Amherst said no to rezoning a project in which a developer group wanted to build 24 units on North French Rd. The Town Board rejected the requested rezoning, from suburban agricultural to multifamily residential, for the Green Organization’s plan to construct two buildings, with 24 apartment units total, at 4400 North French Road, just west of Transit Road. One concern for the Town Board was its location within the town’s floodplain.
That’s when the Green Organization and Palumbo turned to the Zoning Board. The board spent 3½ hours over two meetings in May and June listening to a debate of the project’s merits, reviewing the request and voting on several variances.
The Zoning Board ultimately agreed the property owner had demonstrated it would face a hardship without the use variance and that it could not otherwise enjoy a reasonable return on the sale of the land.
written by: James Tricoli, editor of the amhersttimes.com wrote the article below.
NOW HEAR WHAT REALLY HAPPEN IN THE TRANSACTION ABOVE.
Why the ZBA gave a use variance to the Green Organization and Palumbo was the developer’s attorney explaining the developer couldn’t make any money if this property was given a use variance. The developer explain how they were going to build these homes on this flood plain. They would spread a gravel like substance in the ground under the homes.Then they would build these homes on top of the gravel like substance which would raise the houses above the water.
These new homes would.t have any basement most likely have serious contractual problems like sinking. The ZBA is control by thre strong developer people.There are only 5 members on this Board. The answer is simple why developers get what they want from our ZBA.
Originally published on Amherst Times. Republished with permission.
