Photos: Alexander Steam Show and tractor pull
Photos by Philip Casper
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Photos: Oakfield-Alabama's Dash in the Dark
Oakfield-Alabama High School hosted its annual Dash in the Dark on Friday evening.
Photos by Laura Luft.
Pembroke girls pull out another OT win in soccer
The Pembroke girls soccer team once again came from behind and won in overtime 4-3, this time beating Eastride.
Head coach April Meier provided the scoring summary:
- Nevaeh Bunch (#3) for Eastridge Time: minute 11
- Madison Harisis (#11) for Eastridge Time: minute 34
- Karli Houseknecht (#25 senior captain) for Pembroke Time: minute 35
- Karli Houseknecht (#25 senior captain) for Pembroke Time: minute 45
- Isabel Breeden (#8 senior captain) for Pembroke Time: minute 47
- Haley Sweet (#18 senior) for Pembroke Time: overtime minute 2, Assisted by Molly Chittenden (#11 senior) off a direct kick.
Notable Defensive plays made by: Ameilia Berghorn, Isabel Breeden and Emma Groff
Notre Dame runs away with game against South Seneca
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame dispensed of South Seneca pretty easily on Saturday, securing a 56-0 win.
James Fanara was 8-10 passing for 140 yards and two TDs. Fanara added another 25 yards rushing on six carries.
Hayden Groff gained 85 yards on 13 carries and Gabe Castro picked up 40 on 10 carries. Groff scored twice. Castro scored on a six-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Bryceton Berry returned the second-half kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a pick-six in the third quarter.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Pembroke drops to 1-1 on season with loss to Canisteo
Pembroke lost to Canisteo-Greenwood on Friday in eight-man football 28-14.
No stats were submitted for the game.
Photos by Elizabeth Gabby.
Le Roy's reliable placekicker lifts Knights to win in Bath
The Oatkan Knights pulled out a close win in Bath over Bath-Haverling to open their season on Friday night, with placekicker Katelynn Everett providing the margin of victory.
She was 5-5 in point-after-attempts in the 35-32 win for Le Roy.
Both teams scored five touchdowns with Bath-Haverling unable to convert one PAT because of a blocked kick and failing to convert twice on two-point plays.
Tony Piazza rushed for 136 yards and scored twice on 15 attempts. Tommy Condidorio gained 90 years and scored twice on 14 attempts.
Jackson Fix scored a touchdown on 11 carries for 54 yards.
On defense, Jack Tonzi had 6.5 tackles and a sack. Tony Piazza had 5.5 tackles and Xavien Walker had five.
Photos by Ed Henry.
Top photo: LeRoy’s Bryce Lathan (42) and Jack Tonzi (no helmet) engulf the Bath RB.
Tony Piazza (22) leads the sweep for LR QB Tommy Condidorio.
LeRoy WR Cal Koukides snags a 30-yard reception from QB Condidorio.
Tony Piazza runs hard through the Bath defense.
LeRoy place kicker Katelyn Everett splits the uprights.
LeRoy place kicker Katelynn Everett was a perfect 5 of 5 on PATs for the Knights.
LeRoy linemen Ayden Riggi (67) and Will Eschberger (65) celebrate the team win.
OAE crushed Geneseo 70-6
The final score was lopsided but it didn't necessarily look like it was going that way early in the game said OAE Head Coach Tyler Winter following the Aggies 70-6 win over the Geneseo Blue Devils.
"Contrary to the final score, we faced a little bit of adversity early in the game," Winters said. "It was good to see this group respond the way they did. After our opening score, Geneseo came right back down the field and answered with a score of their own. We needed to see if we could take one on the chin and not waver. I'm proud of our guys for keeping their composure and keeping the pedal down for the remainder of the game."
Noah Currier helped lead the way with 132 yards rushing on 11 carries. He scored four touchdowns and also had an interception on defense.
QB Bodie Hyde tossed a 10-yard TD pass and gained 138 yards and scored two touchdowns on seven carries.
Conor Scott scored a touchdown and gained 49 yards on four caries. He had five tackles on defense.
Avery Watterson scored a touchdown on an 11-yard run.
On defense, Austin Pangrazio had seven tackles and a sack. Brayden Smith had seven tackles as did T.J. Andrews.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos, click here.
Oakfield man sentenced to 23 years for killing his father
Nicholas Maher is being sent to state prison for 23 years for killing his father Martin Maher in their Oakfield home on Oct. 18.
