The Henslow's sparrow [1], a bird deemed threatened by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, has been found in Lancaster. Its presence has stopped a developer from moving forward with its plan for a major development in the area.

The Summerfield Farms-Fairway Hills development was conceived in the late 1990s and expanded over time to include the potential for more than 450 single-family homes. Some homes now stand on uncontested parts of the property, but preservationists are blocking a new wave of construction of at least 25 homes, worth an estimated $6 million.

Marrano/Marc Equity [2], the region's largest homebuilder, is a partner in Fairway Hills Development, which owns the property and wants to develop it.

Both the Department of Environmental Conservation [3] and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have presented concerns about what they describe as plans to disturb expanding state and federal wetlands on the property. Marrano representatives have been talking with state lawmakers and DEC officials to address hurdles associated with the project.

According to The Buffalo News [4], Marrano has come up with an alternative that would avoid mapped wetlands areas. In exchange, the developer wants the DEC to promise it won't expand wetland boundaries on the property in the future.

But the DEC does not want to stop expanding wetlands. In fact, The agency is now proposing an amendment that would designate 400 acres north and south of William Street as wetlands.