Jeromeme Posted July 9, 2014 Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) Hello, My two cents. I respect everyone's opinion, their input. I have lived all my life in Lackawanna for 48 years from my perspective that I worry about may happen down the road. Its ok if you disagree. Lackawanna's 1275 acres of RUST BELT IMAGE AND SCARRED LAND, where politicians are allowing industry to ramp up again. A hundred years ago Buffalo had the Pan American Exposition of canals and parkways, the future was looking bright both literally (the invention of the light bulb was on display in all it's glory) and figuratively. At the same time on the horizon the Steel plant a few miles away was ramping up, getting its roots sunk into the waterfront with its menacing tall stacks of billowing smoke that drifted down as an orange color sulfur foul smelling air. Ready to swallow up, destroy all of the beautification of Buffalo, a paradise of Buffalo creek, canals and Niagara river. When the Steel plant folded up it left the land desolate, polluted and disdained by onlookers and visitors from out of town. People fled Western New York's negligence on their waterfront. Lackawanna waterfront if had been developed as a park way with a large inner harbor and with wood lawn beach as the jewel, would of made Buffalo a national perhaps world destination of a clean fresh water lake resort town, incredible sport fishing, a magnificent sand beach and bay, only a few miles away from downtown and 20 miles from Niagara falls. Just saying the potential was very great to shine like other beach communities around he world, where exist not only permanent staying jobs, but a place to play and enjoy the natural environment. We are now at the cross roads again, great hopes and dreams of clean waterfront like a hundred years ago, but as was then same is today Industry is ramping up again, recently built to some a despised fracking steel tube company and especially when doesn't need to be built on waterfront land, could be built inland. However there are politicians that don't care about Lackawnna's waterfront and fast money with industry's appetite wants it all. Even the wind mills are being used to deceive Western New York citizens, to ease their fears to ignore industry ramping up again on the waterfront and keeping citizens from wanting their full waterfront back. This to buy time for industry to get stronger on the waterfront, then nothing will be able to stop them when a large polluting industry wants to set up shop in Lackawanna. Being we allowed them again to get their roots sunk in deep on the waterfront. The mayor of Lackawanna on July 12, 2013 during a conversation with a citizen, said there is a company from India interesting in moving to Lackawanna's waterfront, three times as big as the recent fracking tube business moved to the waterfront. Whose to say what was that industry from India, not known for a clean environment, perhaps its a rather clean industry, even so if built would result in the community would become dependent on the industry on the waterfront and will play right into the hands of the politicians. Who then later if offered them by another industry that is much worst on pollution, the politicians will have enough support from the community that no matter people standing up to it, can't be stopped. Buffalo's Blue and Green economy greatest enemy is industry when it gets its roots sunk into Lackawanna's waterfront. We have a tremendous chance of a mega project on the waterfront to change it forever to a total paradise, that will return to the community a hundred fold. Citizens from around the nation will look twice at Western New York, to invest, live, and play. Lackawanna citizens need your help they had their total waterfront blocked off to them for 100 years. If the people truly unite behind a worthy cause nothing can stop them from seeing their dreams and goals being accomplished. Petition 1 https://www.change.org/petitio... Petition 2 https://www.change.org/petitio... (Detail study of the clean up) Edited July 9, 2014 by Jeromeme
jethro_tull Posted July 9, 2014 Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks for sharing your frustration. The Bethlehem site needs to be cleaned up with or without the stadium. The publicity of the stadium should help get people energized and active, which is what this is going to take to get off the ground once again. It seems like the area is in need of a grass roots organization to rally the voters and demand that local state and federal elected officials report on where they are with respect to- *Federal Brownfield funding agreement (no funding agreement reached since organized in 2003) *Industry zoning (if the waterfront is still zoned for industry, then this needs to be revised ASAP). *State of NY clean up planning (dormant since 2009). Unfortunately, possibly linking the cleanup to the new stadium may turn people off- especially ones that do not want taxpayer funds supporting a new stadium. If they are linked, they may not support the cleanup because of that link. Good luck!
Jeromeme Posted July 17, 2014 Posted July 17, 2014 While attending the three recent outer harbor meetings, the Mayor of Buffalo announced in his speech there is 4.8 billion dollars of investment at this moment in economic development in the city. I sense a large percentage is spurred on by the clean up and exciting developments around the waterfront in providing public access. We live in NEW YORK STATE, we are suppose to be known for facing great challenges, finding solutions, triumphing, leading the nation and the world. The Bethlehem Waterfront Park Project is a legitimate worthy cause to seek funds from the federal government as seed money to pay for the complete initial clean up and re-beautification. https://www.change.org/petitions/jim-kelly-buffalo-bills-domed-stadium-on-lackawanna-s-waterfront-is-the-only-right-place
Recommended Posts