Manlius Village Board rejects zone change for proposed apartments at Limestone Commons

By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

The Manlius Village Board has rejected a zone change request, effectively halting a project proposed by Ellish Realty, LLC to construct a 14-unit two-story apartment building at 240 W. Seneca St. in Manlius.

At the Jan. 10 meeting of the village board, trustees voted to reject an application to change a 1.6 acre parcel from commercial to residential for the purpose of building a 14-unit two-story apartment building proposed by Ellish Realty, a company registered in Nanuet, N.Y.

This decision comes following a decision by the Onondaga County Planning Board to not endorse the zone change request and a petition signed by about 80 residents opposing the project’s location.

According to the Oct. 12 minutes of the Onondaga County Planning Board, the parcel is located on a Special Flood Hazard Area on the most recent FEMA flood insurance rate maps. The minutes state, “The board does not endorse zone changes to allow residential development in the floodplain. The board strongly encourages the village to carefully consider potential flood hazards and associated safety issues that may result from locating residential land uses in the floodplain.”

Additionally, a group of residents in the Meadow Stream neighborhood near the property voiced their opposition at the Nov. 22 village board meeting, citing the possibility of flooding, traffic problems and decreased aesthetic value to neighboring homes as reasons for opposition. A petition against the project was created by this group and received nearly 80 signatures, Arthur Shedd, spokesperson for the Meadow Stream neighborhood, said.

Mayor Paul Whorrall cited these reasons, and the fact that the proposed apartments do not fit into several aspects of the village’s comprehensive plan, as the reason for the denial of the zone change. The trustees voted unanimously to deny the zone change.

“We are fully satisfied,” said Shedd. “We thank the village for working with us and affording the opportunity to present our views … This was an example of a whole community coming together to find the right information and forming an opinion on it.”