by Christopher Caile

Supervisor James Pax surprised listeners at Monday's Town Board meeting by stating that he will soon present his own Town Center Plan. The new proposal information came up during conversations following comments by Councilman James Sharpe on his own plan proposal. Pax said it is still too early to provide details of his plan or who is involved but it should soon be ready.

Pax said later that the new plan "would be a lot less expensive." And he emphasized, `we will find funds for it. he declined to provide any more details. Sharpe introduced his own detailed proposal with a letter addressed to the Town. Anticipated characteristics of the plan were noted, and there was a call to form a Town Center Master Committee.

The proposal was to be placed on the Town's December 16 Meeting agenda. It called for approval of the scope of the work on the Town Center Plan and to enter into Funds requested would have been $18,760 to be deducted from the unused portion of the 1996 Contingency Account.

Now, with the new Pax proposal, the timing of Sharpe’s plan introduction and request for funding is in doubt. Sharpe told the Dispatch, "I'm going to wait in introducing my plan until the time Pax introduces his own. This will allow comparison, and out of this perhaps we can develop a plan that will include the best of both. What's at stake here is not my plan or Jim's, but the best interest of the Town Center and the people of Grand Island." "Sooner or later we will have to commit to the Town Center Plan within the Comprehensive Plan we have created, and all the activities happening only add to the necessity to do something and find money. Stressing the importance of action now, Sharpe added, "There is the Tops expansion and associated commercial space, two major subdivisions waiting to be submitted for Town approval, expansion of the Town park, plus continuance of the sewer district along Grand Island Boulevard, and the necessity of new sidewalks. Especially important is the collapse of business within the Town Center."