KENMORE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Emotions ran high as co-owner of Insty Print, Tom Metz spoke out at the Village of Kenmore's Board Meeting Tuesday night.
"We're happy being here," said Tom Metz, Co-owner of Insty Prints. "We've been there all these years. We've got a lot of support from the community and you know we've also been community members ourselves. For them to do this to us is tough, excuse me."
The business is at risk of being acquired by the Village of Kenmore through the New York State Eminent Domain Procedure Law. If acquired, the Kenmore Police Station, which is next door, would expand onto Insty Print current location.
"Right now, as it stands we don't have a choice," said Dave Metz, Co-owner of Insty Prints. "So that's why we're trying to see if there's any other option for them to get into a different location."
Dave Metz said they were just getting back on track following the pandemic but now they're being hit with another tough situation. Christopher Billoni, Vice President of Colvin Cleaners, the neighboring family business next door, said he'd like to see the process paused and a committee put in place in an effort to keep from harming their businesses.
"We should be the city of good neighbors," said Christopher Billoni, Vice President of Colvin Cleaners. "I don't think that you know forcing a family business out of their current, this is not an abandoned building. This is an operating business who has been paying their taxes like everybody else for decades. We do have a history with the Mayor and we're all friends. We just strongly disapprove of this move."
Patrick Mang, Mayor of the Village of Kenmore. said the police department is running out of room and needs facilities for female officers and dispatchers. He also said expansion would include locker rooms and restrooms for the, along with a sally port for the station. Mang said they've explored other possibilities and none would offer a seamless transition.
"Well we want to have it kind of located centrally in the Village of Kenmore, which right now it is," said Mang. "Options up on Military Ave are not great and if you think about it any other place we would go, we would have to use Eminent Domain. There's no local empty lots on the Village that we could build the place."
Mang said another important factor in expanding right next door is the gun range in the basement of the station that he said is required. Mang also told 7 News conversations are still to be had among the board and an offer is on the table to Insty Prints. He said they are waiting for them to accept of counter-offer.
"We'll take a look at it," said Mang. "We'll have a discussion about it to see whether we feel its a reasonable request or whether we feel like we did do our due-diligence and we felt like we did do what we could to pick the right location."
It'a a discussion both Insty Print and Colvin Cleaners are hoping turns in their favor.
"It's a huge disruption to our business," said Tom Metz, Co-owner of Insty Prints. "It's going to be, the cost alone, the loss of business, the disruption on business is going to be tough to handle."
"It's just tough when someone's taking your home away from you," said Dave Metz."
