Sweden Town Board members have decided to wait to make a decision on a zoning change for two adjacent parcels of land at 4740 Lake Road and 25 Crestview Drive until the owner of the property can be present for a board meeting.
A resolution to change the zoning of the parcels from residential to commercial was tabled during the regular meeting of the board November 28. Engineer Kris Schultz of Schultz Associates attended the meeting, but property owners Samuel Simone and Christopher Dempsey were not able to attend.
Developers are proposing a one-story 5,000 sq. ft. professional office building as a possibility for the site.
Schultz spoke to the board early in the meeting saying the site has been identified in the town’s comprehensive plan for re-zoning.
“This type of use would make sense,” he said. “It’s been a hot topic for years.
Developers have requested re-zoning of the parcel three times before. During a public hearing October 24, many residents of the Crestview Drive area expressed concerns over the change and said they do not want any more commercial development in the area.
The parcels are located on Route 19 across from the entrance to the Wegman’s plaza.
Developers have argued that the site is not a prime one for residential development and that now is the time to re-zone the property correctly.
Kris Schultz said the town could re-zone to commercial with restrictions to ensure the property acts as a transition area between commercial and residential areas.
“We would retain existing trees,” Schultz said, and there would be green space around the proposed office building to, “mimic front yards along Lake Road (Route 19),” he explained.
Schultz said he heard concerns of residents during the October 24 meeting, but because the site is not well-suited for residential development, without a re-zone it will, “just sit there and fester.”
Town Councilperson Bob Muesebeck expressed concern that changing the zoning of the parcel could lead to a “domino” effect along the residential section of Lake Road to the north.
Town Board members did pass resolutions regarding the environmental review of the re-zone: designating itself as Lead Agency for the review and making a non-significance SEQR determination for the re-zone. Schultz Associates has completed a Part 1 Full Environmental Assessment Form regarding the change in zoning.
Additionally, the Town Board designated itself as Lead Agency for the environmental review of the rezone of a vacant parcel of land on Fourth Section Road. Developers of a 6.8 parcel of land on the northwest corner of Redman Road are proposing to build 49 market rate apartment units in two story buildings with private garages.
The proposed zoning change for the Fourth Section Road parcel is from R1-2S one-family residential to MR-1 multiple residence.
