The Church at Shawnee Landing

To our neighbors and friends in Wheatfield:

We represent The Church at Shawnee Landing. We are the former Payne Avenue Christian Church, part of the Protestant denomination known as the Disciples of Christ. We believe in no creed but Christ, believers’ baptism, and a communion table, open to all who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

We have been a vital and committed part of the North Tonawanda community since our founding in 1888. We made our home at the corner of Payne Avenue and Wheatfield Street starting in 1926. At the time when our former church was built, that part of the city was sparsely populated and predominantly rural in character. We were known and well respected for nearly three-quarters of a century under the name Payne Avenue Christian Church, which connected us to the North Tonawanda community.

Payne Avenue Church grew along with North Tonawanda. But in more recent decades, the population has shifted outward. We share the vision of a new church with an expanded mission of service to a burgeoning population in neighboring Wheatfield. We took the leap of faith to make it happen.

It was an important decision reflecting a sincere commitment to change, when we adopted a new corporate name The Church at Shawnee Landing. We are firmly committed to build a renewed connection to the larger Niagara community by planting seeds of faith in a former farmer’s field now known as Shawnee Landing. The Church will build a new home at Shawnee Landing. We have every hope and prayer of becoming a blessing to our new neighbors as we have been to those we served in the past.

Also on the site will be Safe Haven at Shawnee Landing, a church licensed day care center. We hope to offer a wide range of youth programs and family oriented activities that will serve the community while enabling us to grow the membership of our church.

A bequest from devoted church members enabled us to purchase 20 acres of land on Shawnee Road in 2000, and we began to embrace the challenge. As plans evolved, we decided to develop housing, both to provide means by which to complete our church, and to extend ministry to families in need.

Our plans now include The Town Homes at Shawnee Landing, a 64-unit community of affordable town homes, offering 1-4 bedrooms for families, seniors, and the disabled, along with our day care center.

It’s been a journey of faith lasting more than five years. We have overcome many obstacles along the way. While the Town Homes are underway first, our Church project will soon follow. It is our commitment of faith and our mission for generations to come.

We have heard quite a lot lately from a few Wheatfield residents who greeted the commencement of our project with hostility. Some opponents of our mission cite concerns over race. Others deny that race is a motivating factor, but they cite similar concerns over a perceived burden on schools, traffic, crime, and property values.

Critics make the claim (without factual foundation) that the developers of this project, a Christian Church, a non-profit housing development organization and a private businessman somehow pulled a “bait & switch” by proposing a senior housing project, then switching mid-stream to affordable housing including families and seniors.

Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that our development team first talked to Supervisor Demler about senior housing, it is also true that we were in the early exploratory phase of our plans at that time. We never made any formal application to the town or the State of New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal for a senior housing project.

Our records show the following timeline:

• March, 2002-The Church informally agrees to explore a co-developer partnership with Belmont Shelter Corp., and Paul Granville.

• Spring and summer, 2002-The development team approaches State Senator George Maziarz and Rep. Tom Reynolds about our early concept of senior housing.

• November, 2003-We learn that Rep. Reynolds has secured a HUD grant of approximately $447 thousand toward the project.

• December, 2003-New York State Division for Housing and Community Renewal informs us that the Town of Wheatfield has other senior projects underway, and that chances for successful funding would improve if the project were re-designed to include affordable housing for families along with seniors and the disabled. The Development team decides to make the change and informs Rep. Reynolds of the change in focus.

• January 5, 2004-Rep. Reynolds announces the HUD grant at a Wheatfield news conference. Site plan at that announcement shows both senior and affordable family housing. Subsequently, Sen. George Maziarz secures a $150 thousand dollar grant from New York State, and Rep. Reynolds assists in securing a $640 thousand grant & loan from the Federal Home Loan Bank

• January 11, 2004- Buffalo News Niagara edition features an article about Payne Avenue Christian Church developing 25 acres on Shawnee Road for a Church, community hall, and affordable housing for seniors and low-income families.

• January 15, 2004-Town Supervisor Timothy Demler writes an official letter to Vic Baker welcoming Payne Avenue Christian Church to the Town of Wheatfield and stating: “We are pleased and very supportive of your plans to provide much needed Senior and starter income housing for the residents of Wheatfield and Niagara County. We are looking forward to working with you and your board in the coming weeks to begin the approvals and construction of this very important project. I have taken the liberty of scheduling some preliminary meetings with the building department and sewer department over the next several days. Thank you again, for your help in bringing this much needed project to Wheatfield, and I look forward to working with you in the coming months.”

