By David Tyler

A proposal for a new medical/dental practice on N. Burdick Street in the town of Manlius hit some sticking points at a public hearing before the Manlius Town Board on Wednesday May 27.
The applicant, 5538 NBurdick St., LLC, is seeking a zone change on a 4.24-acre parcel across the street from the Resort Lifestyles Community retirement facility. The zone change would allow them to proceed with the construction of a 10,000-square-foot medical practice. The property backs up to the Erie Canal on the north side, and to the east are ponds created by a defunct quarry.
This is the second time the proposal has been before the town board. In April, the board referred the zone change application to the planning board for its recommendation. The planning board recommended the town board change the zone from RA to RM at its May 11 meeting, sending it back to the town board for the public hearing.
Several residents of the area provided written concerns about the impact on traffic, greenspace, and the need for additional dental offices in an area that already has many dental practices.
Board members also were critical of the plan.
“Once we change the zone … our ability and the planning board’s ability to drive the details of the property, as long as it fits the zone, is somewhat limited,” said Councilor Katelyn Kreisel. “If we’re concerned about preserving the environmental integrity of this piece of property, then changing this zone is a surefire way to undermine our ability to do that.”
Concerns were also lodged by councilors John Deer and Heather Waters.
Supervisor Ed Theobald reminded the board that they are considering a zone change on the property and not the specifics of the project itself. Whether there are a lot of other dental offices in the area is not relevant, he said.
Medical practices like this are expressly permitted in an RM zone.
“I think this area has transitioned,” responded attorney Chris Danaher, representing the applicant. “I don’t think you’re going to see single family homes that are going to preserve that green space. The purpose of RM is to soften that transition.”
The project would be constructed along the curve on N. Burdick Street a few hundred feet south of the light by the Erie Canal Park where Cedar Bay Road converges with N. Burdick Street.
The applicant commissioned a traffic study for the corridor, and Onondaga County has signed off on the project as having adequate sight distances for a driveway.
The public hearing will remain open until the board’s meeting on June 10. If it is approved, the project would be referred back to the planning board for site plan review before proceeding with construction.
“We’re looking to get the site and the building up before the snow falls, interior work [done] during the winter [and be] open by next May,” said Scott Dumas of Mike Barney Management, representing the applicant. “We do have a tight window.”