Could the state become the owner of the city-owned Hemlock and Canadice Lakes and the land around them?  Mayor Bob Duffy that would be "the best of both worlds."

Duffy had hoped to have the properties appraised, but at their meeting on Tuesday night, City Councilmembers turned him down. Their concern: that the appraisal might open the door to selling the land to developers. Duffy said last night that his push for an appraisal doesn't mean he is rushing to put the prime Finger Lakes real estate on the market. But, he said, not knowing the value of the city's assets is bad management.

"There have been stories circulating out there, and some have made their way into the news, but I can tell you I have never had any conversations with developers, no one on my staff has been talking with developers, and in all of the conversations we've had with the county there has never been a conversation about selling to developers," Duffy said. "Those are the facts."

Duffy said selling the land isn't his goal, but he wouldn't state that he would never be interested in doing it.

To say that would be "irresponsible," he said, "because I don't know what the future will be like and I don't know what future administrations could face, but that is not our intention. My number one goal is to keep those waters as pristine and natural and undisturbed as they are right now. I will say that I have had conversations with the state about purchasing them, and that would be the best of both worlds if that could be worked out. But they have not taken any steps toward it."