batavia

Farmers aren't converting profitable cropland into solar farms, said Tim Call, a Batavia businessman and farmer, after the Batavia Planning Board heard a proposal from New Leaf Energy to install a 5-megawatt project on 20 acres he owns at 7757 Oak Orchard Road.

There's good money to be made off of good land, according to Call, but it's become harder to turn a profit on low-yield land.

New York's new labor laws have a lot to do with turning marginal land into unprofitable land.

"Farmers are getting so good at producing on good acreage," Call said. "You don't need all the acreage that's there. The bad ground is not going to produce a lot of good things. It's just like the dairy farmers. If they have cows that are producing 40,000 pounds of milk a year, and they have one that's producing 10,000 pounds, why are you going to keep feeding those 10,000 pounds? You cull that one and get ones that are going to produce the most and give you the best return. You can't afford to farm bad farmland. It's just not profitable."

The state's increase in minimum wage and new overtime rules for farmworkers are causing farmers to re-evaluate what land they keep in production and what crops they grow, Call said. Out are low-yield acreage and crops that are labor intensive, such as cabbage, and other vegetables. Corn, wheat, and soybeans are favored because those crops don't need to be weeded or picked by hand.  The harvest can be fully mechanized. 

Last year, New York adjusted the overtime threshold for farmworkers to 40 hours per week. That's made it harder to hire workers who can migrate to other states with more worker-friendly laws, Call said.

"The overtime rule is really crippling everybody," Call said. "Plus the minimum wage that's out there. When we're trying to compete against other states where the minimum wage is $7, $8 and our minimum wage is $14.20, almost double, and then you can't get the farm or the migrants to come in and work because they can't get the hours that they want. It's just crippling. How do you compete?"

The proposed solar farm came before the board on Tuesday so the board could appoint itself lead agency for the environmental review, which it did.  The board will later be asked to vote on a proposed special use permit for the project.

This new solar installation will go on an 85.5-acre parcel that is just south of Daws Corners, which already contains a 15-acre solar farm on the back portion, along with some wetlands left undisturbed by either project. The two projects will cover 39.6 percent of the parcel, which is below the allowable 50 percent threshold.

New Leaf will plant about 153 trees to help visually screen the array.

The topsoil from the project area will be stored in a berm along the front of the property, which will make it available to redistribute on the parcel once the solar array is decommissioned.  The land could potentially, then, become farmland again.

Call noted during an interview with The Batavian that a solar installation doesn't permanently take the acreage out of agricultural use.

"The thing is, if it doesn't work out, you take the panels off, you pull it out of the ground, you pull the wire up, and you go back to farming," Call said. "You can't do that with some of these other things that they're doing. This isn't blacktop. It's not concrete, you know. You don't have a 40-by-40 pad that's 10 feet down in the ground. You can go back to farming."

Photo: Will Nieves, project developer for New Leaf Energy, and Mark Kenward, project engineer with Erdman Anthony, make a presentation for a solar project on behalf of property owner Tim Call, in the background. Photo by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The Batavia Sports Card and Collectable Show returns to the Quality Inn Batavia on Sunday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

The show is free to attend and features roughly 60 vendors full of sports cards, autographs, supplies, hobby boxes and non-sports-related collectibles. 

If you have any questions, contact Jen at (585) 694-0111.  Thank you to all that have supported the past shows, and we look forward to keeping this a monthly event.

Changes to the original $70 million new county jail plans have included about $90,000 in structural, product and utility revisions, senior project manager Carl York says.

York gave the latest review of the project on West Main Street Road during Genesee County’s Human Services Committee meeting Tuesday.

“Some of these were items that just weren’t on the drawings. And so there’s a supplemental instruction that came out in the contract … so again, changes that are happening on the project. So far, we’ve had 46 instructions,” York said. “That’s about where I would expect it to be. None of these were huge changes. Some of them are just things that weren’t picked up on their original set of documents. And they have to be done. There’s been no issues so far from the Commission of Corrections.”

Having to add some precast, revising the type of flooring, making structural revisions to a pod and also to plumbing and gas provisions made for processing nearly $90,000 of change orders in December, York said.

