Shelby’s proposed Overlay District by Refuge would be detrimental to community

Editor:

I am a voting taxpayer and have lived on Ryan Road in the Town of Shelby for over 30 years. After attending the public hearing of the Shelby Town Board Meeting on Sept. 7, I have a few comments on the proposed zoning law changes No. 2 (LL2).

There is no doubt in my mind that the Town Board does not want a stone quarry south of the Fletcher Chapel Road between Sour Springs Road and South Woods Road and north of the Wildlife Refuge.

They must feel that they can’t legally stop the quarry with a standalone zoning restriction so they are trying to make us believe that they are somehow protecting the Refuge by restricting the land usage of a large portion of land bordering the Refuge by the taxpayers that own this land.

I heard nothing at the Sept. 7 public hearing to make me think the quarry or any of the restrictions they want to place on the land owners in this “overlay district” would be detrimental to the Refuge. How can kennels, motor vehicle repair shops, campgrounds, retail businesses, and many other types of businesses they are trying to stop hurt the Refuge?

This proposed law does however hurt the taxpayers in the Town of Shelby by limiting what future projects and businesses might come in to our area to help lessen the high taxes that we taxpayers are currently paying.

I live less than ½ mile from this overlay district. I can understand why some of the landowners bordering the proposed quarry don’t want it there. I’m not sure if I would want it next to my property either.

I also understand why some of the landowners in this Overlay District are against this law. I certainly don’t want anyone telling me what I can or can’t do with my property. I dread what might be coming next.

If the Town Board can limit what the landowners in the Overlay District can do with their land, they may try to limit what I can do with my land. This Overlay District is mostly open farm land. How often have you seen large blocks of farm land sold to a business that brought with them jobs and more money for the tax roll? The Hill Farm on Rt. 31A is the first that comes to mind.

I wouldn’t mind if the Shelby Town Board tried to pass a law banning the Stone Quarry. Let the courts sort it out.

What I do mind is them trying to package other restrictions to hide their true purpose. I personally think this proposed LL2 law will be detrimental to the Town of Shelby, detrimental to Western NY, detrimental to the land owners and detrimental to the residents of this area.

David Schrader

Shelby