The picture painted on Nick Maher in Genesee County Court today was of a 37-year-old man who struggled for years with mental health issues and gave into his delusions when he stabbed his 69-year-old father to death.
"Nick believed that his father was responsible for poisoning the air," District Attorney Kevin Finnell said. "He said he grabbed a knife to scare him but his father was flippant and arrogant and denied involvement in poisoning the air.
"Of course he denied it. It's ridiculous. It was a product of his mental health issues that he refused to address, he didn't want to address," Finnell said.
"Nick Maher is a college-educated person," Finnell continued. "He's smart enough to know that he needs to get mental health treatment and that he needs to take his medication, even if it doesn't make him feel real good. But he chose not to do that. So he responded, in his words, by 'losing it on his father,' a man who just denied poisoning the air, and killed him. In so doing, he took away the only person that was left in the world who cared about him."
Nick's siblings, Megan and Matt, spoke to the court and shared how much the death of their father hurt them.
Megan said Martin Maher put Nick first over his own happiness, putting off his own retirement to care for his son. She said Nick refused treatment and accused anybody who tried to help him of trying to harm him.
"I think you simply made him the bad guy because he was there for you," Megan said. "What if mom hadn't passed a few years earlier? Would she have been caught up in your alternate reality and have been the bad guy, too? What if I spent more time around the house? Would I have been in the crossfire? I don't know. But these things have crossed my mind this year."
Megan said cleaning up her father's house, and going through old family photos was the hardest time of her life.
"I was constantly reminded of what you did," she said. "I no longer felt happy and safe in that house. All of the wonderful memories of our childhood were overshadowed by what you did."
Near the end of her remarks, she said, "You took a dad away from your siblings, and a grandpa away from his grandchildren. "Life has been hard enough after mom passed but not having my dad has been even more difficult than I think you'll ever be able to comprehend."
Matt said he will never forget the day he went to his father's home after not being able to reach him on the phone, worried something terrible had happened, and finding him dead on the floor.
"My dad loved my brother and it broke his heart that his love was not reciprocated, but that there was anger and blame towards him," Matt said.
Finnell told the court that the Sheriff's Office conducted a thorough investigation of the case and there is no doubt in his mind, that the evidence supported a murder conviction but it was also clear from psychological exams that if Nick Maher's case had gone to trial, his extreme emotional disturbance would have to lead the jury toward a manslaughter conviction rather than murder. That is what lead to a plea deal that allowed Maher to admit to the murder with a possible sentencing range of 20 to 25 years in prison.
But Maher's mental health issues don't excuse him from the choices he made, Finnell argued. Maher refused treatment and refused to take his prescribed medication. Those choices ultimately led to Maher taking his father's life.
The chance to plead to manslaughter is the only consideration the defendant should get, Finnell told Judge Michael Mohun. Finnell said Maher should get the full 25 years in prison allowed by statute.
Public Defender Jerry Ader took exception to the suggestion that Maher was completely responsible for his own choices in dealing with his mental illness.
"I sincerely believe that our community, our country, has a difficult time dealing with mental illness, especially when it comes to mental illness in the criminal justice system," Ader said near the beginning of his remarks.
Later he said, "some of the speakers here, the children of Mr. Maher, they use of words, that he chose to do these things, and that he could have done something else. And I'm just not quite sure that's true. And I don't think anyone can know for sure if that's true, it's easy to say because we don't understand mental illness. But in my experience, when someone is placed in a psychiatric hospital, it could take years in order to get a patient, an inmate, to understand, to have the insight as to their illness, why they need help and why they need medication."
Ader said after nearly a year in jail, his client is just starting to take his medication and come to terms with his mental illness.
Ader argued that Mohun should consider something less than the maximum 25-year term on the manslaughter conviction because the Legislature when it wrote the law, allowed for a sentencing range of 5 to 25 years. Clearly, the Legislature understood, Ader argued, that each individual, each case, is different because mental health is involved, therefore, a judge has latitude to weigh all the factors.
In this case, the plea agreement meant that Maher must receive a sentence of at least 20 years but there was no reason, considering the factors of his mental health issues, to sentence him to the maximum of 25 years.
After giving Nick Maher an opportunity to address the court, which he declined, Mohun spoke directly to the family.