All of the extras are not a concern, he said, as there is plenty of contingency funding for such needs. The first jail cell was delivered to the jail site this past week, and installed on Friday, Jan. 13. During the next two months or so, a total of about 100 cells will be installed at the property adjacent to County Building #2 and the Animal Shelter.

County Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein asked if those changes were above and beyond the $70 million project cost, and York said no.  In fact, the cost is at “.4 percent, not even .5 percent of your entire project cost,” he said.

“You’re doing fabulous,” he said.

Stein wanted that fact to be emphasized, given the possibility that some legislators had thought recent change orders were piling up to mean a larger price tag for the jail, a big ticket item not readily accepted by everyone in the county as it is.

“Good, that should just be made really clear to all of our legislators here, because we certainly did hear some conversation after the last approval that … now it's 70 million plus,” Stein said.

York assured her that “It is not $70 million-plus.”

During the transport phase of the jail cell last week, County Manager Matt Landers said that he's pleased the project is so far coming in under budget.

The Department of Corrections has contacted The Pike Company, lead for the project, and a meeting is being set up for later this week to review jail plans, York said.

File Photo of Carl York, senior project manager, of The Pike Company, by Joanne Beck.

Scott F. McColl is indicted on one count of felony DWI. McColl is accused of driving drunk on Summit Street Road in the Town of Pavilion on a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle on July 14. He was convicted of misdemeanor DWI on Nov. 3, 2014.

John Sumlin, III is indicted on one count of criminal contempt in the first degree, a Class E felony. Sumlin is accused of violating an order of protection on or about Oct. 25 and 26 in the City of Batavia. He is accused of repeatedly making telephone calls to the person he was ordered not to contact.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Republican Committee is seeking interested candidates for City Council Wards 2 and 3 for this year's election.

Candidates must be resgistered Republicans and residents of the wards in which they intend to represent -- either Ward 2 or Ward 3. 

All qualified individuals seeking to serve in this honorable role are to submit a letter of interest to Committee Chairman Richard Richmond by Feb. 1. Send letters to: City of Batavia Republican Committee, P.O. Box 260, Batavia, NY, 14021. 

 

Housing projects have various classifications, such as workforce, affordable and low income, all of which have certain definitions and income levels, and The Batavian wanted to clarify which words and parameters fit the Ellicott Station project in downtown Batavia.

First, a little housing definitions lesson:

Affordable Housing is generally defined as housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.

Market Rate Housing is the prevailing monthly cost for rental housing. It is set by the landlord without restrictions.

Housing Authority Housing authorities are public corporations with boards appointed by the local government. Their mission is to provide affordable housing to low- and moderate-income people. In addition to public housing, housing authorities also provide other types of subsidized housing.

Subsidized Housing is a generic term covering all federal, state or local government programs that reduce the cost of housing for low- and moderate-income residents. Housing can be subsidized in numerous ways—giving tenants a rent voucher, helping homebuyers with downpayment assistance, reducing the interest on a mortgage, providing deferred loans to help developers acquire and develop property, giving tax credits to encourage investment in low- and moderate-income housing, authorizing tax-exempt bond authority to finance the housing, providing ongoing assistance to reduce the operating costs of housing and others. Public housing, project-based Section 8, Section 8 vouchers, tax credits, the State Housing Trust Fund, and Seattle Housing Levy programs are all examples of subsidized housing. Subsidized housing can range from apartments for families to senior housing high-rises. Subsidized simply means that rents are reduced because of a particular government program. It has nothing to do with the quality, location or type of housing. In fact, a number of Seattle's subsidized housing developments have received local and national design awards.

Workforce Housing is the industry standard definition for affordable housing that serves families that are at or below 60 percent of the median income.

When talking to local economic and project development folks, semantics seemed to really matter. Workforce was not much different than affordable, according to one person, and the term low income was freely bandied about until The Batavian tried to confirm that the housing was subsidized, and the comment was retracted. And nobody wanted to be quoted out of uncertainty.

The assets manager for Savarino Companies has not yet replied to email inquiries after The Batavian was referred to her last week.

