After 23 years, the town of Lysander is finally on its way to putting a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan into action. CLUP Committee Chairman Bill Lester presented an overview of the plan to the town board at its Oct. 30 work session.
Lester, a retired O’Brien and Gere chief engineer and the secretary of the Radisson board of directors, will give a presentation on the CLUP at a Nov. 13 public hearing before the town board. Residents’ input from the public hearing will be incorporated into the final draft of the plan, which will be submitted to the town board Dec. 1.
Lester reviewed the results of a survey distributed to residents earlier this year, which identified Lysander’s greatest priorities for future development and the town’s most attractive assets.
Among people’s top ideal goals for development in Lysander are preserving farm land and open space and improving traffic flow. Residents’ response to the survey indicated that the local waterways (the Erie Canal and Seneca and Oswego rivers), the Baldwinsville Central School District and agricultural and open spaces are what set Lysander apart from other towns.
The committee identified three main impediments to development in the town: traffic issues, lack of sewers and sewage treatment capacity and the need to replace the Transfer of Development Rights program.
Traffic issues
“The least attractive [aspect about Lysander] is transportation, which we need to take action on,” Lester said.
The committee secured a grant for a $40,000 traffic study conducted by the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council. The study identified congestion issues in Lysander, especially at the village’s Four Corners and at the intersection of Route 370 and John Glenn Boulevard.
SMTC has suggested “relatively minor” corrections, such as more traffic signals throughout Lysander’s southeastern peninsula, more turn lanes at intersections and the possibility of a traffic circle or roundabout. Another solution would be to add a road that runs parallel to Route 370 to relieve congestion on the Radisson-Syracuse commute.
Sewage capacity
The CLUP Committee also identified sewage as an obstacle to development in Lysander, particularly within the peninsula. The Baldwinsville-Seneca Knolls Wastewater Treatment Plant does not serve many developments in the peninsula, so residents must rely on septic systems, which contribute to the pollution of the Seneca River.
“There will come a point in time when septic systems will not be allowed,” Lester said.
The new CLUP creates an “incentive zoning” option, which encourages developers to build sewer systems that connect to the Baldwinsville-Seneca Knolls WWTP in exchange for allowing higher-density developments: 12,000-square-foot lots instead of the current agricultural-residential 40,000-square-foot (AR-40) zones.
“The roadway expenses can’t be borne by the limited density of the 40,000-square-foot lots,” Lester said.
“The developers aren’t interested in developing communities of that size because they can’t sell them,” Lester said, adding that the 12,000-square-foot lots are “very attractive” to developers.
Transfer of Development Rights program
The new CLUP will replace the 2007 Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program. Lester said the TDR was meant to preserve agricultural land in “sending” areas and allow development in “receiving” areas. Developers could pay the owners of property in sending areas for the rights to develop there.
Lester said the process is complex and “non-functional.”
“To date, not one transaction has occurred as a result of it,” he said. “It did not do what it was intended to do.”
The CLUP recommends that the town continue the New York state agricultural district that already exists northeast of Route 370 and create a new agricultural district southwest of Route 370 encompassing other area farm land to protect Lysander’s agricultural assets. The ag district designation provides tax benefits to farmers and protects them against actions from other municipalities.
Lester said during the work session that “thriving” agri-business and agri-tourism, such as berry and orchard picking, are a boon to Lysander’s economy.
“It brings tourism to the town from all over the county, and we should take advantage of that,” he said.
In addition to the higher-density incentive zoning, developers would create “buffers” — hedgerows, tree-lined streets or natural wetlands — to separate farm land from residential developments and create a scenic view for residents.
“We would encourage the developers to come up with plans to take advantage of the scenery of the farm land,” Lester said.
Last call for input
Lester stressed the “strong relationships” the CLUP Committee has built with various local, county and state entities throughout its revision process, including the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency (SOCPA), which put together maps for the CLUP at no charge. He said the Baldwinsville Central School District and the village of Baldwinsville are also supportive of Lysander’s development goals.
“The close associations we have built with these entities … are important to the future of development in the town,” Lester told the Messenger.
He said the CLUP is keeping industrial development in mind as well.
“There is significant area within the town — particularly Radisson Corporate Park — where infrastructure is available for shovel-ready development,” he said. “Agrana chose Lysander because of their ability to get up and running fairly quickly.”
The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) keeps a list of such sites in its database.
Lester said the Nov. 13 public hearing is another opportunity for the public to share opinions and ask questions about the land use plan.
“I don’t want to say it’s the last chance, but it’s another chance to provide input,” he said.
The public hearing will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, in the auditorium of the Lysander Town Hall, located at 8220 Loop Road in Baldwinsville.
In addition to asking questions at the meeting, residents who attend the public hearing may fill out a card with their comments and contact information so the committee can address them individually and in greater detail.