"I don't want you to dwell on Oct. 18 of 2021. The day your dad died. What I want you to think of are the days he lived. He almost lived until his 70th birthday which would have been in July of this year. Think of all those things that you had with your dad and that you celebrated together and that he was there to give you guidance and support. And think of the man who put his life on hold during his retirement years to take care of your brother."
He added, "Your brother has admitted, he's acknowledged., he has pled guilty to manslaughter in the first degree. What he has done by this act, you've lost two family members. On Oct. 18, you lost your father and you lost your brother. That is a devastating event which it will resonate through generations of Maher family celebrations of birthdays and holidays. But don't let this crime define the family. Remember your dad as he would want to be remembered, as a good dad, as a dad who stepped up and took care of your sick brother. Your father's devotion to duty was extraordinary."
Mohun said the killing of Martin Maher was without justification, without reason.
"It was a heinous crime to which an appropriate sentence must be imposed," Mohun said.
The 23 years will be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Nick Maher is barred by court order from having any contact with his siblings until Sept. 9, 2053.
OPINION: New tariffs won't fix the problems created by tariffs
Trade policy expert Scott Lincicome famously (among economists, at least) coined the phrase (which was made into a t-shirt):
Tariffs Not Only Impose Immense Economic Costs but Also Fail to Achieve Their Primary Policy Aims and Foster Political Dysfunction Along the Way
What this means is that tariffs increase costs, either to other producers or eventually to consumers, which reduces the flow of cash to other productive uses, which ultimately increases inflation and harms productivity. Tariffs -- a form of central economic planning, aka, "socialism" -- harm economic growth.
Some of the current inflation we face now is the result of tariffs imposed over the past four years.
And they are hurting the domestic production of other goods. A current example is the harm tariffs have imposed on nail manufacturers, who have been forced to pay more for steel.
Rather than eliminate tariffs on steel, however, the U.S. trade policy position is that other countries that produce nails are selling their nails too inexpensively so imported nails should be taxed at a higher rate.
Third, the case shows how “injury” to a domestic industry is often blamed on foreign competition but is actually the result of bad U.S. policy. In particular, the U.S. government has spent the last four years working to increase the domestic price of steel (nails’ only major input) via tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. As discussed here last year, the tariffs quickly increased U.S. steel prices far above the prices of the same materials abroad, thus undermining steel-consuming manufacturers’ competitiveness versus their foreign counterparts. In this case, the tariffs made American-made nails more expensive—a fact that Mid Continent Nail (the company petitioning for these AD/CVDs on nail imports) itself confirmed. In particular, the company experienced direct cost increases of 25 percent resulting from the Section 232 tariffs, 19 percent of which it passed on to its customers.
Protectionism isn't good for American consumers nor is it good for American workers. If we want to put America first again, we will reduce and eliminate tariffs on imported goods and let the free market flourish.
OPINION: Jacobs bill on farm labor is not the act of a conservative
Rep. Chris Jacobs is potentially and sadly right when he states concerning lowering the overtime threshold for farm workers:
... this is a devastating decision made by out-of-touch bureaucrats which will bankrupt family farms throughout our state and end farming as we know it. If Governor Hochul approves this recommendation, she is signing the death warrant for thousands of farms ...
Being right isn't the same thing as doing the right thing.
I'm old enough to remember when conservatives -- of course, this was back when the GOP was the conservative party -- believed in federalism, or the right of states to govern themselves with little interference from the federal government.
How Jacobs, who seems to think of himself as a conservative, wants to use the heavy hand of the federal government to overrule a state's right to govern itself.
As wrong as New York would be to lower the overtime threshold, it really is a state, not a federal issue.
Instead of increasing the power of the federal government, Jacobs should introduce legislation to strip the federal Department of Labor of its regulatory power, leaving that power to states, not the national government.
Federal legislation to strip a state of its power to govern itself is the tactic of progressives, not conservatives.
Woman in dog overdose case again fails to show up for court appearance
A woman accused of injuring an animal after her dog overdosed three times on narcotics earlier this summer once again failed to appear in City Court on Thursday.
Cassandra Elmore was ordered to appear at 1:30 p.m. and was not seen in court by the time Judge Thomas Burns called her case at 3:20 p.m.
He said a court clerk had received a call earlier in the day from a man who claimed to be an attorney from Pennsylvania and that he was calling on Elmore's behalf, claiming that Elmore had tried contacting her assigned attorney multiple times and her calls were not returned.
