ORCHARD PARK, NY (WKBW) — On Wednesday evening, the Town of Orchard Park board approved the rezoning proposal allowing development near Highmark Stadium.
"We are way behind the eight ball and if we don't start to look at this and address it in that way and say, 'ok, enough's enough.' We had 50 years of a stagnant stadium, 50 years," said Orchard Park Resident and Chamber of Commerce President Don Lorentz.
The Town will now rezone three different areas into “Development and Research 2” zones:
- The immediate area around both Highmark Stadium and the new stadium
- A zone northeast of the stadium around South Benzing Road
- A large zone at the northwest corner of Milestrip Road and Southwestern Boulevard
The Town Board voted 4-1 with Supervisor Eugene Majchrzak voting against the proposal, he told me the town needs a better plan.
"Let's read what the comprehensive plan is and then if we have to make any changes to what is on the table, then we can do so and not do it and have to or not have to go back and do it," said Majchrzak.
Hotels, restaurants, bars, retail stores and more could come with that change, and it would also raise the town’s building height limit in those zones from 2.5 stories to four stories.
Some residents say they are against the new developments.
"You think you're gonna start building all these hotels and restaurants and people are gonna be coming to this just because there's a new stadium I think is a lot of pine in the sky," said Richard Meister, resident of Orchard Park.
This is a story we've covered in the past, you can hear other voices from the Orchard Park community below.
The Youngs have lived next door to Highmark Stadium for 34 years and they’re not looking to go anywhere.
Council member Liberti assured neighbors that corporate businesses would not be placed in the proposed rezoning area, instead they're looking for local commercial businesses.