At last, an answer came from Jim Krencik of the county’s Economic Development Center. Krencik confirmed that the buck stopped with him, per the last known income qualifications that EDC was aware of for the Ellicott Station project.

To back up a bit, why was this a question to begin with? Because, several years ago, in the infant stage of this project, there was talk of market-rate apartments to provide up-scale prices and amenities to feed the appetites of higher-paid workers and help to grow the city’s economy with an influx of well-to-do consumers.

That bubble was burst last year when Sam Savarino, owner of Savarino Companies, announced that it was a workforce apartment project going up on Ellicott Street. It was going to be for entry-level workers making around $20 an hour or less.

But then rumblings and murmurs took to the streets, combined with questions and fear and lack of details, and the possibility of this being a mixed project of affordable and low income, or subsidized only, emerged. So The Batavian tried to get an answer from economic and project development folks — to no avail.

So now, onto the answer. Krencik didn’t really give a classification label, but just an answer. Of the total of 55 units, 25 of them will go to tenants with 50 percent of the county’s current available median income, and 30 units will go to those with 60 percent of the median income.

As an example of what that could be, the latest median yearly income data from 2017 to 2021 was $63,734, 50 percent of that is $31,867 and 60 percent is $38,240. Krencik emphasized that if someone was approved based on that starting salary and then was promoted and earned a raise, he or she wouldn’t lose the apartment because of that increased figure.

The idea is to provide quality housing to people who may have just graduated from college and are starting out with a new job and career, and want to live in a decent place that they can also afford, he said.

What about all of those parents stating that their kids can’t find jobs to keep them here? Do you really think there will be enough entry level people to fill this complex?
Krencik was glad to get the question. He could then volley back information about a new program called Cornell Food Processing Bootcamp, which is specifically for 2023 graduates. Students can earn a free food processing certificate from Cornell University at Genesee Valley BOCES and connect with local food manufacturers that are hiring with average starting wages of $20/hour, according to a GCEDC flyer.

After doing some hard-hitting promotion of the program, there are 26 students signed up so far, Krencik said, all of whom could be viable candidates for Ellicott Station. While the housing complex won’t be for everyone, it can fill many needs, he said.

“A lot of folks in that cohort are saying, hey, you know, I want to live where I have a supermarket, that's a 20-second walk away, and there's restaurants a 30-second walk away,” he said. “And there's musical performances, of all the concerts that happen in that area, that is attracted to that group. And right now, we've been really marketing that program hard for about three days now.

“And we're hoping to address, with a lot of activity that's been happening, if there wasn't enough quality apartments or single-family homes, and having projects that are taking those on to help people out at all phases of their life when they're starting off in a career or ready to, you know, have that big single family home for their growing family, or they're on the other side of that, and they're looking for the type of housing where they don't need a big house anymore, having all those available is really the key to having viability in our housing market,” he said. “So I guess a single project doesn't doesn't solve it for every one of those scenarios, but it's a piece of solving it with many others.”

Savarino Companies has been taking names of interested tenants for the complex, which is to open this summer. For more information, go to ellicottstation.com.

File Photo of Ellicott Station's progress in January 2023, by Howard Owens.

Name redacted upon request, 41, of Rosemary Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd, speeding, and failure to obey a police officer. xxx is accused of failing to yield for a patrol vehicle's emergency lights on Jan. 10 at 8:53 p.m. on Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, and then, when he did stop, running from the vehicle. Once apprehended, he was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and then released on an appearance ticket.

Antonio Elmer Sosa-Martinez, 33, of West Academy Street, Albion, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle on a highway, and unlicensed driver. Sosa-Martinez reportedly crashed his work van on Warsaw Road in Le Roy at 8:14 p.m. on Jan. 7. After an investigation by Deputy Mason Schultz and Deputy Jacob Kipler, Sosa-Martinez was placed in custody. He was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and released.

John James Gronowski, 45, of Cayuga Circle Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd. Gronowski was allegedly at Batavia Downs after previously being told he was not allowed on the property. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.