Burns said the man provided only a partial address, no phone number, and said his secretary would be in touch with the court. The man also did not file a motion to change attorneys, Burns noted.
At no time, Burns said, did the clerk say Elmore was excused from her scheduled appearance today.
Elmore faces three counts of injuring an animal under New York Ag and Markets Law Section 353. She reportedly took her dog, Oddey, to veterinarians with apparent drug overdoses after the dog, according to police reports, licked up white powder from the kitchen floor.
See Also: OPINION: Due process often neglects animal victims
Elmore did make her initial court appearance on the case on July 26, when she asked for time to hire an attorney.
On Aug. 11, Elmore failed to show for an ordered court appearance. On that date, a woman who identified herself as a friend of Elmore called and said Elmore was hospitalized. The caller was informed that the court needed proof of the hospitalization but no proof was sent to the court before her scheduled appearance.
Burns issued a warrant for Elmore's arrest but when The Batavian checked with Batavia PD on the status of the warrant more than a week later, a spokesman for the department said the department never received a warrant for Elmore.
Elmore was arrested on Aug. 30 following a traffic stop in Batavia and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and obstruction of governmental administration.
During today's hearing, Jamie Welch, with the Public Defender's Office, said he was unaware of any messages left for him by Elmore.
Assistant District Attorney Jenna Bauer told Burns that her office was not contacted by any other attorney claiming to represent Elmore. She also noted that it took Elmore two months to complete the paperwork required for the Public Defender's Office to represent her.
Following her Aug. 30 arrest, Elmore was ordered to appear in City Court on those charges at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 13.
Burns said she was going to be arraigned on those charges today, so he issued an arrest warrant related to those charges. He also issued two bench warrants for her failure to appear on the two injuring an animal charges.
At the time of her arrest on the animal charges, Elmore lived on River Street. Welch provided the court with a new residential address for her on East Main Street. Welch said he would be sending her a letter informing her of her court appearances and would attempt to reach her by phone.
Oddey remains at the animal shelter. Oddey is doing well, according to a member of Volunteers for Animals, but he can't be sent to a foster home or put up for adoption while the legal case against Elmore is pending or until she surrenders ownership.
Previously:
- Woman charged after dog treated repeatedly for narcotics overdose
- Vet told police Oddey was showing signs of drug intoxication during emergency visit
- Elmore asks for time to hire attorney while Oddey waits at shelter
- Warrant issued for woman accused of letting dog OD after she fails to appear in court
- Law and Order: Woman charged in dog's drug overdose arrested again after traffic stop
Possible serious injury accident reported in Darien
A two-vehicle accident with possible serious injuries is reported on Route 77 at Reynolds Road, Darien.
One person is trapped, unconscious but breathing.
Darien Fire along with Corfu Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
Mercy Flight out of Olean is on an in-air standby.
UPDATE 1:04 p.m.: Mercy Flight #6 out of Olean is dispatched. A truck is involved that was hauling about 30,000 pounds.
UPDATE 1:09 p.m.: Mercy Flight will land at Darien's fire hall.
Batavia boys soccer gets second win
The Batavia boys soccer team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 5-0 win on Wednesday over East/LAFYM/SWN/NE N Douglass.
Owen Halpin led the way with a hat trick with Alex Bartz and Dima Havens also scoring.
Both of Batavia's wins have been shutouts led by goalkeeper Jack Pickard and the defensive line of Ryan Dillon, Hunter Mileham, Rashawd Christie, and Trevor Tryon.
Photo and info submitted by Graham Halpin, Batavia Boys Soccer Varsity Coach
Batavia man who worked as teacher in WNY admits to federal child pornography charges
A 29-year-old man from Batavia entered a guilty plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Rochester to the production of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Derek Hagen faces at least 15 years in federal prison and could face up to a $250,000 fine.
Hagen worked in several WNY teaching, substitute teaching, and child-care positions in the Western District of New York, including at the Brockport Childhood Development Center, the Batavia City School District, the Pembroke Central School District, and most recently with the Dansville Central School District.
Between May and July 19, 2018, Hagen was employed as an assistant teacher at the Brockport Childhood Development Center in the infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms, according to federal prosecutors.
During this time, he produced and possessed sexually explicit images of children entrusted to his care.
The children ranged in age from six months to five years.
