Developer downsizes incentive zoning proposal
By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
The developers of Collington Pointe East have downsized their proposal from 122 lots to 90, but residents in the town of Lysander still are not happy. Project Engineer Brian Bouchard presented the revised incentive zoning application at the April 6 Lysander Town Board meeting, and the town board voted to close the months-long public hearing on the matter.
Several residents said the public hearing should have remained open so they could review the changes to the proposal.
According to Bouchard, Bella Casa Builders by Alberici revised its incentive zoning application to take into consideration concerns raised by residents since the public hearing began Jan. 19.
Among the changes to the Collington Pointe East proposal are:
• Reduction of the development to 90 lots, down from 122 lots
• Retention of 50 percent of the 76 acres as green space, including construction of a “pocket park” next to the existing pond
• A lump sum of $272,213 in improvements to Patchett Road
• $46,000 in sanitary sewer improvements
• $1,000 per lot to be put toward future sewer improvements
“We’ve completely removed the walking trail and the tree plantings,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard said residents had expressed concerns about who would be able to use the trail and who would be responsible for maintaining it.
Resident John Corcoran asked how the density of the revised development proposal compares to current residential development in the town.
“By and large, these lots are larger than in existing development to the west,” Bouchard said, adding that the lots range between 10,000 and 30,000 square feet.
Residents remain unconvinced
Before the board closed the public hearing, a few residents reiterated their concerns about the increased traffic the development would bring to Patchett Road.
“Patchett Road has become a very tough road with the Y,” said resident Joan Osier, adding that more residential development would add to the strain on an already “difficult, treacherous” road.
Osier said it seemed to her that Patchett Road receives less attention from the highway department’s snowplows, although Highway Superintendent Gene Dinsmore said his department treats the 130 miles it plows equally.
“Tongue in cheek, I’ll say thank you for not plowing,” said resident Jon Roppel. “It’s the only thing that slows people down.”
Resident Jeff Ting said he was not convinced that the addition of more than 200 cars to the area’s roads would not have an impact on traffic.
As for the provision that 50 percent of the land would remain green space, resident Jim Stirushnik expressed concern that the town would be responsible for maintaining the land.
Resident Kevin Rode said the town may be liable for accidents that could occur on the green space.
Both Rode and Stirushnik suggested that a homeowners association, not the town, should be responsible for the green space.
Board closes public hearing
Before the town board voted to close the public hearing, Supervisor Joe Saraceni said that discussion of Collington Pointe East will continue, as the board has yet to vote on the incentive zoning proposal.
“We’re trying to keep everybody in the loop as far as this project goes,” Saraceni said.
During the first public comment period of the April 6 meeting, Rode and Stirushnik both questioned the board’s decision to end the public hearing.
“I’m just amazed that the public only had a few days [to see] the new incentive zoning Collington Pointe up on the website, and you just closed the public hearing,” Rode said. “Some people might not even know it was going to happen.”
Indeed, some residents expressed shock upon learning that further comments on Collington Pointe East would no longer be on the record. Saraceni said the official public hearing is closed, but residents are free to bring questions and comments to the town board.
“We don’t muzzle anyone,” he said.
Saraceni said the town board voted to close the public hearing because the revised project is “much smaller in scale,” and the revision had not added any new features to the proposal.
“This has been open for months and months. This is way over what’s normally allowed for projects,” Saraceni said.
Deputy Supervisor Bob Geraci said residents were bringing up the same concerns about the proposal.
“Nothing was said tonight that was different from what we’ve been hearing, and those are all valid points,” Geraci said. “But at some point, this board has to make a decision.”
Resident Shirley Ting raised concerns about the size of the development and whether the board would take a resident petition against the proposal into account.
“Ninety houses are still very many,” she said. “This humongous development will bring up a lot of chaos.”
The town board has 60 days from the end of the public hearing to act.