David Charles Pfenninger, Jr., 44, of Fargo Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Pfenninger was reportedly found in his vehicle stuck in a ditch on Route 77, Pembroke, at 1:10 a.m. Jan. 13 by Deputy James Stack. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Jordan Roger Difilippo, 29, of Pratt Road, Pembroke, is charged with sex offender failing to report change of address/status. Difilippo was arrested on Jan. 12 for allegedly failing to disclose an email address to the Department of Probation. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Paul Crawford, 54, of Old Meadow Lane, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and driving on a suspended registration.  Crawford was arrested on Jan. 12 after being located on Old Meadow Lane at 9:02 p.m. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Timothy Ting Hsia, 33, of Sinclair Street, Mckeesport, Pa., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, unlicensed driver, and failure to use four-way flashers. Hsia was stopped at 6:05 a.m. on Jan. 14 on Genesee Street, Pembroke, by Deputy Ayrton Blankenship.

Matthew J. Zon, 41, of South Byron, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Zon was arrested on Jan. 12 by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 3:09 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the Town of Byron. According to the statute cited, Zon reportedly has a prior criminal contempt conviction. He was released on his own recognizance. 

Kim M. Sobczak, 60, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Sobczak was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported on Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. in the Town of Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket. No other information released.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Java with Joe E. on Thursday, January 26th at 9 am. Richard Beatty will be presenting, “The Darwin Martin House-Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo 1905 Masterpiece.” Admission is free, and coffee and donuts will be served.

Richard Beatty, a senior docent at the site, will give a presentation on Wright's incredible design, his client Darwin D. Martin, and the long history of the complex.  Abandoned and neglected during the Depression, taken for back taxes in 1946, and then partially demolished in 1960, the complex of buildings and landscape has been completely restored. Part of Mr Beatty's presentation will include a history of the organization that took shape in the 1980s in response to the ongoing decline of the masterpiece, focusing on the key role that volunteers play in presenting the site to visitors from all over the world.

Photo via the NYS Parks website.

Press release:

Over the Christmas Holiday, a water pipe burst in three places flooding the drive-thru and back office operations of Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union. This was discovered after hours on Monday, Dec. 26, and resulted in the immediate closure of our ATM and drive-thru teller services, and a relocation of our back office teams, as the north/west side of the building suffered substantial flooding and water damage.

On Tuesday, Dec. 27, we were able to open our lobby as regularly scheduled for our members. A construction team was brought on-site immediately to remove all wet debris, and as of today, that mitigation is complete. Rebuilding our drive-thru teller service as well as our back office operations is underway. Our ATM is up and running. Other fee-free ATMs are available at 7-11 Convenience Stores in the area as follows:

• 550 East Main Street, Batavia
• 25 South Main Street, Oakfield
• 91 Market Street, Attica
• 8400 Buffalo Road, Bergen

Our thanks and appreciation to the City of Batavia Fire Department, the City of Batavia Bureau of Maintenance, Issac Heating, Lawley Insurance, Kircher Construction, Rapid Dry, Seibold, ARCA, and all of our business partners who were on site within 12 hours to begin clean-up efforts and to assist our team with the necessary tools to ensure business continuity.

We anticipate we will be under construction for the next few months. We are hopeful for a reopening date in April 2023 for our drive-thru teller services. As this fluid situation continues to unfold, updates will be made available on our website www.tvfcubatavia.com

TVFCU members can continue to utilize our lobby teller services, our branch team, and our electronic services until our drive-thru is rebuilt. If you are a TVFCU member and need assistance conducting your banking transactions, please call our branch team at 585-343- 5627 or visit our website www.tvfcubatavia.com

Thank you for your patience as we rebuild to better serve your banking needs. 

Press release:

As 2022 has drawn to a close, the City of Batavia Fire Department has evaluated the services and programs provided throughout the year.  The annual evaluation of calls for service metrics, training and citizen outreach is part of the department’s continuous quality improvement process.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people around the world, City Fire operations have been able to roll back COVID-19 protocols and operate in a Post Pandemic “normal status.”

“I am honored to lead the City of Batavia Fire Department.  In my first few months of employment, I have been working to bring the department to full staffing, analyzing the condition of the fleet, and meeting with command staff and firefighters to listen to their ideas and concerns.” 

