By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
The Lysander Town Board’s Jan. 19 public hearing on the Collington Pointe East incentive zoning proposal raised more questions than it answered. Several residents peppered the town board with questions about the development’s potential impact on traffic and how the project would benefit taxpayers.
Currently, the 76.3 acres on which Bella Casa Builders by Alberici would like to build are zoned AR-40, under which the maximum buildout would be 45 lots at 40,000 square feet each.
Under the Comprehensive Land Use Plan’s incentive zoning clause, the developer is seeking to build out 122 lots with a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet, project engineer Brian Bouchard explained at the public hearing.
“They’re very comparable to what’s already existing in Collington Pointe,” Bouchard said.
In August 2016, the town board voted to refer the incentive zoning application to the Lysander Planning Board, the Lysander Zoning Board of Appeals and the Onondaga County Planning Board.
Should the town board decide to approve the Collington Pointe East incentive zoning application, the planning board will begin the subdivision review process.
Engineer explains incentives to town
Bouchard said in exchange for being allowed to build more densely, Bella Casa Builders is offering the following incentives:
α$308,000 in improvements to Patchett Road, payable to the town in four installments of $77,000
α$183,000 in sanitary sewer improvements to homes in the Red Rock and Hayes Road neighborhoods — $1,500 per lot
αStone dust walking trail and stormwater management areas that will be maintained by the town of Lysander
αHomeowners must plant two trees (chosen from a list of developer-approved varieties) in the front of the lot within one year of moving in.
Bouchard said the development would lead to decreased infrastructure costs and improvement to the water quality of the Seneca River.
Citizens concerned about taxes, traffic
Several residents asked what the specific cost savings to taxpayers would be if Collington Pointe East’s incentive zoning application is approved.
“Does this board have any idea of approximate tax savings relative to the two different buildouts?” asked resident Fred Burtch. “How much does that break down to a tax savings for each individual homeowner?
Deputy Supervisor Bob Geraci said the town does not have specific numbers for what taxpayers would save.
“If we knew what it was, I could tell you whether I’m in favor [of] it or not,” Burtch said. “If it’s huge, hey, I’m here for it; if it’s not, I’m not in favor of it because our roads are already overburdened as it is. Our school district is already overburdened as it is, and it’s only going to get worse in that situation.”
Former town councilor Andy Reeves said he emailed the town board Aug. 29, 2016, “questioning the legality of incentive zoning” and said he never received a response. Reeves also raised concerns about Bella Casa Builders paying toward sewer improvements in the Red Rock neighborhood.
“Can you legally set that aside for a [sewer] district that is formed down the road?” Reeves asked.
Reeves also asked which town department would be in charge of maintaining the stone dust trail and whether those maintenance costs would fall under the whole town budget or the part-town portion of the budget.
Resident Jim Stirushnik echoed Reeves’s concerns about trail maintenance and said the town needs to work on “balancing residential growth without negatively impacting commercial and industrial” endeavors and should be careful of adding infrastructure costs when it is currently struggling to keep up with highway maintenance.
Stirushnik said he is opposed to the requirement that residents of the proposed development plant a certain kind of tree.
“I don’t see why the town should become involved in planting trees,” he said. “I think people who can afford a $250,000 mortgage on a less-than-two-acre property are quite capable of deciding what kind of vegetation they want in their yard.”
Other residents were concerned about the impact increased traffic from the proposed development would have on surrounding roads such as Patchett Road. Resident Jeffrey Ting said the speed limit on Patchett Road is 45 mph, “which means most people go 55 — I’ve actually seen it.”
Resident Frank Anastas asked how long development would take and when the town would receive payments for improvements to Patchett Road. Bouchard said building will take place in six phases and the payments would come over three to four years as progress is made on the development.
Other residents raised concerns about denser development encroaching on the wide open spaces of Lysander.
“I’m just crushed. I didn’t know about this four years ago when we bought the place,” said resident Kristen Burns. “My kids like to play in a big yard, and now we’ll have to hear dogs barking. I do not want to see double the houses down there.”
“I would be opposed to downsizing lots, not just for this development but for all of Baldwinsville,” said resident Greg McArdell. “We’re full. It’s not going to be a good place to live anymore.”
McArdell also said he is opposed to the stone dust walking trail because its proposed location is in a swamp with mosquitoes.
Jack Corey, chair of the planning board, said many of the residents’ questions are too specific to be answered at this point, and the current public hearing is only to determine whether the developer should be allowed to develop more lots in exchange for the incentives they have offered the town.
“We [the planning board] will have our own public hearings about this where we’ll answer the questions you’re asking tonight.” Corey said.
The Collington Pointe East incentive zoning application can be viewed at bit.ly/collingtonpointe17.
The public hearing remains open; the Lysander Town Board next meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Lysander Town Hall, located at 8220 Loop Road in Baldwinsville. A work session precedes the meeting at 5:30 p.m.
