Amherst GOP candidate files ethics complaint over Westwood Country Club purchase

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Republican candidate for Town Supervisor in Amherst has filed an ethics complaint with the Erie County Board of Ethics and the Town of Amherst Ethics Board, alleging a conflict of interest in the proposed transfer of the former Westwood Country Club.

The complaint, filed by Dan Gagliardo, alleges that Deputy Supervisor Shawn Lavin, Councilmember Michael Szukala and Councilmember Angela Marinucci acted unethically in "participating in and voting on resolutions related to the transfer and sale" of the 171-acre property, which was transferred to Erie County for $1 earlier this year.

The former country club has been closed since 2014. Erie County took over the land earlier this year and developed plans to build a public 9-hole golf course and a public park.

Gagliardo alleges that the three, including Lavin, who is running against him for Town Supervisor in November, voted to transfer the property "despite their ongoing employment or direct professional relationships with Erie County."

Marinucci is the chief operating officer of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library but does not work for Erie County. Lavin and Szukala recused themselves from the vote on the transfer on Sept. 25.

"It’s disappointing, though not surprising, to see Mr. Gagliardo working this hard to sell out Amherst’s proposed green space," Lavin told WIVB News 4. "His attempts to block solutions and push for a sale of the Westwood property make it clear how far he’s willing to go against the community’s best interests."

Gagliardo had previously filed an Article 78 court action, which challenged the legality of the deal. He has questioned the purchase several times, including claiming that his company, Nicklaus Design Group, did an assessment of the property to develop a private 18-hole golf course, but his plan to do so was rejected.

"These votes should never have taken place," Gagliardo said in a news release Friday. "When elected officials are connected to the very entity they're voting to benefit, the responsible and ethical thing to do is recuse themselves. Instead, they chose politics over principles, and taxpayers deserve better."

Amherst bought the Westwood land in April 2023 for $7.8 million, some $5 million more than what Mensch Capital, an investment firm, paid for the property about a decade prior. Initial plans included a splash pad, playground, ice rink and a community theater on the space, but the plans for the theater were scrapped last year after public outcry about the $11 million cost.

The space is bordered by Sheridan Drive to the south, North Forest Road to the east, Maple Road to the north and Fairways Boulevard to the west. The park and golf course are set to open to the public in 2026. It will join Grover Cleveland Golf Course in north Buffalo and Elma Meadows Golf Course in Elma as a third county-owned course.

A Town of Amherst spokesperson told WIVB News 4 that it has yet to receive a complaint.