Dear Friends:

The county legislature’s Government Operations Committee will again consider a resolution to put the Indian Creek woods up for sale on the open market at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The meeting begins at 3 p.m.

At the committee’s last meeting on Nov. 24, ICNA made a presentation and urged county legislators to work with ICNA and the community “to create a model on creative land use that preserves green space and protects the lake’s watershed” in making decisions on what to do with the 25.5 acres of Indian Creek woods.

Members of the committee, chaired by Dan Klein, did not respond to our request to work with the county on developing plans for preserving and managing the property, with time for the community to negotiate a purchase plan. Mr. Klein pressed our members for a quick sale of the property.

County leadership has not responded to requests from citizens of West Hill on issues related to environmental management or preservation. West Hill does not have adequate representation in county government, unlike citizens in Danby or Dryden who have been able to work with the county legislature to preserve natural resources like, for example, the Fall Creek parcel on Pinckney Road. During its decades of ownership of the Indian Creek land, the county has never conducted a full environmental review of the Indian Creek wetlands, flora and fauna, or an archeological study of the documented native peoples’ crossing of Indian Creek at Dubois Road.

On Dec. 14, several ICNA members met with the county Environmental Management Council’s Unique Natural Areas committee to request that the committee investigate extending the existing Indian Creek Unique Natural Area to include the 25.5 acres of the woods and wetlands. We are presenting a formal request to the committee.

During this holiday week, we know it will be difficult for community members to attend another county committee meeting whose outcome we expect will go against us, since the county legislature has shown no willingness to sit down and work together with our West Hill community. If you can attend, please make a comment in our support at the beginning of the meeting.

Government Operations Committee Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 3:00 p.m.Legislature Chambers, Tompkins Building, 121 E. Court St.

For updates and more information, including maps and other background, visit our website at indiancreekneighborhood.com.

We’ll meet in January, in the new year, which we hope will bring new opportunities and happiness to all the members of our community.