Hoping to gauge interest in a 16-acre property near the Niagara River, the Tonawanda Common Council this week approved a request for proposals from developers to convert a former Little League diamond near Veterans Park into residential homes.

The move allows Tonawanda to seek proposals about the currently unused land for 90 days. The proposal, which has been talked about in the city for years, will help officials better determine the level of interest in the property.

“We need to expand our horizons, and one of those ways is expanding our tax base,” Alderman Rick Davis said. “There’s been a lot of debate about this parcel. I have to believe that even in this depressed market, there are developments in other communities that are thriving.”

Residents attending Tuesday’s meeting questioned officials about the proposed development. Niagara Shore Drive resident Robert Derner criticized the city’s high taxes.

“At this tax rate, nobody is going to buy those houses,” he said. “When you went through the revaluation [of all properties], you hurt the whole city.”

Other residents were more supportive.

“As a city, we need to move forward and look at these proposals,” said Bill Poole.

Some residents expressed their concern about the Tonawanda City School District’s future plans, as Board of Education members have discussed relocating the football field at Clint Small Stadium to the Tonawanda High School property, which is near the proposed residential development.

City officials said they are working with the school district on a shared services study to better coordinate the future of Tonawanda.

“It has been a topic of discussion,” Council President Carleton Zeisz said. “Something is happening, but I’m not sure at this point what is going to happen.”

Mayor Ronald Pilozzi said that with the school district developing its own long-term plan, he expects the residential development proposals and the recommendations for the school district to be announced this winter so the groups can consider them together.

“The decisions we make are a legacy, and we cannot make a mistake,” Pilozzi said. “There are no second chances here.”