Why did your neighbors sue the East Aurora Village Board?

Our village is at a tipping point. Staggering taxes, dangerous levels of traffic, cottages demolished to make way for bigger homes and subdivisions slapped over irreplaceable heritage trees and cherished green space. Many of us no longer recognize the village we grew up in or moved to. For the last eight years, we have watched Mayor Mercurio’s administration choose irresponsible short-term gains over irreversible long-term impacts as serious concerns from community members go unaddressed, but out-of-town business owners move full steam ahead.

Alliance Homes, owned by developers Andrew and Aaron Romanowski, is nearing completion on one highly controversial subdivision at Walnut and Prospect and is preparing to begin a second, equally disputed project at 0 Pine. In both cases, The Romanowski’s and their attorneys at Hopkins, Sorgi & McCarthy have taken full advantage of this Village administration’s ineffective, uncoordinated approach to governance allowing inaccurate or missing environmental impact classifications, bypassed government agency approvals, and neglect of basic infrastructure requirements to slip by Village officials unchecked and unchallenged.

Now we see the same tactics at work with the proposed development on 20A next to Bank of Holland – same administration, same attorneys. And Mayor Mercurio has just announced his ‘feasibility study committee’ for the open space on Girard Ave. across from Parkdale Elementary. Sadly, this ‘committee’ consists solely of Village officials and employees. Apparently, neighbors on Girard Ave., and Seneca St. or concerned members of the public need not apply? Enough is enough!

This past November, our grassroots group called ‘The Piners’ sued Alliance Homes, the Romanowskis and the Village of East Aurora.

Our motivation? Not NIMBYism, not environmental idealism, but because we were fed up and it was time to call out the corruption and demand reliable governance, strict accountability, and ethical standards be restored to our Village offices.

Despite the challenges, we are starting to see the difference this historic legal case is making. After personally financing the first part of this effort, The Piners now invite our community to join us in raising $9000 to see this campaign over the finish line.

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