Amherst, N.Y. (WBEN) - Two weeks before Election Day, one issue still remains front and center: The future of the former Westwood Country Club.
The site has been at the center of a saga that's lasted since the former country club closed in 2014. In that span a multi-million dollar mixed use development was proposed and shot down, and the idea of a central town park never got off the ground. Amherst bought the property in 2023 for $7.8 million, and transferred it to Erie County earlier this year for $1.
But how much of a winning campaign issue is it?
"As you move further away from the site itself and move farther and farther through the town it becomes less of an issue," said Republican Political Strategist Carl Calabrese.
Still, it as been a focal point of Republican candidate Dan Gagliardo's campaign.
"What the Republicans have done is make a really big issue out of the sale price of $1. They've said you may not live near the park, you may not use the park, but the town spent $7.8 million to buy it... and they sold it for $1."
Calabrese said that stressing the fiscal implications is how Gagliardo hopes to turn it into a winning issue. The town must still pay off part of the money it borrowed to buy the land.
Two town board seats in Amherst will also be on the ballot.
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