Lysander — The Lysander Zoning Board of Appeals has issued a positive recommendation to the Melvin Farm and Cabbage Patch incentive zoning applications. The projects will be referred to the Lysander Town Board for review, and public hearings for both proposals will be held Dec. 28.

At its Dec. 2 meeting, the Onondaga County Planning Board rejected both applications, but ZBA Chair L. Micha Ordway said that the town board will have to handle the county’s recommendations.

The Comprehensive Land Use Plan’s (CLUP) incentive zoning clause allows developers to build denser housing on smaller R-20 lots in exchange for providing conservation easements, protecting green space or compensating the town in another way.

The Melvin Farm and Cabbage Patch are the first two incentive zoning applications the town has encountered since approving the revised CLUP earlier this year.

Here’s what you need to know about these proposals before the public hearings:

The Melvin Farm

Developers Mario D’Arrigo and Dan Bargabos comprise Marden Associates, the applicant for the 447-home Melvin Farm proposal. D’Arrigo and his son, Michael D’Arrigo, appeared before the ZBA on Dec. 7 to present the project.

The Melvin Farm would include four “communities” of homes grouped by size and price under a contract with Ryan Homes.

The Melvin Farm property, located southwest of Route 370 around Hayes Road, combines much of the 292 acres once owned by the Melvin estate with part of 69 acres owned by the Windsor J. Abbott Revocable Trust. Marden Associates has a contract to purchase the 292 acres from the Melvin property title owner, Landmark Challenger LLC, and will trade parts of that property for parts of the Abbott parcels in order to augment the 300-foot conservation easement between Route 370 and the Melvin Farm to 1,000 feet.

“Part of the [Comprehensive] Land Use Plan now has a 300-foot conservation easement to protect the views,” Mario D’Arrigo said. “If you put a house up that’s 30 feet high, you’re barely going to see the rooftop.”

continued — The development will also include 10,000 feet of nine-foot-wide stone walking trails as an amenity.

In addition, Marden Associates will build a pumping station with sewer capacity for nearly 1,000 homes — which includes the Melvin Farm’s 447 lots and capacity for 550 future homes — in exchange for the incentive zoning overlay.

“It was always contemplated if you got sewers, the zoning would become more dense,” D’Arrigo said.

D’Arrigo said Marden Associates would spend an extra $150,000 to install oversized pumps to accommodate the 550 future homes, bringing the total cost of sewer improvements to $880,000.

“I think in addition to the $150,000 that we’re spending, there’s a benefit that you can’t really put a cost on because without us, you’re not going to get those sewers, ever,” he said.

Michael D’Arrigo said sewer improvements would alleviate the pollution of the Seneca River.

Town engineer Al Yager said that, should the Melvin Farm development come to fruition, a sewer district would be created, and sewer district residents would bear the cost of maintenance of the system.

The Melvin Farm proposal also provides for traffic lights and turning lanes on Route 370. Mario D’Arrigo said these improvements could cost as much as $900,000, and Marden Associates would have to build out at least 175 lots to be able to afford the traffic improvements.

“That’s a lot of homes,” said ZBA member Frank Costanzo.

“Three and a half years if you’re doing 45 a year,” added ZBA member Frank O’Donnell.

Cabbage Patch

At only 37 homes, the Cabbage Patch proposal is much smaller than the Melvin Farm, but it faces similar traffic and sewer concerns. Cabbage Patch Partners is proposing 37 R-20 lots on 26 acres within the Whispering Oaks subdivision on Emerick Road.

Julian Clark of Plumley Engineering addressed the ZBA regarding the project. Previously, the ZBA split an Oct. 5 vote on Cabbage Patch; ZBA member Richard Jarvis abstained because he is owner/developer Robert Clark’s family dentist. This time, the board voted unanimously (Jarvis was absent) to recommend the application to the town board.

continued — In exchange for denser housing under the incentive zoning overlay, Cabbage Patch plans to pay the town $1,600 per lot for a total of $59,200.

“The town board has indicated they would like to use the money for future sanitary sewer extensions to serve the Seneca Estates community,” the application’s project narrative read.

Previously, the town board wanted to put the money toward the highway department, but it was determined that putting it toward sewer improvements would be more appropriate under the CLUP.

The proposal also provides for a 20-foot sanitary sewer easement valued at $20,000.

“The easement will provide the legal right for the town to extend the public sewer from within the subdivision to Emerick Road,” the project narrative read.

According to town engineer Al Yager, residents of the Whispering Oaks and West Genesee Street sewer districts could see a savings of up to $217 in debt service per year if Cabbage Patch is built out.

“If the project doesn’t happen, that’s $60,000 that’s not being contributed to sewer improvements,” Julian Clark said.

As for traffic issues, Clark said a traffic study found there would be no impact from 37 additional homes and the same level of service could be maintained.

What’s next?

Pending public hearings, the fate of the Melvin Farm and Cabbage Patch proposals is in the hands of the town board.

Copies of the incentive zoning applications are available for residents to review in the town clerk’s office. The public hearings will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28.