Our Neighborhood, Our Park, Our Home
There is a treasure called Beckwith Park - a 12.8- acre area of land, hidden from the hustle and bustle of Henrietta. This land is known and treasured by families on Galway Drive, Cattaragus Drive, Peddington Circle and Beckwith Road. The area is wooded, has meadows and fields and even wetlands and a stream listed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. It’s wonderfully overgrown with cherry, slippery elm, maple, oak, ash and walnut trees, and it's home to fox, deer, skunk, raccoon, bats, woodchucks, turkeys, ducks and a host of other wildlife. There are thickets, meadows and even a wild blackberry patch.
We, the current residents surrounding the Beckwith property, are banding together to diligently oppose development of the Beckwith wild land. When we bought our houses, many of us were told that the land behind our property would be forever wild, so we were horrified to learn that it all may be developed into 18 single-family houses. The landscape will be bulldozed and flattened, trees torn out, wetlands filled in and the whole area leveled to allow for houses to be built. We were not made aware of the possible sale in advance of the developer’s involvement. In fact, the Town Planning Board gave local residents only seven days notice to attend a preliminary hearing regarding the development of the land. However, while most of the 100 plus residents who live in close proximity to this land are opposed to its development, residents were not allowed to speak at this meeting. So far the Town Planning Board denies it has any power to save this invaluable piece of wilderness, only to determine whether the new development should have streetlights or sidewalks and the like. From our perspective, the developer seems to have far more rights than Henrietta taxpayers, Henrietta homeowners, and Henrietta voters. Why This Matters: The Human CostWe have children in tears over the thought of losing the land that they have played on and grown up with.
The development plan calls for a retention pond to collect not just runoff from rain, but also drainage from the new road to be built. The pond will collect runoff road salt, motor oil and lawn chemicals, and is planned to have a slow drain. One neighbor has had an organic vegetable garden in his back yard for 20 years, and is alarmed that the pond drain points right into his lot. We also worry about pond odors, dramatic increases in mosquito activity and increased water in an area already prone to flooding. Just recently, a four-year-old boy was pulled from a pond in the town of Perry, N.Y, and airlifted by Mercy Flight to Buffalo, where he eventually died. The pond as proposed will be surrounded by the properties of seven existing neighbors, and will cross the backyards of four of the proposed new lots. We have a lot of children in this neighborhood, and with Fyle School just two blocks away, we will have a lot of children here in the future. With 11 properties potentially surrounding this pond, many of us are heartsick at the risk this would pose to neighborhood children now and in the future. While we are all affected in different ways, we are standing together to try and stop the development of the land that we love. Map of the proposed Beckwith Park development
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Proposed DevelopmentFor further information on the planned development see the Town of Henrietta Planning Board Meeting Minutes here
Local History and Current InitiativesIn 1815 George L. Beckwith settled in West Henrietta and established a family homestead in an area where later a road would bear and perpetuate the family name - Beckwith Road. It was through the influence of George Beckwith and others that one of the first public libraries in Western New York was organized in 1816. George Beckwith was also an active member of the town debating society which was credited as “the most potent element in making Henrietta the intelligent community it has long been regarded.” ( "Henrietta’ s Homes and Heritage," by Marilyn Krisanda, Henrietta Journal, July 17, 1968, p. 5.)
In 2011 the Town of Henrietta published a Strategic Update to the Comprehensive Plan, identifying three key initiatives, of which one was development of a Green Infrastructure Plan. The concluding paragraph of the Vision and Goals statement of this document states that the basis of Henrietta’s vision for the future is formed by the importance of working to maintain a balance between appropriate development and the preservation community character and quality of life. In the series of goals that followed, two stand out as being particularly relevant to the Beckwith land: Among the stated Environmental Goals: - Promote the Quality and Integrity of Natural Ecosystems and Areas of Biological Diversity Among the stated Parks, Recreation, and Land Preservation Goals: - Preserve ... Undeveloped Land That Protects Cultural, Scenic, and Natural Features and Helps to Maintain the Town’s Character In 2015, the most recent edition of Henrietta Happenings, published by the town announced that Henrietta is taking the first steps to becoming recognized as an Audubon International Green Community. The article states, “the Town will benefit by being a sustainable community where we will be recognized as a leader to improve the quality of the environment, the quality of life and community safety.” The current residents surrounding the Beckwith property are taking courage from the historic nature of their properties and the adjoining land, and the stated goals of the town of Henrietta. We stand together to oppose the proposed development of this unique treasure. |
Community Photos: our look at the land we love
A recent bird watch walk through the Beckwith property found 41 species of birds, some of which can be seen below.