Neighboring are feuding in an East Amherst neighborhood.
Dozens of people living in the New Road Community have yellow yard signs in front of their homes. The signs read, “So No To Dangerous Rezoning of 284 New Road.” Referring to a 58 acre parcel in the middle of the residential neighbor.
The Jacobs Family live near the property and owns it. They want to sell the land to Natale Builders, to make room for a $35-million dollar, 80 home subdivision.
The Jacobs Family can’t sell the land until the Town of Amherst grants a re-zoning permit to turn it into a sub division. Something neighbors don’t want.
One of the reasons neighbors are concerned about this new subdivision is because of the traffic it may cause on New Road, which they already have safety concerns about.
“New Road is dangerous. Kids walk down there everyday and to put 200 more cars on New Road during rush hour could be dangerous,” Larry Rera, neighbor said.
Another concern is the neighborhood losing the green space and neighbors say the area the houses would be built on is a flood zone.
The Jacobs Family did not want to do an interview Tuesday afternoon until speaking with their attorney. Neighbors claim the hacks sent a lengthy letter to all concerned. It said “The land that you do not maintain, the land that you do not pay taxes on, the land that some of you use for your own private park and dumping… is not yours and we are the ones maintaining it and paying the taxes on.”
The Town of Amherst is set to hold a public hearing on the re-zoning issue in March, after the town’s newly elected administration takes office.
But the town supervisor told 7 Eyewitness News The Jacobs’ have already filed for a use-variance from the zoning board of appeals. A document which would allow them to bypass the usual process and likely receive their rezoning.
They could have an answer by the middle of next month.
