The long-awaited Aldi grocery store is about to to be coming to DeWitt, according to members of the town board.
“Aldi is just about a go,” said member Tony Albanese just prior to Monday’s board meeting. “There’s just legwork left in the process.”
Board member Irene Scruton explained that the variances have been approved by the town board, and the plans for the store, which will be right across the street from Wegman’s on East Genesee Street, will be reviewed by the planning board at its next meeting.
The next step is to get all the zoning variances set, Scruton said.
In turn, Town Engineer Mike Kolceski brought to the board a motion to move forward with the beginning phases of moving the water main in the middle of East Genesee Street, right by the proposed Aldi, out of there and into a better spot, which hasn’t been settled upon yet.
The main is 50 or 60 years old, according to Kolceski, and its replacement was made possible by the proposed Aldi.
“If the Aldi wasn’t coming in, we probably wouldn’t be doing this,” Kolceski said.
He said every other main in the town has been replaced, and while this main hasn’t had many major problems, it is time for it to be moved into a safer location. The board and Kolceski cited workers not having to be in the middle of the road to work on it as one of the safety positives.
“The next step is that approval is up to the planning board,” Kolceski told the Eagle Bulletin.
Please keep an eye on eaglebulletin.com for a more in-depth look at the Aldi proposal, as well as what’s next for the water main, which still needs a vote and a public hearing.
The board passed a motion for Kolceski to go ahead and begin the process of material replacement.
In other town news:
–Judge Gideon was on hand for renewal of the Court Security contract, which was approved by the board. The town has been signing one-year contracts for the past two years, and the new contract continues that trend.
The only thing in the proposal that’s a big change is that the workers have asked for a pay increase from $25 per hour to $26, which is a 4-percent increase. Board members spoke and brought up concerns, like the language that workers be paid in 10 days instead of the standard 30. Supervisor Ed Michalenko was receptive to it all except for the decrease in payment time.
“I think we should stick with the standard 30 days,” he said.
The board authorized the signing of the new pact.
–The town has decided to go with O’Connor Tree Removal Service, continuing the relationship that has been going for the past few years.
The new pact calls for an estimated $50,000 to be paid for the service over a two-year period. The last two years, the town has paid about $20,000 a year for the service, which breaks down to about $200 an hour. Board members said research was done and that O’Connor remained the best deal. The motion was carried.
–It looks like Olivia Drive is about to get two new fire hydrants, per Kolceski’s recommendation. The cost of each is about $2,000, with $61 in yearly maintenance fees. Kolceski said it’s the smart way to go.
–Last, but not least, the town has decided to set May 14 at 7:45 p.m. for the public hearing on a franchise contract with Time Warner. According to the board, continuing to enter enter in these contracts generates revenue for the town.
Neil Benjamin Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
