ALDEN-WHICH DIRECTION ARE YOU HEADED IN?

Below is the letter submitted by Jim Guarino. Jim has been a faithful ARRG member; attending most all of the town meetings; often contributing very knowledgeable information attempting to defend our precious farmland. Thanks for all of your hard work.

I attended an Alden Town Planning Board meeting last spring, when this question was asked “How much farmland is in the Town of Alden?” The only record available in the Town Hall shows only those parcels that receive an agricultural tax levy, but they do not show small farms as my own, which do not meet all of the criteria. I contacted the USDA in East Aurora, and they provided a map of the Town, showing those properties that were enrolled in USDA crop programs in the last several years. From that map, crop land in the Town is currently estimated at 5400 acres. I shared this information with the Planning Board and the Town Board. The Planning Board Chairman indicated that the amount of farm land as shown, may portray that Alden is too rural to bring business and industry to the Town.

At the Sept 11th Planning Board meeting, the Chairman made a comment that farmland is land “that is just waiting to be developed”. All of the research and reports that I have seen from the Farm Bureau, USDA, NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets, Erie-Niagara Storm Water Coalition and several independent study groups, strongly suggest that farmland is a precious resource that should be protected from development. For at least 10 years, with the farmland at Sandridge and Broadway in mind, I have asked the Town Board: “What are you doing to preserve farmland?” Despite assurances that farmland and open space are important to the Town, we have ended up with no positive action to date, Periwinkle subdivision, smaller lot sizes, more commercial zoning and now this proposed rezone.

Also present at the Sept 11th meeting, were Mr. and Mrs. Martin, owners of the farm to be rezoned for the proposed Wal-Mart. Mrs. Martin made a presentation as to how good their cropland is for growing crops, and how important it is for the stewards of that crop land to maintain proper drainage and proper farming practices. Mr. Martin read several news articles on how current tax laws do not allow for the financial risk of farming, and how a poor crop year can make taxes a real burden. I agree with their statements, but I do not agree with their solution. A better solution would be to aggressively pursue farmland protection programs as Marilla and Amherst have done.

James M. Guarino