By Sharon Turano, The Post-Journal
NAPOLI – Four to five new homes per year are expected to be built in the next two years around Enchanted Lake in the town of Napoli.
The housing plan is part of the Napoli Development Corp.'s purchase of 450 lots and 35 acres of vacant land around the lake site.
The 1,100 acre Enchanted Lake Development site was owned by James Zaepfel, who presented it as a gift to the Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. in 1999.
The Cattaraugus Development Corp. sold the lots to the Napoli Development Corp. in a transaction that was completed on Friday and announced Monday.
"This land transfer, to the corporation formed by the 14 existing homeowners (at Enchanted Lake) is intended to rectify some of the major problems that have plagued the community for over 25 years," said Rick LeFeber, Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. executive director.
He said the homeowners now have sufficient land to create 5 -acre minimum sites that meet county Health Department requirements for septic systems and wells.
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. will maintain ownership of the 900 acres remaining at the Enchanted Lake site. The group is pursuing a federal conservation easement on 500 to 700 acres of wetlands and habitat.
"This would be the basin for creating the James A. Zaepfel Preserve," LeFeber said.
The remaining land is being reviewed for potential recreational, residential or commercial development.
"We are looking at every opportunity that will best serve the region for community and economic development," LeFeber said.
The Cattaraugus Development Corp. officials thanked Zaepfel, town officials and residents who worked on the plan to have the Napoli group take over some of the properties for residential development.
"They all worked very hard to create a logical solution to a three-decade old problem," he said. the coordinated efforts allowed the CLDC, residents, town and county to "make this a winning situation for everyone."
Tuesday, January 25, 2000
Final parcels sold in Enchanted Lake land deal
By Rick Jozewiak, The Olean Times Herald, Tuesday, January 25, 2000
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. finished the sale of about 540 parcels to homeowners landlocked by the former Enchanted Lake Development.
Rick LeFeber, executive director of the non-profit Development Corp., said the lots and an additional 35 acres was deeded over to the Napoli Development Corp. Friday afternoon.
The Napoli Development Corp. was formed by 14 homeowners landlocked on quarter-acre sized lots inside the 25-year-old defunct Enchanted Lake Development. Originally, developers had planned a recreation community with a manmade lake, and some people bought property and built homes.
The project was abandoned when plans for a dam fell through and the county eventually foreclosed on much of the property. Developer James Zaepfel of Williamsville later bought the land at a tax title property auction.
Mr. Zaepfel had planned to develop the property, but his plans fell through. Mr. LaFeber's Local Development Corp. agreed to take the property as a donation, which included one year's back taxes. The amount owed for taxes was $50,000.
The Local Development Corp. conveyed the land to the Napoli Development Corp. through quick claim deeds, which will require the homeowners' organization to pay the back taxes on those parcels.
The transfer amounted to about 200 acres, which will pay for about $37,000 of the back taxes, Mr. LaFeber said.
"For the people already living there, this allows them to pick up adjacent property" and expand the size of their lots, he said. "They now have sufficient land to create the five-acre minimums to meet County Health Department requirements for septic and well."
When the development was first planned, some property owners built homes before water and sewer services were installed. When the development was first planned, some property owners built homes before water and sewer services were installed. When the development project folded, homeowners were left using wells and septic storage tanks. With no resolution foreseeable, the Health Department eventually gave the homeowners variances to install residential septic systems.
Mr. LaFeber's organization is still exploring possibilities for developing some of the remaining 900 acres and protecting wetlands. the organization plans to apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wetlands Reserve Program, which would provide some tax saving benefits.
The 500 to 700 acres that will eventually become protected land will be named the James A. Zaepfel Preserve, in honor of his gift to the development corporation, Mr. LaFeber said. The deal between Mr. Zaepfel and the development corporation was organized by Napoli Town Clerk Tammy Buchardt and the town's board.
The Cattaraugus Local Development Corp. finished the sale of about 540 parcels to homeowners landlocked by the former Enchanted Lake Development.
Rick LeFeber, executive director of the non-profit Development Corp., said the lots and an additional 35 acres was deeded over to the Napoli Development Corp. Friday afternoon.
The Napoli Development Corp. was formed by 14 homeowners landlocked on quarter-acre sized lots inside the 25-year-old defunct Enchanted Lake Development. Originally, developers had planned a recreation community with a manmade lake, and some people bought property and built homes.
The project was abandoned when plans for a dam fell through and the county eventually foreclosed on much of the property. Developer James Zaepfel of Williamsville later bought the land at a tax title property auction.
Mr. Zaepfel had planned to develop the property, but his plans fell through. Mr. LaFeber's Local Development Corp. agreed to take the property as a donation, which included one year's back taxes. The amount owed for taxes was $50,000.
The Local Development Corp. conveyed the land to the Napoli Development Corp. through quick claim deeds, which will require the homeowners' organization to pay the back taxes on those parcels.
The transfer amounted to about 200 acres, which will pay for about $37,000 of the back taxes, Mr. LaFeber said.
"For the people already living there, this allows them to pick up adjacent property" and expand the size of their lots, he said. "They now have sufficient land to create the five-acre minimums to meet County Health Department requirements for septic and well."
When the development was first planned, some property owners built homes before water and sewer services were installed. When the development was first planned, some property owners built homes before water and sewer services were installed. When the development project folded, homeowners were left using wells and septic storage tanks. With no resolution foreseeable, the Health Department eventually gave the homeowners variances to install residential septic systems.
Mr. LaFeber's organization is still exploring possibilities for developing some of the remaining 900 acres and protecting wetlands. the organization plans to apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wetlands Reserve Program, which would provide some tax saving benefits.
The 500 to 700 acres that will eventually become protected land will be named the James A. Zaepfel Preserve, in honor of his gift to the development corporation, Mr. LaFeber said. The deal between Mr. Zaepfel and the development corporation was organized by Napoli Town Clerk Tammy Buchardt and the town's board.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)