Hagen produced these images while changing diapers and assisting children who were learning to use the bathroom.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who prosecuted the case, said in a release that between January 2018 and July 21, 2021, Hagen engaged in a pattern of prohibited sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of 4 and 8. Hagen, he said, photographed and videoed himself subjecting the child to sexual contact. Hagen then distributed the images of the child to other individuals over the internet.
Hagen also possessed approximately 50,000 images and videos of child pornography that he received from others via the internet.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, Homeland Security, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
There has been no information released indicating that Hagen exploited children in Batavia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Pembroke Dragons top Attica in girls soccer in OT, 4-3
Pembroke pulled out a 4-3 OT win in overtime in girls soccer at home on Tuesday night.
Attica Goals:
- Skylar Savage (28 min)
- MacKenzie McLeod (42 min)
- Skylar Savage (45 min)
Pembroke Goals:
- Kayla Weyrauch (10th grade) (49 min) assisted by senior captain Karli Houseknecht
- Kayla Weyrauch (10th grade) (52 min) assisted by Morgan Coniber
- Morgan Coniber (9th grade) (79 min) to tie game, assisted by senior captain Karli Houseknecht
- Morgan Coniber (9th grade) (87 min overtime goal to win) assisted by captain Seneca Calderon
The Dragon's goalkeeper, Arianna Hale, made 12 saves.
Leaders on defense were Ameilia Berghorn, Isabel Breeden, and Emma Groff, who all contributed multiple stops and a strong defensive line, said Head Coach April Meier.
Photos by Kristine Groves
Pair charged in dog abuse case appear in City Court, further proceedings pending
Two people accused of abusing a pair of dogs, including one who eventually died, made their City Court appearances today after missing similar appearances in June.
Both Andrew A. Searight, 35, and Jerrtonia A. Scarbrough, 24, are charged with two counts each of felony aggravated cruelty to animals.
They are accused of abandoning two pitbulls in apartment 60 at 337 Bank St., Batavia. The two animals were found malnourished and covered in feces in their cages inside the apartment on May 10, according to witness statements.
Searight was first on the docket in City Court on Wednesday afternoon. He entered a not-guilty plea and City Court Judge Durin Rogers bound his case over for Grand Jury review. If indicted, his next appearance will be in County Court at a date yet to be determined.
Scarbrough also entered a not-guilty plea and Rogers ordered her released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. He said Scarbrough couldn't leave the county, which raised an objection from her attorney, Jamie Walsh, with the Public Defenders Office, who informed Rogers that Scarbrough frequently stays with her mother in Niagraga County and that Scarbrough has a five-year-old child who attends a public elementary school there.
Rogers wasn't swayed. He said if Scarbrough wanted to leave the county, she could seek permission from Genesee Justice or return to the court for permission.
The conditions and supervision were necessary, Rogers said, because of Scarbrough's previous failures to appear in court when ordered, her prior offense, and a warrant for an apparent failure to appear, out of Niagara County, along with the severity of the charges.
Scarbrough faces an obstruction of governmental administration charge in Niagara County.
The charges against Searight and Scarbrough stem from the discovery of two pitbulls in an apartment the pair had reportedly shared. Both dogs had been left in cages and were starving, and covered in feces, when animal control officers arrived at the apartment after a neighbor called authorities. The male pitbull has recovered while the female pitbull had to be euthanized.
Previously:
Photo: Restoration work continues on former Sheriff's Office facade
Masons are continuing work to repair the aged facade of the former Sheriff's Office building on West Main Street in Batavia.
Earlier this year, Montante Construction won a $1.4 million bid to do the work.
After years of deferred maintenance, the sandstone and brick front of the building had portions that were cracking and falling away.
The front of the building currently houses Genesee Justice and the back is an addition that houses the Genesee County Jail.
Both operations will move into the new jail being built next to County Building #2 on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia.
Photos: First day arrivals at Wolcott Street School in Le Roy
Temprence Stack got off her first school bus ride at Wolcott School this morning, a moment her parents, Robert and Kimberly Stack, were on hand to document with their mobile phone cameras.
While the Stacks waited for the school buses to unload, with Temprence standing at the top of the stairs, ready to be the first one let off the bus, Kimberly said, "I'm probably more nervous than she is."
As Temprence entered the building to start her first day of kindergarten, Kimberly was overcome by emotion (fourth photo).
Le Roy Central School District Superintendent Merritt Holly was on-hand at the school bus parking lot to greet elementary school students on their first day of class.