“The number one priority of the Department is life safety, followed closely by protecting property and the environment. The professionals that make up this department will continue to train and serve to the highest of standards”

“Below, please find the year-end summary for 2022 and thank you for your continued support of the City of Batavia Fire Department,” said Josh Graham, City of Batavia Fire Chief.

Total alarms for 2022, 2669

• Fires, 59
• Overpressure Rupture, Explosion, Overheating, 15
• Emergency Medical Services, 1,940
• Motor Vehicle Accidents, 51
• Pedestrian Struck, 14
• Extrication (vehicle, machinery, building), 2
• Elevator Rescue, 4
• Ice/Swift Water Rescue. 2
• Hazardous Conditions, 80
• Service Calls, 111
• Good Intent Calls, 126
• Fire / Carbon Monoxide Alarm Activations, 308
• Severe Weather, 2
• Special Incident Type, 11
• Mutual Given, 23
• Mutual Received, 15

Fire Prevention

• Fire prevention programs, 31events, 104 adult / 2124 children Points of Contact  (Includes: station tours, fire drills, and school visits)
• Fire Extinguisher Trainings, 19 events, 691 points of contact
• Smoke Alarm / CO alarm installs, 29
• Smoke alarm / CO alarm battery replacements, 21
• Juvenile Fire Setter Interventions, 2
• Car Seat installations/inspections, 158

Fire Inspection/Code Enforcement

• Special Events Inspections, 80
• Commercial Building Inspection, 334
• Multi-family Dwelling Inspections, 38

General Information

• Busiest Month, December (234)
• Busiest Day, Tuesday (375)              
• Busiest Time of Day, 1000 – 1059 hrs. (160)
• Slowest Month, January (150)
• Slowest Day, Sunday (280)
• Slowest Time of Day, 0400 – 0459 hrs. (38)

City Response Time (Time of Dispatch to on-scene arrival)

• 10 minutes or less, 99 percent
• 8 minutes or less, 97 percent
• 6 minutes or less, 90 percent
• Two or more calls for service simultaneously, 519

Overall, the total call volume for the year was up by approximately 11.6 percent. 

“I accepted this position after being impressed with my research on the department as well as the City, and neither has let me down. The individuals that make up the City of Batavia Fire Department continue to be some of the most professional and competent people I’ve had the pleasure of serving with. In addition to this group, I’d like to say thank you to the other City of Batavia departments, leadership, Genesee County partners, dispatchers, City of Batavia business owners, residents and local media outlets for all of their support and dedication,” said Fire Chief Josh Graham.

Things are looking up again in downtown Batavia.

A request to revise the current commercial zoning district at 97 Main St. and convert the second and third floors to residential use with the construction of four apartments is up for review during the city’s Planning and Development Committee meeting this week.

It’s set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Board Room of City Hall.

Applicant David Rowley of VJ Gautieri Constructors has applied for a special use permit on behalf of property owner Peter Hunt.

Hunt purchased 97 Main St. in January of 2022 and listed apartments as a future goal for the property after getting lower floor renovations completed at the site at the corner of Main and Jackson streets. At the time, he said the new space will have room — an estimated couple of thousand square feet on each of three floors — for growth of personnel and offices, and an apartment on each of the second and third floors. He cited the "high ceilings and beautiful windows" that would make the property a great work and living space.

According to related agenda materials, he has requested to build two apartments on each of the second and third floors.

The meeting agenda includes a review of the application, a public hearing and discussion about the request, and action by the board. The property is currently zoned C-3, which is for commercial use, and the request is to rezone it for R-2, residential use.

There are other properties downtown that have been converted in a similar fashion, with first floors used for retail and commerce purposes and upper floors as office and residential space.

Supplemental materials for the request state that:

• One each waste and recycling totes would be provided per apartment in the alley behind the building;
• Off-street parking would be available adjacent to the intersection of Jackson and Ellicott streets in an area designated for overnight parking;
• A dumbwaiter on the south side of the building in the alley could be used for hauling up groceries and other heavy objects; and
• An entrance on Jackson Street is being updated for security.

An estimated cost of work has yet to be determined.

The second item on the agenda is a request from Brad Trzecieski, owner of 327 Ellicott St., Batavia, to make exterior alterations to his mixed-use building located within the central commercial district of the Business Improvement District on the south side of downtown.

