Tyson Foods could buy unused park acreage near Route 2 in Amherst

AMHERST — A long, skinny stretch of public parkland could be sold to Tyson Foods to make way for expansion. City Council voted Monday to let its Community Improvement Corporation negotiate the sale of about six acres to the Cooper Foster Park Road business. The land in question, located between the factory and state Route 2, is part of the 16-acre DePaola Park, which is mainly used by children's soccer leagues. The portion that could be sold is treed and largely unused. Mayor Mark Costilow said he won't allow any of the highly used soccer fields to be sold. Tyson Foods purchased AdvancePierre Foods, including the Amherst factory, in April 2017 for approximately $4.2 billion. Tyson has since invested more than $20 million in the Amherst plant. In August, it announced plans to add about 200 jobs there, bringing the total to more than 700. "They're here to stay and they're looking to expand," Mayor Mark Costilow said in a phone interview. He said Tyson has added a number of product lines, and he believes the factory intends to expand its parking to match. Tyson is now possibly Amherst's largest single employer, Costilow told Council on Monday. He said there are other nearby properties the company could be eyeing for its expansion plans if officials don't go to the bargaining table. When the DePaola Park property was gifted to Amherst in 1976, it came with a deed restriction: Should the land ever be put back on the market, Lorain County Community College would take possession. Costilow said he hopes LCCC will help Amherst negotiate with Tyson to find a deal that benefits everyone. "I know Tyson and LCCC are anxious to conclude the matter," and want to get into negotiations as fast as possible, city Law Director Tony Pecora said. Pecora said normally city-owned property would have to be put up for public bidding. Letting the Community Improvement Corporation hammer out a deal sidesteps that legal requirement. Not everyone was convinced. Councilman Brian Dembinski said he wanted to give the public time to weigh in on the idea before handing negotiations over to the CIC. His bid to delay a vote by at least two weeks failed, though, and Dembinski ultimately was the lone voice out in a 6-1 decision to move ahead. "It seems the mayor has expressed time is of the essence, and considering all we've been through with COVID, it's impressive that a business is ready to expand," said Councilman David Janik, supporting a fast-track vote. Any deal reached between the CIC, Tyson Foods and LCCC will still have to go before Council for final approval. Almost all of the CIC's discussions will be held in public, Pecora promised. He said he will allow only limited exceptions for behind-closed-doors talks when it comes to legal matters. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.