AMHERST, N.Y. — The concept of making part of the Audubon Golf Course a cemetery due to the belief of human remains buried there wasn't on the agenda, but was addressed by members of the public at Monday night’s Amherst Town Board Meeting.
"No one has ever complained about it, so I don’t know why all of sudden it’s a big deal" said Amherst resident and golfer Ron Coniglio.
A concept unveiled two weeks ago by Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa and the Forest Lawn Group of cemeteries is far from being set in stone.
Nonetheless, Monday evening marked the first time the Town Board has met since the proposal was unveiled, the issue was raised by members of the public during a public comment period during the meeting.
"I rode my bike there when I was 14 to play the golf course, so it’s apart of me also and I’m sure it’ll be a sad day if it does close in the near future," said John Leising, who leases the golf course from the town of Amherst.
Leising said he would be disappointed if it closed, but will support whatever the town decides to do with the land.
"We understand that they have difficult decisions to make in the future, as a taxpayer we will support them either way," Leising said.
“Generally speaking, the people who've had a conversation with me understand that there isn't a change to golf this year staring them immediately in the face this spring,” Kulpa said. “Most have been willing to have a conversation over the course of the year," Kulpa continued.
Kulpa hopes to organize a task force including members of the golf leagues that utilize the town course to gain their input. One of the key issues will be if the town needs the golf course, in light of a revelation that surfaced eight years ago that some areas of the golf course contain human remains.
It all goes back to the 1960s, when the University at Buffalo was building out its South Campus, and remains from a paupers field near Bailey Avenue, once associated with the nearby county poorhouse, were dug up.
The remains were quietly taken to a section of UB owned land off Maple Road and North Forest, which later became the town of Amherst’s Audubon Golf Course.
The majority of the remains are believed to be in areas near the 18th tee near Maple, and the 14th green closer to North Forest.
Though the remains were believed to have been placed there more than 50 years ago, their presence only came to light more recently.
Kulpa, who became town supervisor 2018, believes the issue needs to be addressed.
Two weeks ago he announced a concept of taking part of the golf course (most of its eastern half) and selling it to the Forest Lawn Group, which would then make a “memorial garden,” which would be a burial ground for cremated remains only.