Developing the South towns.(Special Report: Business in the South Towns)

Residents, politicians worry about too much building

Merchants in the Village of Orchard Park have begun an effort to spruce up storefronts with new facades and a renewed energy.

The heart of the village is known as the Four Corners section, an area that is home to the post office, police headquarters and numerous restaurants and shops.

On the outskirts of town, however, commercial development at the Quaker Crossing Plaza is taking shape in the form of a new Target, an 18-screen Regal Cinemas, two new restaurants and a new bank branch.

That's in addition to development along Southwestern Boulevard that includes the relocation of multiple automobile dealerships and other stores.

Some worry that no amount of heart or renovation by Four Corners merchants will be enough to compete against continued development on Milestrip Road.

"I was opposed to the project from the start," said David Buyer, an Orchard Park town councilman.

Buyer wats one of two councilmen who voted unsuccessfully against a measure to rezone the property where Quaker Crossing is being …