Urbana residents reject Curtiss Park bond
MARY PERHAM THE LEADER

HAMMONDSPORT - A proposal for a lakefront park in the town of Urbana was defeated Thursday.

Voters turned down 340-207 a proposition for a $500,000 bond eeded for the town to acquire 6.9 acres of beach front property. A second proposition, to include a vacant town barn in the deal, also failed, 348-204.

"I'm very, very disappointed and disillusioned by the voters," said town Supervisor Richard Gardiner. "They've turned their back on an opportunity and now it will be gone forever."

If the first proposition had passed, the $500,000 bond would have augmented more

than $600,000 in private donations set aside to purchase the 6.9-acre lot on Keuka Lake.

"They had a chance to have more than half the park paid for," Gardiner said. "An opportunity like that doesn't come around often."

Town officials had planned to set up a "low-impact" park with trails, benches and courts to play bocce ball and horseshoes.

But park opponents said the purchase price was out of line with the original town plan to acquire 11 acres for nearly $1.35 million through eminent domain . They said the smaller park would cost almost as much as the larger parcel and have limited access to the lake.

Use of the site has been disputed for more than 10 years, during which town officials started eminent domain proceedings twice in order to acquire 11 acres of beach front property.

The land was originally owned by the B&H Railroad, which abandoned the property in 1997. The title was then transferred to B&H board member and local businessman Michael Doyle.

Doyle and developer Peter Krog are now building a condominium on a 2.5 acre lot next to the site of the proposed park.

When early negotiations with Doyle fell through the town launched its first eminent domain proceedings in 1999. Although voters favored the first proposal, the proceeding lapsed because of missed deadlines.

A second series of negotiations with Doyle also failed, with town officials again launching eminent domain proceedings in 2003.

However, the $1.35 million bond required to buy the land was voted down 421-378 the following year. After the failed referendum, a group of residents supporting the park launched a fundraiser. The grassroots effort grabbed national attention after the proposed Lakeview Park was renamed after Hammondsport native and aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss. The project netted more than $100,000 in private and organizational donations, with one anonymous donor contributing $500,000.

When the fundraiser fell short of its goal, Doyle and town officials signed a revised agreement four months ago, contingent on the bond being passed. The agreement gave the town more than half the original site, cutting the original estimated price from $1.35 million to $1.1 million. Doyle would have purchased the barn for a nominal sum.

Gardiner said he expects the vacant lot will now be developed. The donations have been kept in a special account and will be returned to the donors, Gardiner said.