By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

The public hearing on the town of Cicero’s proposed changes to its zoning districts remains open, and residents are still expressing their dissent.

The town is seeking to re-zone certain properties in the following areas, which are largely commercial but are dotted with agricultural and residential properties:

• North on Route 11 from Route 31 to Brewerton
• Route 31 between the Clay line and South Bay Road
• Part of East Taft Road

Supervisor Mark Venesky said the development of the Central New York Raceway Park in Hastings will increase traffic and commerce in Cicero, and re-zoning will help the town accommodate more consumers and businesses. Venesky said Cicero’s roads could see 20,000 people per day during  Super DIRT Week in October.

“We’re going to have thousands of people with cash to spend, and they’re going to clog the roads or … we can proactively zone commercial and change the center of town to Route 11,” Venesky said.

Venesky assured residents that Cicero is not trying to “tax anybody out” and is not looking to increase homeowners’ assessments.

“We are not going to infringe on the quality of life of the neighborhoods,” he said.