8) Additional Reuse Factors 

In this section we examine some possible reuse factors that have not been previously discussed, including key linkages to other land uses in the vicinity of the PCG site, and the concerns of an important regional neighbor - the Seneca Nation of Indians.

Some of the key linkages that we see between the PCG site and other sites in the vicinity are:

• The Village owned 86-acre property on top of the bluff directly across the Creek from the PCG site.  The property contains the former municipal drinking water reservoir.  Once the PCG property is remediated and as the housing market in the Village recovers, this property could be an attractive location for new housing.

• The Village’s commercial and historic downtown center is approximately 1/3 of a mile away from the PCG site.  If an envisioned creek side trail were built, the access between downtown and the site would be even more convenient and direct, offering greater opportunities for linked activities.

• The Moench Tannery site has been decommissioned and is now sitting vacant.  The company had at one time discussed construction of a golf course on the property.  If redevelopment of the PCG site takes a recreational focus, it could serve as the impetus needed to move the golf course idea forward.  The two projects could be designed to complement each other, and in the process help both of them be successful.

• The Gowanda Nursing Home on Miller Street abuts the property at 241 Palmer Street.  An abandoned driveway, walking trails, and public utility lines link the two sites.  With an increasing senior population in the Village and region, the potential for an expansion of housing and services for seniors is a real possibility for this area of the Village.

• 241 Palmer Street – This site is the only large property in the Village that is currently available for new development.  Owned by a local housing developer, the site has had at least one potential tenant interested in the property for use as an office and day treatment center.  It is critical that reuse of this property, or any portion of it, be coordinated with the redevelopment of the PCG site. 

Directly downstream from the PCG site on Cattaraugus Creek and neighboring the Village of Gowanda is the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI).  Some of the key concerns that were expressed by leaders of the SNI during a meeting held in 2002 include:

• The property’s impact on the environmental integrity of Cattaraugus Creek.

• Insufficient data on environmental conditions in Cattaraugus Creek and in the Cattaraugus Reservation.

• Risk assessment procedures do not consider Native American lifestyles, especially traditional practices that put residents in contact with the creek, the land and groundwater.

• Environmental justice issues given the potential impact of Peter Cooper and other contaminated properties in the region, and their ultimate effect on the Seneca Nation. The EPA describes Environmental Justice as: “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies…”  

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