File photo of when Hunt Real Estate celebrated its new Batavia home at 97 Main St., by Howard Owens.

Is there someone who’s the star in your life? They may still be with you, or maybe they've passed. Either way, if their light has been a bright spot that you’d like to recognize, Crossroads House staff is selling tribute stars to memorialize or honor someone special during the nonprofit’s Red Carpet Gala on Jan. 28.

Buy a star (or more) for $25 each, and it will line the red carpeted walkway during the Crossroads 25th-anniversary event. They may be purchased at the house, 11 Liberty St., Batavia, or online at crossroadshouse.com, and do not need to be named after someone who stayed at the comfort care home.

Tickets for the gala dinner are also available for $75 each and include dinner, entertainment, three types of auctions, a 5X7 photo for each couple or group, and $15 Free Play. Doors open at 5 p.m. Jan. 28 at Batavia Downs, Park Road, Batavia.

A VIP sponsorship is $1,000 for a table of eight, and also includes an hour of open bar at 4 p.m., special seating and company advertising throughout the evening.

Auction items include spa packages, romantic getaways, a recliner, and diamond earrings, just to name a few, Director of Development Vicki Johnson said. And people that purchase stars do not need to be attendees of the gala, she said.

Johnson recommends reserving your spot soon, as the event ticket deadline is Friday. Stars may be purchased up to the date of the event.

For more information, call 585-343-3892.

Photo of Crossroads House Director of Development Vicki Johnson showing examples of stars available for the nonprofit's 25th Red Carpet Gala. Photo submitted.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Water Department is repairing a water main break on Richmond Ave. between Vernon Ave. and Woodrow Rd.  Traffic in the vicinity remains closed while crews access the break and make the repair. Please use an alternative route when traveling through the City today.

Residents in other parts of the Batavia Water Plant Service Area may notice issues with water pressure.  Residents in affected areas will be without water until the repair is made.  The length of time the water will be off is unknown. 

Due to the size of the break, all residents are asked to conserve water usage at this time, until the break is fixed. 

As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored.  Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear. 

We apologize for any inconvenience, and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.

Submitted photo.

Five of Batavia's players hit double-digits in scoring as the Blue Devils beat Greece Olympia 88-39 on Friday.

Carter McFollins scored 16 points, Carter Mullen 14, Sawyer Siverling 13, Ja'vin McFollins 12, and Aiden Bellavia 11. Adding on, Rashaad Christie scored eight points and Mike McKenzie scored six.

Batavia improves to 8-2 on the season.

Also, in Boys Basketball on Friday:

• Pavilion beat Cal-Mum 56-36
• Le Roy lost to Geneseo, 57-44

In Girls Basketball:

• Elba beat Kendall, 47-12. Sydney Reilly scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds. Haille Scouten scored five points and had 15 rebounds, Kennedy Augello scored nine points and had four assists.
• Notre Dame beat Alexander, 48-28. Amelia McCulley scored 26 points. 
• Byron-Bergen beat Attica, 52-25
• Oakfield-Alabama beat Lyndonville, 49-40
• Arcadia beat Batavia 44-34
• Geneseo beat Le Roy, 50-37
• Wheatland beat Pembroke, 38-36

Blue Devils' next game is away at Livonia High School Tuesday, at 7 p.m.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

With a choice of building from scratch from the ground up or using prefabricated units, county management is confident that the right choice was made for the new jail facility on West Main Street Road in Batavia.

The first jail cell was delivered to the site Wednesday and installed on Friday. It will be one of about 100 such cells to be slowly and carefully transported by flatbed truck, an effort that Assistant County Engineer Laura Wadhams believes is well worth it.

“These units come to us completely finished on the inside, and once set into place, will be bolted together, and all of the electrical, HVAC and plumbing already installed will be connected to the rest of the building,” Wadhams said to The Batavian Thursday. “This is a cost-effective way of constructing these cells, as the other option would be to construct the cells out of (concrete masonry unit) block, which, as you could imagine, would be a very labor-intensive process.”

