Also, resident wants to swap parcels with town
By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
New York State Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay has secured a $50,000 grant for the town of Lysander to acquire land on Smokey Hollow Road adjacent to Lysander Park. The grant, which is available through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York’s State and Municipal Facilities (SAM) program, will go toward purchasing a parcel belonging to the Nosewicz family.
Town Engineer Al Yager told the Messenger the town is already under contract to purchase the Nosewicz property for $80,000.
At the work session preceding the Feb. 6 Lysander Town Board meeting, Town Attorney Tony Rivizzigno said three of the siblings who own the property have signed the deed, but a fourth sibling has yet to sign because of a disagreement over how to split the proceeds of the sale. He said a judge told the siblings to sell the property, put the money in escrow, and figure out the distribution with the judge’s help.
The Nosewicz property might not be Lysander’s only upcoming parkland transaction. Yager said the town is planning to build a half-mile nature trail through the undeveloped portion of the park. Richard Whitney, who owns a parcel north of the park, has proposed exchanging about 8.5 acres of his property for the town’s so he can have more of a buffer between the park and his home on Route 48.
Whitney is also concerned about the health of ash trees on the property and is worried they could fall on his house.
In a memo to the town board made available at the work session, Yager wrote that the swap would give the town about 700 feet of additional frontage along Hencle Boulevard. Whitney would receive about 640 feet of additional frontage along Route 48.
“The town land included in the proposed land swap has a very steep slope adjacent to Route 48 and has a significant wet area at the bottom of the slope that will likely be designated as a federal wetland if a wetland delineation was completed in the area. Mr. Whitney’s property that would be included in the land swap is primarily deciduous hardwood forest land that is relatively flat and dry but would never be given a driveway permit from the Onondaga County DOT because it fronts Hencle Boulevard,” he wrote.
Deputy Supervisor Bob Geraci said the parcel fronting Hencle Boulevard could be worth a lot in terms of real estate, but Yager said it would be unethical for the town to sell the gifted parkland.
Yager said Whitney does not want to pay any out-of-pocket costs for the swap. The town would need to put out a request for proposals for a subdivision map and appraisal, which could be paid for from the in-lieu-of-parkland fund or from the town’s general fund. He estimated the survey would cost around $1,500 and the appraisal would be less than $1,000.
“It’s not an expensive endeavor,” Yager said.
As for the planned nature trail, Lysander has applied for a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Grant. If selected, the town could receive $50,000 to construct the half-mile trail. The town will learn whether it has been awarded the grant this summer.