• January 27, 2004-Mike Riegel of Belmont Shelter Corporation forwards a letter to Rep. Thomas Reynolds informing him that the New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal has “strongly advised us to consider changing the project from senior housing (primarily one-bedroom units to family housing (two, three and four-bedroom units). He said that making this change will increase the chance that the application will be funded.” Rep. Reynolds asks HUD to review and agree to the modification.

• February 10, 2004-Application to the Wheatfield Planning Board for site plan review of the project, including 10 Town Home buildings and one community center. The project is listed as affordable housing.

• February 23, 2004-Planning Board review of site layout.

• March 3, 2004-another Planning Board review

• March 21, 2004-Application to the Town of Wheatfield to change zoning to R3 (multiple units) for the site on Shawnee

• April 19, 2004-Wheatfield Town Board conducts public hearing before approving zoning changes allowing affordable multi-unit housing. The board approves motions stating that the project would have no adverse environmental impact of the town.

• August 3, 2004-New York State Division for Housing and Community Renewal decides not to fund the project during that year’s grant cycle.

• December 27, 2004-Wheatfield Planning Board reviews revised site plan which downsizes acreage for Town Homes from 12 to about 8 acres.

• January 5, 2005-Further site plan review by Wheatfield Planning Board

• January 12, 2005-Further site plan review by Wheatfield Planning Board

• January 26, 2005-Conditional site plan approval by Wheatfield Planning Board, pending NYSDOT favorable comments on traffic study, engineering review of swales, sewer pump analysis, storm water prevention plan, and archeological study of site.

• April 5, 2005-Site Plan Review by Wheatfield Planning Board. Board to require agreement about upgrade of sewage pumping station, all water and sanitary sewer easements to be private, signs to be moved to side of road, requirements on hydrant placement. No action pending review and approval from Niagara County Planning Board.

• May 15, 2005-Niagara County Planning Board approval

• August 14, 2005-Governor George Pataki announces funding approval by NYS Division of Housing & Community Renewal for the $9.2 million Town Homes at Shawnee Landing, a project providing affordable housing for families, seniors and the disabled.

• December 23, 2005-Declaration from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation that the project will have no effect on historic properties.

• January 1, 2006-Wheatfield Planning Board reviews separate site applications from Church and Town Homes.

• February 15, 2006-Further review of site plans by Wheatfield Planning Board

• March 1, 2006-Further review of site plans by Wheatfield Planning Board

• March 22, 2006-Further review of site plans by Wheatfield Planning Board

• April 19, 2006-Further review of Site plans by Wheatfield Planning Board
• May 17, 2006-Final site plans approved by Wheatfield Planning Board

• October, 2006-Wheatfield Town Board approval of PILOT agreement.

• October, 2006-Final approvals from U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and NYSDEC (wetlands mitigation) and from New York State DHCR (project designs).

• October 25, 2006- Project signs PILOT agreement with town. Project agrees to finance a percentage of sewage pump station upgrade.

• October 26, 2005-Town Engineers Timothy G. Walck, PE and Timothy J. Zuber, PE issue recommendations for project approval based on engineering review of plans.

• October 26, 2006- Town issues building permits for 11 buildings.

• November 1, 2006- formal closing, dispensing funds for the project.

• November 6, 2006- Groundbreaking Celebration event attended by Gov. Pataki, Rep. Reynolds, Sen. Maziarz, Supervisor Demler, and Niagara County Treasurer David Broderick.

Some very unkind and untrue remarks have been made about us, and our plans; regrettably, we were not given an opportunity to fully address the questions and concerns raised by the angry crowd at the Wheatfield meeting of December 19th, 2006.

Mike Riegel has pointed out numerous studies, which show that affordable housing such as ours does not depress neighborhood property values, but actually enhances them. He pointed out that 25% of the people currently living in Wheatfield would meet the income guidelines to live in Town Homes at Shawnee Landing. He has also pointed out that rental units such as ours, place less of a burden on local schools than single privately owned homes.

• We believe the Town Homes at Shawnee Landing meet a critical need for safe, decent, affordable housing in Wheatfield.

• We believe the larger community of Wheatfield will welcome and embrace our new community for families, along with our mission to serve individuals and families from all walks of life.

• We believe that The Church at Shawnee Landing will provide a new home of fellowship and worship for those who seek God’s guidance and comfort.

• We believe that Safe Haven at Shawnee Landing will live up to its name by providing peace of mind for working parents in our community.

It is our faith commitment, our mission, and our future destiny to extend God’s love and serve our neighbors as a Church, a Safe Haven, and a home for families at Shawnee Landing.

May God bless you,

Rev. Jerry L. McGlone
Pastor
The Church at Shawnee Landing

Vic Baker
Moderator for Development
The Church at Shawnee Landing


	OUR PROJECTS

		New Church Building

		Residential Community

		Daycare Center