General contractor LeChase Construction Services has subcontracted with PennStress, a precast cell manufacturer that installs the remade cell units all over the eastern side of the country, she said.

“We do get a good product this way as well since these are manufactured in a factory with a rigorous quality control process,” she said.

The cell was installed at the facility with a crane on Friday, overseen by the construction company, workers, County Manager Matt Landers and Sheriff William Sheron. There’s a long way to go, Landers said, but this is “just one more step in the process.”

“It’s a milestone to mark the setting, it’s a good step in the process,” he said. “But it’s just one step along the way.”

Likening the building process akin to how Legos snap into place with one another, the prefabricated units are very secure, Sheron said. He has enjoyed observing the vision coming to life.

“It’s exciting, to go from the plans on paper to actually see things coming out of the ground,” he said. “It’s all coming together now that we can actually picture it.”

That picture includes a 184-bed facility to house men and women inmates. With a price tag of $70 million, it’s not something that Landers wants to do again in a long time, he said.

“Certainly, it is a milestone, we don’t plan on building out our jail for hopefully 100 years, which is why we’re trying to get it right this time, and building a jail as appropriate for our community for the next 100 years,” Landers said. “So I think we’ve done a good job of that … and it’s been a great process working with the sheriff and seeing where we are today.”

The plan is to get a substantial amount completed by the first quarter of next year, and to begin moving inmates in around June or July, Sheron said. It will then join the majority of other jails in New York State that house female inmates, and by keeping those inmates more locally to their homes, their families will be able to visit them more frequently and remain connected, he said.

“It’s a matter of the county manager, the county Legislature, all of us coming together and recognizing that we are well overdue. I would say that we’re working at a facility that was built in 1902. That was built at that time to take care of the population that they had then. And things have changed tremendously since then,” Sheron said. “I know it’s a substantial cost, but it’s one of those necessary evils. Unfortunately, in society, we have individuals that can get the following rules and regulations and laws. And I think it’s extremely important that we have a location to put those individuals that is not only safe for them but also safe for the officers that are involved with it.”

Top Photo of a prefabricated jail cell being lifted over to its designated place during the install phase on Friday; photos of the cell's interior, a crane lifting the container, Sheriff William Sheron, left, on scene, workers getting the cell into proper place, and relaxing after a job well done. Photos by Howard Owens.

These may be tough economic times, but local folks came through and gave plentifully during Genesee County Probation Department's annual Stuff the Cruiser collection last month.

The department reported that more than 450 local children were provided with gifts for the 2022 Christmas season, thanks to the Stuff the Cruiser event on Dec. 3 at Batavia Towne Center. As the name implies, the trunks of police vehicles were opened for people to place their donations inside, as shown in the photo below. 

An online post made by the department gave nods of credit for the "great work by the representatives of the Genesee County Probation Department, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, and the Genesee County Department of Social Services for their help in coordinating this event."

"And, of course, thank you to the community of Genesee County who made the extra effort through the gift of giving to local families in need," it stated. "These types of events are such a benefit to the community and we can't thank you enough!"

Top Photo: Members of Genesee County law enforcement and Social Services organize the generous donations from the 2022 Stuff the Cruiser collection, photo from GC Probation Department site. Above, file photo of Deputy Jordan Alejandro with the cruiser during the collection, by Howard Owens.

An opening reception has been rescheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at GO ART!, 201 East Main St., Batavia, Coordinator Nikki Greenbaum said.

The show will run through Feb. 24 and showcase 22 students from grades nine to 12.Their pieces cover a wide range of art electives, Greenbaum said, to meet the goal of highlighting a variety of art mediums within the class electives offered at the city school district.

“We have students participating that are from our AP Art, Portfolio, Printmaking, Drawing, Painting and Studio Art classes,” she said. “We do hope that many of our students will be able to make it to the opening reception and will be available to talk about their work.”

The artwork currently exhibited illustrates a variety of mediums from oil pastels, printing ink, graphite, watercolor, acrylic paint, charcoal, and ball point pen, she said.

Greenbaum has served to coordinate the show between the Art Department, which also includes staff Mandi Antonucci and Ashley Duzsa, and GO ART!

Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Photos of student artworks submitted by Nikki Greenbaum.