Holly said the start of the school year is always exciting but this one is a little more special. Not only has Wolcott undergone some major renovations over the summer, it's the first year in a couple of years where things are back to "normal."
"I think it's it's nice that we don't have kids going through getting temperature checks," Holly said. "It's even better without having masks on today. It's good. That makes it that much better."
At the school, some of the students walking past the renovated gym wanted to sneak a peek through the open door as they walked past.
"It's always exciting just to see the faces of kids coming in, especially with some of the new things and the Wolcott Street School building that they're able to see today," Holly said. "It's just seeing those smiles coming in that makes it all worth it."
Previously: Clock is ticking as Le Roy's first day of school approaches and work remains to be done
Teacher Ann Olivani's new kindergarten class. Olivani is pictured at the back of the class.
If you have first-day-of-school photos from anywhere in Genesee County that you would like to share with the community, email them to howard@thebatavian.com.
Hunt Real Estate opens new Downtown office with ribbon-cutting and mixer
Genesee County is growing and Peter F. Hunt, CEO of Hunt Real Estate, wants his company to capitalize on that growth.
"We began some investigation in the marketplace and realized that it's a good place to be," Hunt told The Batavian following a ribbon cutting for his firm's new office at Main and Jackson in the heart of Batavia. "I was quite impressed with the local chamber, the industrial development agency, people who really have a great interest in seeing this become a better, a much better town."
Hunt purchased the former Genesee Bank Building (in recent years it has been a financial firm's office and a couple of different locally owned retail stores) and invested in a complete remodel of the interior to make it suitable for Hunt agents to have office space and meeting rooms.
"We were lucky that it was available," Hunt said. "When we found out it was available, it was, unfortunately, a long series of negotiations. We could have made it faster but we had too many people involved. Finally, when I just said, what's going on? And they said, Well, we're kind of stalled. I called Michelle (Schlossel) and I said, 'let's close it today.' I hadn't been inside and when I got inside, I realized we were going to do a lot of work in this place. But I think we made the right investment. I think it's a great location. It's a beautiful building. Great bones. And we want to make it really something special."
Previously: Real estate company to move into historic downtown Batavia property
Dollar General planning seventh store in Genesee County in Darien
The former Timberwolf Restaurant location at 1658 Broadway Road, Darien, dilapidated, overgrown, and vacant for many, many years, is likely to soon become the new location for the seventh Dollar General store in Genesee County.
The Genesee County Planning Board is being asked to approve a site plan review and area variance at its Thursday meeting to allow the project to go forward.
The planning staff recommends approval with modifications.
The requested modifications are that the signage complies with the town's zoning regulations and that the applicant gets State DOT approval for a driveway permit.
The applicant is The Broadway Group LLC based in Huntsville, Ala.
Dollar General is based in Goodlettsville, Tenn. and operates 17,000 retail stores nationwide.
The plan calls for the crews to demolish the Timberwolf building, which sits on a 3.08-acre lot, and construct a 10,640-square-foot store at a total project cost of $574,550.
Howard Hanna currently lists the property but with a sale pending. The listing price was $199,900.
The current owners are Johnson and Sons LLC.
Broadway Group is seeking an area variance to reduce the number of parking spaces outside the store from the required 73 to 35. In a letter with the application package, Jade Haynes, Dollar General's plan coordinator for the Northeast region, the company says operating 17,000 has given the company a significant amount of data to understand a store's parking needs. The stores average 15 to 20 transactions per hour.
"We have estimated and confirmed that 35 spaces will accommodate the customer flow rate that our business generates," Haynes states. "This standard has also been sufficient for traffic generated at peak Christmas season levels."
The application notes that the property is large enough to accommodate more parking spaces but that more spaces are unnecessary for the business.
"Less asphalt improves drainage and allows for more green space," the application states.
A staff member with The Broadway Group wrote on the application that the project will "bring new life" back to a part of Darien that is currently marked by a building that has fallen into disrepair.
"This is not a destination location," the application states. "The proposed development will serve traffic that already uses Broadway Road as a means of transversing to and from work or home."
The only other item on Thursday's Planning Board agenda is site plan review for a new contractor's yard at 9904 Alleghany Road, Darien. The staff is recommending approval with modifications.
The Planning Board meets at 7 p.m.Thursday in the large conference room of County Building 2, 3837 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.
Top photo: Via Google Street View.
