Developer has plans to add retail building

By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

Residents who want to comment on a proposal from a developer to have a zone change on North Burdick Street to build a 5,800 square-foot retail building will have additional opportunities to do so as the village board has left the public hearing open on the matter.

Mark Shattuck, of Skyline Development, seeks to build a 5,800 square-foot, two-merchant retail building and parking lot on two parcels of property on North Burdick Street. The front parcel is currently zoned residential-2 and the back parcel open land. Shattuck seeks to change it to traditional business and open land parcels.

At the May 8 meeting of the village board, a public hearing on the matter was held. Some residents spoke at the public hearing, voicing concerns of adding a retail lot to that space.

“As some of you know, I’m dead set against the project … I don’t think we need a business there. We already have the gas station and dentist on one end, if we put something in the other end it’s only a matter of time before people start leaving the neighborhood,” said Brian McAllister, a neighbor to the property. McAllister also stated concerns about how adding a retail lot would affect the surrounding properties in the event of heavy rain or flooding.

Shattuck said he had already ensured the project will be above the flood plane line, and that a traffic study has already occurred that showed there would be no adverse impacts of the project.

The retail building would have a classic streetscape design, said Shattuck, and the parking lot would be located in the rear of the property. Shattuck also discussed the possibility of granting the village an easement to build a sidewalk for residents to access the trails that are located behind the property.

Shattuck said he does not know what type of business will seek to rent the retail building if the project can be completed. If the zone change is approved, the projects still needs to gain site plan approval from the planning board before carrying out the project.

The village board has referred the project to the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency and is waiting for a recommendation, so they have decided to keep the public hearing open. The public hearing continues at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 22 at the Fayetteville Village Office, 425 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville.