3 days ago
Amherst GOP candidate: Residents should have been included in Westwood Country Club property plans
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Republican candidate for town supervisor in Amherst said that residents should have been included in discussions for what to do with the old Westwood Country Club property.
Dan Gagliardo, who is the GOP-backed candidate for the position, said his company, Nicklaus Design Group, did an assessment on the property to develop a private 18-hole golf course. He said that he submitted the request to the town, but it was rejected.
In April, the town announced that they are working with Erie County to develop the site into a public nine-hole golf course and a public park.
Gagliardo said that he believes the town should maintain ownership of the property.
'We got to get people to buy in to what we're talking about,' Gagliardo said at a Monday news conference. 'They didn't want to talk to any of those people, why?'
The Westwood Country Club closed in 2014. Amherst bought the 171-acre property in April 2023 for $7.8 million, some $5 million more than what Mensch Capital, an investment firm, paid for the property about a decade prior. Initial plans included a splash pad, playground, ice rink and a community theater on the space, but the plans for the theater were scrapped last year after public outcry about the $11 million cost.
The space is bordered by Sheridan Drive to the south, North Forest Road to the east, Maple Road to the north and Fairways Boulevard to the west. The county will provide funds of $6.7 million for the project. The golf course and the park are currently scheduled to open in 2026.
Current Amherst town supervisor Brian Kulpa declined to comment.
Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.
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