CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – The town’s effort to sell its seven year old, but never used hovercraft took a new turn on Friday, when town crews quietly hauled if from its usual parking spot behind the town garage, and placed it on the front lawn near busy Union Road with a “For Sale” on it.
The Saga of the Cheektowaga Hovercraft
The town bought the hovercraft brand new for $70,000 in 2011 with the idea that it could be used by the highway department to maintain waterways, or even to rescue stranded Thruway motorists during winter storms.
But not long after buying it the town learned the DEC wouldn’t let them use it (for its primary intended purpose of clearing debris from swollen and flood prone streams) unless the town took the costly extra measure of installing ramps for it to access the water. The design and construction of which (due to environmental regulations) made the hovercraft’s use cost prohibitive.
The town then tried to sell the hovercraft at a surplus equipment auction in 2014 where the high bid of
roughly $11,000 was not to the town’s liking, so it was kept.
Then, this past April, the town board approved the sale of the hovercraft to a dealer in Illinois for $20,000.
However, that deal fell through for reasons which remain uncertain.
Town Supervisor Diane Benczkowski, in a recent town board work session, blamed the media, specifically 2 on Your Side, for “scaring the buyer away” by reporting that the town intended to sell the hovercraft.
2 On Your Side's Joshua Robinson asked Benczkowski Friday evening to elaborate on her claims:
Robinson: "I'm specifically asking [you about the hovercraft] in response to you saying that Channel 2 was responsible for the sale not going through."
Benczkowski: "Oh that's not what I said see?"
Joshua: "Do you want to clarify then?"
Diane: "I don't. It's been a long day for me. I'm sorry."
New Method of Sale
Town Highway Superintendent Mark Wegner said that within hours after being placed in front of the Highway Department headquarters Friday, calls had already come in from a couple of interested buyers.
“Our Highway Superintendent is independently elected,” Town Councilman Brian Nowak said. “So, if this is his way to try and sell it, then by all means, I guess."
However, according to town council members James Rogowski and Jerry Kaminski, the town board will have to first rescind the sale it previously approved to Universal Hovercraft, before the sale to another party is consummated.
Anyone interested in buying the hovercraft can call (716) 686-3422 for more information. For now, the town has not advertised a proposed purchase price.