By Andrew J. Sheaves, Buffalo News (NY)

The supervisor of the Town of Amherst has decided not to pursue his prior plan to acquire Glen Oak and Westwood and sell off part of the Audubon Golf Course, so the logical next step for the town is to approve the rezoning of the Westwood site to allow for its cleanup and development.

In July 2014, Mensch Capital Partners unveiled an innovative $238 million plan for Westwood, proposing a traditional, walkable and sustainable neighborhood, rooted in the planning goals and objectives of Town of Amherst’s Comprehensive Plan.

Following a series of Mensch-sponsored community “town hall” meetings, the Erie County Health Department asked Mensch to conduct a Phase 2 environmental study. The test results revealed traces of arsenic in the soil of the tee boxes, greens and some fairways, with concentrations that often exceed New York State Department of Environmental Conservation soil cleanup objectives for residential, commercial or industrial uses.

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For the entire column, see

http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/viewpoints/everyone-will-benefit-from-cleanup-of-westwood-site-20160424