| Chapter 1: | Welcome to Hickory Woods |
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low priority, and the finances were simply not available from bankrupt LTV Steel or City Hall.
Despite the financial crisis and the rejection of the 2000 remediation plan proposed by the EPA, cleanup progressed in the neighborhood. In 2003 the EPA agreed to complete the remediation of neighboring Boone Park and of the playground that bordered Hickory Woods. Nevertheless, residential hot spots remained untouched, as did vacant lots that had tested positive for PAH in the EPA study. Then in 2003 Hickory Woods residents were faced with a “take it or leave it” offer. Buffalo mayor Anthony Masiello’s administration offered a $1 million package that would provide $150,000 per household. However, the accuracy of findings regarding neighborhood hot spots was still undetermined. As traditionally occurs in such cases, residents remained unwilling to concede their fight for full neighborhood cleanup (Babinski, 2006; Fairbanks, 2003).
It was not until October 2007 that residents finally saw progress on the plans for relocation. The city announced that funds had been secured to provide $7.2 million in settlement funds for Hickory Woods homeowners. Even after this announcement, however, residents were hesitant to believe that they would receive the funds in a timely manner. Six months later, the first payments were made—$4,000 each to 220 homeowners. The number of homeowners was larger than the initial 80 who had claimed to be part of the Hickory Woods community. The EPA widened the neighborhood boundaries to include homes that were older than the original subdivision homes slated for the Hickory Woods neighborhood. The case took on additional legitimacy as more homeowners joined the suit, although some of those residents who had lived in the neighborhood the longest felt that the newcomers were less than sincere in staking their claims, believing they may have been motivated by the prospect of government compensation.
More recently, in April 2009, City Hall approved a beautification program for Hickory Woods. The program provided $625,000 for new