by William Matthias
Photograph from the development’s website — Click on photo to visit website.The Town of Kendall government’s review of the site plan for the Cottages at Troutburg has moved on to its next phase, but the project is still under fire from a handful of residents within the Kendall and Hamlin communities.
Preliminary review of the project’s site plan concluded at a special meeting October 10, during which Kendall’s Planning Board issued its recommendations to the Town Board regarding the proposed 400-unit, three-season resort complex.
Norway Heights, in Kendall, and Beachwood Park Drive, in Hamlin, are adjacent to the proposed development site – the 126-acre former Camp Troutburg, which is owned by The Salvation Army. The Wegman Group is waiting for the Town Board’s approval of the Troutburg project before purchasing the lakefront property, said the company’s CEO, Dave Wegman.
The Kendall Planning Board’s recommendations address some of the concerns expressed by residents over the past few months during public meetings and in communications with town officials. Concerns include water supply to the site, sewage discharge from the site, planned fire pits within the cottage community, and a potential increase in service calls to the Morton and Kendall Fire Departments.
The Wegman Group plans to develop Troutburg as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) under a new local law authorizing the creation of Waterfront Planned Development Districts (WPDDs) in the town. WPDD refers to an independent, freestanding zoning district that replaces previous land use requirements, with standards/specifications set forth in a development’s pre-approved site plan.
Kendall residents who oppose the Troutburg development have stated that the law puts Wegman Group at an advantage, allowing the company to develop only in the interest of the bottom line, with community concerns ignored or overlooked.
“The town government is acting quickly and recklessly with its review of this project, as opposed to constructively and cautiously with concern for the community,” said Norway Heights resident Jerry Clement. “They (town officials) are trying to push this thing through to meet the developer’s deadline.”
Although the Town Board has only recently begun its review of the project, Ty Whitehair, a Norway Heights resident of 29 years, said he believes board members are under the influence of the Wegman Group and are being led astray by Town Supervisor Dan Gaesser.
“The Kendall Town Board, led by Supervisor Gaesser, is fully supporting a development that will be unhealthy and unsafe for its residents and for the neighbors of this planned manufactured home park,” Whitehair said. “With the passage of the WPDD law, the Town Board has successfully thrown out well thought-out, proven zoning requirements.”
The law has allowed Wegman Group a minimum square footage of 300 square feet per unit, though the cottages will range in sizes of up to about 1,000 square feet.
“Before the tricky (WPDD law) came along, 768 square feet of livable space was considered to be the minimum allowed for safe and healthy living,” Whitehair said. “This was the standard across New York State.”
Gaesser said The Wegman Group has revised its site plan at least four times in working with town officials and engineers. He also said the town was advised to create the WPDD law to accommodate the planned development.
“We have engaged the services of experienced engineers and attorneys to ensure that this project is done right,” Gaesser said. “Our attorneys advised us that this (passing the WPDD law) was the best course of action. The WPDD allows the Town to regulate the property in a way that best fits the Town of Kendall Comprehensive Plan.”
Gaesser pointed to the fact that Kendall’s comprehensive plan specifically provides for the use of PUDS. The plan reads, “The Town of Kendall shall encourage developers to design innovative housing developments using measures such as cluster and planned unit development.”
The Wegman Group’s CEO, Dave Wegman, said the claim that the cottage complex will contain unhealthy and unsafe conditions is illegitimate and uninformed. He also said the surrounding neighborhoods will not be negatively affected by the development.
“We are developing an award-winning project, one that will be enjoyed for years to come by family and friends,” he said. “And we want to be good neighbors. We are abiding by all of the rules and regulations of the State of New York, the County of Orleans and the Town of Kendall.”
Plans for the project include about 90 fire pits, approximately 16 fire hydrants, an on-site sewer treatment plant and two secured gates for entering and exiting the property. Wegman said there are no “potential hazards” associated with the fire pits, as they will be “small in comparison to bonfires” and will be contained within a metal ring similar to what New York State parks use.
Specifications of water flow at the fire hydrants, however, are still unclear or undetermined. The original site plan calls for 500 gallons per minute. According to an email from The Wegman Group’s engineering firm, the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) would require a waiver from the Town in order for this rate to be permitted because it does not meet Insurance Services Office (ISO) guidelines.
ISO guidelines call for 1,000 gallons per minute of “fire flow,” as it is commonly referred to, when family dwellings are 11 to 30 feet apart. Gaesser said the email was a “miscommunication” or “misunderstanding” and a waiver is not currently required. Dave Wegman would not confirm the current planned fire flow, but he did say the MCWA deemed it “adequate” for fire protection.
The Troutburg property falls within Kendall’s water district No. 5. Gaesser said the Cottages at Troutburg project could “significantly reduce” the amount of debt, or taxes paid, per resident in that water district. He also said the town may need to extend the boundary lines of the district to accommodate the development, but this would not affect water supply to Troutburg’s neighbors.
The latter statement is supported by a letter from the MCWA dated October 4.
“The net effect of the proposed development, even during peak demand periods, should not be noticeable to the existing water customers of the system,” the letter reads.
Wegman said his company has received preliminary approval for the proposed sewer treatment plant, which would be regulated by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The plant would send waste from the site into Lake Ontario.
“This is not unusual,” Wegman said. “It’s just the way the world works.”
Wegman added, “There will be no odor issues whatsoever associated with the sewer treatment plant and we will have a backup generator.”
The Wegman Group’s plan is to sell 400 cottages ranging from about $50,000 to $100,000. Residents would pay a land lease fee of $500 per month, covering the cost of on-site security, property taxes and maintenance, and amenities designed to encourage outdoor recreational activities.
Wegman said he expects the Cottages at Troutburg to open in May, with full development to take place over the next five to six years.
