By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
The Cicero Planning Board postponed a public hearing on a proposed bus garage off South Bay Road because the number of people who showed up to speak Aug. 7 far exceeded the fire code capacity at Cicero Town Hall. The hearing now will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Gillette Road Middle School.
“We’re going to give everybody the opportunity to speak and won’t have anybody out in the rain,” Planning Board Chair Mark Marzullo said.
More than 200 residents packed into the town hall and spilled onto the sidewalk outside hoping to weigh in on One Remington LLC’s proposal to purchase the former EJ USA and Syracuse Castings site at 6177 South Bay Road and turn it into a bus garage. Gregory and Colin Cleghorn of One Remington LLC plan to lease the space to First Student Inc., which serves the Syracuse City School District.
The property is made up of three parcels totaling 11.26 acres and contains two buildings measuring 31,400 square feet and 6,200 square feet. The larger building would be renovated into a bus garage and office space, and the smaller building would be used for storage. The Cleghorns’ proposal includes 185 parking spaces for school buses and 200 additional parking spaces.
First Student is currently located in the Inner Harbor in Syracuse but must find a new location as its lease was not renewed.
At press time, a Change.org petition against the proposed bus garage had gathered about 3,200 signatures. The petition cites concerns about increased traffic, light and noise pollution, snow removal and increased water runoff.
“Traffic is congested enough..majority of their use will be in the city..let them stay in the city,” wrote one signatory, Thomas Bombard.
“I do not want 388 more vehicles on South Bay Rd, Thompson Rd., Circle Dr. or Northern Blvd. There is already too much congestion on these roads. The middle school will be affected by the additional traffic. There will be even more back ups and delays. I don’t want diesel fuel fumes in the air and beeping buses going off at random times. The city school buses are not our problem. There are plenty of empty buildings with large parking lots in the Syracuse that can be used,” Carol Notar wrote on the petition site.
Local officials have weighed in on the project. Both Assemblyman Al Stirpe and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon released statements expressing their concerns.
“This location is not only adjacent to residential neighborhoods that will have to deal with increased emissions and noise pollution starting very early in the morning, but the region also has existing traffic flow challenges that could be exacerbated by the increased bus traffic. In addition, the location sits more than 10 miles from the center of Syracuse, meaning the 200 buses in the fleet will be traveling an additional 4,000 miles total each day, approximately, just to get from this location to the city school district routes,” Stirpe said. “I am left asking several questions, including: Has there been a traffic impact study? What plans exist to mitigate the noise and pollution increase for the surrounding residents? And, have other, more reasonable, options been considered? I am hopeful these questions will be answered in the weeks ahead.”
McMahon said he directed the county’s commissioner of transportation to have C&S Companies review the Cleghorns’ traffic study.
“Their conclusion raised serious and valid concerns that I believe warrant, at minimum, a delay in any approval of this project,” McMahon said in a letter to the Cicero Planning Board, to which he attached the consultants’ review.
McMahon also encouraged the board to keep the New York State Department of Transportation’s impending Interstate 81 decision in mind.
“Regardless of what is ultimately decided by NYS DOT, the impact on Route 481 and the entire eastern half of the county will be extensive. This could result in even greater travel times, congestion and overall traffic problems if the proposed project proceeds,” he wrote.
The county “stands ready to be a partner” to help Cicero and the Syracuse City School District determine an appropriate location for a bus garage.
“At this time, I believe the proposed site at 6177 South Bay Road is not the right fit,” McMahon said.
