Reuse Assessment

Section Six Land Use Trends and Needs in the Village of Gowanda

Another factor in the eventual reuse of the PCG site will be the supply and demand for property in the Village. A formal market analysis of the Peter Cooper Gowanda site is beyond the scope or resources of this project, however, several important aspects of land use trends and needs in the Village are discussed below.

General Trends
The Village of Gowanda is basically at “build-out” condition, meaning that all properties have been developed at one time. If new development is to occur, therefore, it will most likely be on formerly used properties. There are some exceptions to this, however, as a rule there is little property in the Village that has not been put to use at one time as a residence, business, industry, municipal use, community use, etc.

The 1999 Master Plan for the Town of Collins and the Village of Gowanda surveyed 1997 land uses in the Village and found that of its 846.53 acres:

41% (346.91 acres) was being used for Residential purposes;
21.5% (181.94 acres) was Vacant;
10.8% (91.45 acres) was being used for Community Services;
10.3% (86.96 acres) was being used for Commercial purposes;
6.9% (58.26 acres) was being used for Industrial purposes;
7.2% (60.58 acres) was being used for Public Services/Utilities;
1.7% (14.55 acres) was being used for Amusement/Recreation;
.7% (5.8 acres) was being used for Forest/Parkland; and
0% was being used for Agriculture.

Industrial Land Use
In terms of Industrial Land Use, the 1999 Master Plan found little, if any, opportunity for industrial facilities to locate within the Village, noting that:

“The reality is that the Collins-Gowanda area is extremely low in usable industrial zoned land. Serviceable land for industrial development in the Village is approximately 4-10 acres: and of that amount, neighboring residential uses could be limiting the assembly of land for industrial purposes. … Unless changes are made, the lack of serviceable and available industrial land will continue to be a major deterrent for attraction and growth of new or existing companies.”

Since the Master Plan was written, the 24-acre parcel of property at 241 Palmer Street was sold to a local developer. This property used to house the office and research facilities of the Peter Cooper Corporation. The property is not part of the PCG Superfund site, and the Village and new owners have had professional environmental audits carried out. 241 Palmer Street was identified at the October 2001 meeting of Planning and Economic Development Stakeholders as the only site that was close to shovel ready for any light industrial or service related industry that wanted to locate in the Village.

Another area of industrial properties – most of which are now vacant – is in the vicinity of Torrance Place and Industrial Place. This area has housed at various times the American Voting Machine (AVM) Company, Gowanda Electronics and program facilities of the Western New York Developmental Disabilities Services Office (WNYDDSO) [1]. The area is currently the subject of various environmental studies and remediation activities related to early industrial activities. Two properties are currently part of the New York State Superfund Program or Voluntary Cleanup Program. Due to the known presence of the environmental contamination, it is unlikely that new facilities would locate there currently or in the near future.

Residential Land Use
In terms of Residential Uses in the Village, it is clear that the value of owner occupied units in Gowanda is lagging behind other regional municipalities. For example, in 1990 the median value of owner occupied units in Gowanda was above the median value in Cattaraugus County as a whole by approximately 6.5% ($44,900 vs. $42,100 respectively). Ten years later in 2000 the median value in the Village was 11% below the countywide median value ($54,800 vs. $60,800 respectively). [2]

Examined another way, in 1990 the median value of owner occupied units in Gowanda was 17^th highest among the 50 municipalities in Cattaraugus County (including three Seneca Reservations). By the year 2000, the median value in Gowanda has slipped to 29^th among other municipalities in the same county. [3]

This is a significant differential to occur over a ten-year period, and strongly suggests that the perception among area residents is that the Village is not as desirable a place to live as it once was. There has not been a concerted study to pinpoint why Gowanda’s residential units would be slipping in relative value, however, the discovery and publicity surrounding the environmental contamination at former industrial sites in the Village during the 1990’s is one cause suspected by public officials.

The same inequity appears between the Village and some of its Erie County neighbors also. Recent figures show that several towns in the Gowanda area had higher increase in values during the 1990-2000-time period than did the Town of Collins (including the Village of Gowanda). In fact the Town of North Collins had one of Erie County’s highest increase in housing value - 10% or greater (adjusted for inflation) [4]. Other nearby communities that fared better than Collins-Gowanda include the Towns of Brant, Evans and Eden that all saw an increase of 5.0% – 9.9%.

Commercial Land Use
In terms of Commercial Use, the Village of Gowanda Business Development & Downtown Revitalization Study – 2001 summarized the Commercial Real Estate Market Conditions below. Although the Study found little demand currently in the general commercial land use market, it also found that there is a particular need for overnight accommodations in the Village to support an expansion of tourism opportunities in the Gowanda area.

