We can understand residents’ concerns over a $70 million housing project at a former golf course near Dewittville.

A room packed with local property owners opposed to the project made their views crystal clear during a recent presentation on the project. And while we aren’t ready to say the project is the best thing for Dewittville, we aren’t ready to say the land should be donated either – as was suggested during the recent public meeting.

Let’s start there.

Chautauqua Lake property owners pay some of the heftiest prices in the county for their homes and, by extension, some of the most expensive property taxes in the county. And, those property taxes on what are largely summer homes help keep county taxes down for those of us who live in Chautauqua County year-round. It makes little sense to take property that just sold for $2.2 million off the tax rolls entirely. Suggesting the land be donated would be literally cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.

Neighbors also don’t like the idea of a high-density development on the golf course and worry about increased noise. Those who have lived in the Dewittville area for decades well remember how busy the golf course and adjoining set of condominiums were throughout the year decades ago. The course was well-trafficked, as was the adjoining development – no one really complained about the noise back then. It was a typical part of the summer months, just as increased traffic from summer residents is accepted as the norm in southern Chautauqua County.

Infrastructure concerns, density, concerns over lake rights and how the development will affect Chautauqua Lake, however, are serious issues for Ellicott Development to work through. It’s likely this project won’t be approved as presented. We expect there will be protections for the lake added as the project moves through the various stages of government review.

Density and lake rights are important, but the most important, in our view, is how the development affects Chautauqua Lake. That includes infrastructure needs for water and sewage. Let’s face it, overdevelopment of Chautauqua Lake does threaten to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Yet not developing – or in this case redeveloping – the area around the lake threatens to turn the golden egg into a hard-boiled egg. We collectively have to walk a tightrope between protecting the lake and relying on the lake economically.