The first of about 100 oversized construction material loads slowly made its way down Main Street Wednesday en route to the new Genesee County jail being built at 3839 West Main Street Road, and city motorists are asked to take note and give future loads a wide berth.

The special delivery package was a concrete cell that traveled down Route 63 to Route 5, and is to be followed by about 99 more in a series of staggered deliveries during the next two months, county officials say. Motorists are asked to “keep an eye out” for escort vehicles since the deliveries are oversized loads requiring adequate space for travel and turns to reach their destination.

“They should not be crowded for the safety of all travelers,” Public Communications Specialist Steven Falitico said Wednesday.

The new jail — a 184-bed, $70 million facility — has been in progress since the groundbreaking in May of last year on property adjacent to County Building #2 and Genesee County Animal Shelter. Deliveries of pre-fabricated jail cells are “one big step in the construction process,” County Manager Matt Landers said.

“There is still a long way to go, but overall, I am happy that the construction is progressing on schedule and coming in under budget,” he said.

The first major change order — an expense not to exceed $80,000 for stainless steel flashing glued around the perimeter of precast pods as extra insulation — also came up for a vote of approval Wednesday by the county Legislature. The Ways and Means Committee had previously reviewed the request and passed it on to the whole Legislature for final vote.

The project has been on track for a March 2024 completion, led by The Pike Company’s project management.

Top Photo: A jail cell on a flatbed truck slowly travels along Route 5 on its way to the new county jail being built on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia; photos of construction progress of the jail on property next to County Building #2 and the animal shelter. Photos by Howard Owens.

Mone N. Wiggins, 24, of Dana Street, Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 4th, conspiracy 5th, and criminal impersonation. Yathil Karis K. Lay-Rivera, 24, of Grand Avenue, Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 4th and conspiracy 5th.  Aniyah E. Kendrick, 18, of Sullivan Street, Rochester, is charged with conspiracy 5th.  On. Jan. 6, Sheriff's deputies responded to Ulta Beauty in Batavia Towne Center after receiving a report of a larceny in progress. When officers arrived, Wiggins, Lay-Rivera, and Kendrick were allegedly seen walking to a vehicle with "bags full of stolen items." The three were taken into custody and issued appearance tickets. Assisting in the investigation were Deputy Morgan Ewert, Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, and Deputy Jacob Kipler.

Joe Andrew Cortez, 40, no permanent address, is charged with rape 1st and rape 3rd. Cortez is accused of forcing a person under the age of 17 to have sexual intercourse on Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. at a location on Lewiston Road, Batavia. Cortez was arrested on Jan. 6 and ordered held in the Genesee County Jail.

Tommy Lee Mobley III, of Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with attempted criminal possession of a weapon 4th. Mobley is accused of attempting to purchase a firearm from a business on West Main Street, Batavia, on Sept. 27 at 9 a.m., while being a person prohibited by law from making a firearm purchase. Mobley was taken into custody on Jan. 6, processed at the Genesee County Jail, and released on an appearance ticket.

Vicki Lee Showler, 51, of Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with petit larceny. Showler is accused of shoplifting at the Dollar General store on North Main Street, Oakfield, on Jan. 4 at 8:24 p.m. Showler was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Tatiana Makarevic, 55, of Maple Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely.  Deputy Jacob Kipler and Deputy Jeremiah Gechell responded to a report of an erratic driver on Route 77 in the Town of Pembroke on Dec. 15 at 8:48 p.m. Makarevic was taken into custody and processed at the Genesee County Jail. She was released on appearance tickets.

Jocolby Sherod Wallace, 34, of Bryan Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 4th, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and uninspected motor vehicle. Wallace was stopped on Jan. 6 at 8:52 p.m. on Route 33 in Byron by Deputy David Moore. During the traffic stop, Wallace was allegedly found in possession of a stun gun while being previously convicted of a crime. He was arraigned and ordered held without bail.

Theresa Lorraine Fisher, 34, of Royal Parkway, South Lockport, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd. Fisher was stopped on Jan. 1 at 5:45 p.m. on Route 77 in Pembroke by Deputy Morgan Ewert. She was issued an appearance ticket.