“Overall, the downtown building stock supports the level of commercial activity ongoing in the Village to an adequate degree. Substantial local ownership is likely to maintain the current conditions, although there is some concern that the properties on Jamestown Street, particularly those on the west side, will continue to deteriorate. Any municipal efforts to address structural commercial development in the downtown area should include a focus on the Jamestown Street Buildings, while land uses on South Water Street and the continued preservation of West Main Street properties should also be priorities. In the long-term, substantial private interest in new development in the downtown area is likely to be stimulated by an increase in tourism and/or the application of significant financial incentives.”
“The local commercial real estate market was analyzed with a focus on downtown properties. … The current market for the sale and leasing of commercial space in the downtown area is highlighted by a significant lack of demand, which has kept prices more affordable. In addition, there is generally low turnover in local businesses and a high incidence of local ownership. As a consequence, commercial real estate activity is sporadic and generally slow. Property values tend to show little in the way of appreciation and actually decline in some instances. Consistent with visual observations and the survey of business and building owners, commercial properties are in generally good condition, but could benefit from some renovation and modernization.”
“A successful maintenance and strengthening of the Village’s commercial activity, combined with a growth in tourism, appears to offer the best opportunity for future growth.”
“Promoting the development of additional lodging facilities in Gowanda to support the overall tourism development effort.”

Recreational Land Use
As noted at the beginning of this section, only 14.55 acres of the Village are used for recreational purposes, as determined in the 1999 Master Plan. At the Public Forum held as part of the Village of Gowanda Business Development & Downtown Revitalization Study – 2001, the need for additional recreational opportunities was described as follows.

“Recreational opportunities, however, were seen as critically limited. Several Forum participants commented on the lack of both indoor and outdoor facilities for soccer, basketball, skating, tennis, etc. As a community which views itself as a regional hub and bedroom community, this represents a serious gap which could negatively impact commercial and residential growth, property values, and quality of life.”

The Revitalization Study went on to recommend “Developing and enhancing local recreational activities, particularly for youth.”

A recent survey of recreational facilities in the Village by project personnel confirmed that Gowanda has several well-planned and maintained parks and sport facilities, however, there are a number of popular recreational activities that cannot be accommodated, including skating (summer or winter); swimming; and any type of field sports such as baseball, soccer and lacrosse – if it is not school-related.

The Village’s current recreational/park facilities include the following.

Active Recreation Facilities

Center Street School (Hillis Field) – well-maintained facility for Track & Field Events, Football, Baseball & Lacrosse. There is also a small elementary school ball-field. These facilities are for School use only and not open to the general public.
Gowanda Middle/High School - Hardball & Softball Fields for School use only.

Passive Recreation Facilities

Creekside Park – a pocket park designed for passive recreation that includes a paved trail way and outdoors gazebo. Restrictions include limited access and parking, limited at-grade access to the Creek.
Chang Hu Park – a pocket park with emphasis on horticulture.

Neighborhood Parks

St. John’s Park – a neighborhood park with a large children’s playground.
Hidi Park – a neighborhood park with a small children’s playground.

Pictures of the Village’s current recreational facilities appear below.

Current Active Recreation Facilities in Gowanda

Figure 6a
Sports Fields at Gowanda Central School – Hardball, Softball
School Use Only

Figure 6b
Hillis Field behind Center Street School – Track, Football, Baseball, Lacrosse
School Use Only

Current Passive Recreation Facilities in Gowanda

Figure 6c
Creekside Park
Trail, Gazebo, Open Areas, Parking for +12 cars

Figure 6d
Chang-Hu Park
Horticulture

Neighborhood Parks

Figure 6e
St. John’s Park
Large Playground and Open Space

Figure 6f
Hidi Park
Small Playground

For easier printing on your PC, this section of the PCG Reuse Report is also available in Adobe PDF format.

Footnotes
(click on the number to the left of each footnote to return to the footnote reference in the body of the report)

1	The Western New York Developmental Disabilities Services Office moved its Day-Hab Program from the area in 2001 after becoming concerned about possible on-site environmental contamination. The agency has been looking for a new location in Gowanda to relocate its Day-Hab Program, as well as possibly its regional administrative offices and a group home facility. One site the agency has been investigating is the 241 Palmer Street property.
2	Based on figures made available by the Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning & Tourism. Figures are not adjusted for inflation. Compiled figures are included with this report as Attachment J.
3	See Attachment J.
4	“Hot real estate: Residential values take biggest jump in N. Collins, Wales, Clarence, Cambria”. Buffalo Business First, 5/27/02. A copy of the article appears in Attachment J.