Developer Eric Biscaro is looking at a 20-acre parcel on East Avenue in the Village of Le Roy to construct a bigger version of the Clinton Crossings Adult Community that his company built on Clinton Street Road in the Town of Batavia.
“If you drove around Clinton Crossings, it’s the same thing, only 50-percent bigger,” said Biscaro, owner of Classic Home Improvements and Armor Building Supply on Ellicott Street Road. “It’s in its early stages, and there’s a lot of stuff to work out before it’s definitely a go, but we’re attempting it.”
Biscaro appeared before the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday night, requesting a zoning map change to rezone the area from Residential to Planned Unit Development and for a review of the site plan that outlines the development of 30 duplex patio home rentals for seniors.
County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari said a Planned Unit Development (or PUD) is a custom zoning district that encompasses a multiunit layout with one owner. He compared Biscaro’s project to the Royal Apartments in Le Roy in this regard.
The planning board recommended approval of Biscaro’s referral, but with several modifications, as follows:
-- The applicant include street connectivity to the west through the development of "South Avenue,” which is currently a paper street, in order to improve public safety/emergency access and to better conform with the Village's Comprehensive Plan, which calls for prohibiting the construction of cul-de-sacs;
-- The applicant work with the village to provide a pedestrian connection, such as a sidewalk extension, to the north on East Avenue and to the west on the proposed South Avenue;
-- The applicant conduct an archaeological survey and apply for 9-1-1 Address Verification to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office to ensure that the addresses of the proposed homes meet Enhanced 9-1-1 standards.*
Planning Board Member Tom Schubmehl also emphasized the necessity of having enough room for fire and emergency trucks to be able to properly navigate through the complex.
Biscaro said he is prepared to “go through all the steps (as required by the village), and hopefully we get all the way.”
“With all of the approvals and utilities and that kind of stuff, it likely will be months before we’ll be able to do any work,” he said, adding that two other attempts at a project such as this failed to materialize.
Rooftop Patios at Ellicott Place
Planners also took another look at the downtown design for Ellicott Place, the $2.3 million renovation of the Save-A-Lot building at 45 Ellicott St., in light of V.J. Gautieri Constructors Inc.’s revised plan to create rooftop patios outside of the 10 second-floor apartments.
The board is recommending approval of the installation of the 10-foot by 6-foot patios, which will be secured by protective guardrails measuring 42 inches high.
Company President Victor Gautieri said work continues on the project, which calls for the creation of seven one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments on the vacant, 11,600-square-foot second floor and development of 18,000 square feet of first-floor commercial/retail space.
“It’s been a tough road with the impediments that we have faced – COVID and material shortages, but we’re plugging away,” Gautieri said, adding that the wait time for appliances is between 12 and 14 weeks. “(Acquiring) paint has been an issue as well …”
Gautieri said he has moved the completion date of the apartments back a month to May 30.
“That will be a tough one to get to, but we’ll keep pushing at it,” he said.
A Drive-Thru for Chipotle
In other action, the planning board recommended approval of the following referrals:
- A special use permit for COR Development Veterans Memorial Drive Company LLC, to add a drive-thru to the building at 4222 Veterans Memorial Drive in the Towne Center at Batavia that is slated to house a new Chipotle restaurant.
The building also is the site of the Five Guys restaurant.
Other additions to the Chipotle location, which will have indoor seating, include outdoor seating, grease trap and trash enclosure.
- An area variance for Dickinson’s Auto at 4028 W. Main Street Road (Route 5) to construct a new truck storage building that will be 10 feet from the lot line – 20 feet less than the minimum required. The business is in a Commercial District.
- A site plan and area variance for Carolina Eastern-Crocker LLC, to build a new 60-foot by 200-foot pole barn to replace the current 45-foot by 113-foot structure at its main location, 8610 Route 237, Stafford. The variance was needed because the building will be 30 feet from the side lot line – 10 feet less than what the ordinance mandates.
Carolina Eastern-Crocker’s products include dry and liquid fertilizers, "Pop Up" fertilizers, organic fertilizer, crop protection products, ag lime, gypsum, seeds, custom application and spraying, variable rate application, fine ground corn meal, and corn purchasing.
- Placement of a sign for a new liquor store – Liberty’s Liquor Cabinet – at 10594 Main St., Alexander. The store, owned by Jennifer Wall, replaces a dog grooming business that previously operated out of that location.
- Zoning text amendments from the Town of Alexander and Town of Bethany to regulate solar energy systems.
*Enhanced 911, E-911 or E911 is a system used in North America to automatically provide caller's location to 9-1-1 dispatchers. 911 is the universal emergency telephone number in the region.
Early layout of an enclosed patio at the Ellicott Place apartments above the Save-A-Lot store (from Genesee County Planning Department renderings).
