During their September 10 meeting, members of the Ogden Planning Board tabled the application of Canal Road Apartments following a public hearing at which several residents expressed concerns over the project.
Contractor/owner Mike LoPresti is seeking approval to construct two, eight-unit apartment buildings on slightly more than two acres of land on the north side of Canal Road between Upton Avenue and Union Street. The project requires re-zoning from R-1 Single Family Residential to Multi-Family Residential and sits along the western Spencerport Village line.
“We’ve been instructed to pay attention to the village setting and be creative,” LoPresti told the board.
In addition to residents’ concerns, Planning Board members said they are still in need of more information regarding the project. There appears to be quite a lot to do yet,” Planning Board member Tom Coburn noted.
LoPresti described the 16-unit development as, “luxury apartments in the $1,000/month range.” Apartments would have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, LoPresti said.
The Conservation Board expressed concerns over drainage at the site and Town Engineer John Freel told Planning Board members the project needs a storm water management pond on the north side as well as a storm water pollution prevention plan.
Ogden Building Inspector Patrick Smith said the storm water runoff issue must be addressed, “the project is not ready for approval,” he said.
Three residents who spoke were not in favor of the project.
An Upton Avenue resident said there are, “more apartments than you know what to do with,” in the town. “It won’t benefit the town to put in more apartments,” he observed.
He said the project appeared to be “spot zoning … it doesn’t work for anyone who lives there. It’s not what anybody wants in the neighborhood.”
Planning Board member Marc Robinson noted the project has already been through the Zoning Board.
A resident of North Union Street said Spencerport has been a quaint village, but now both it and the Town of Ogden are turning into apartments galore. She noted drainage issues she has on her nearby property and asked, “… is the town concerned about residents around there?”
Marc Robinson responded that he understands residents’ concerns, but drainage issues will be addressed. When the project is completed, drainage must be improved at the site. He also said there is a strong market in the area for apartments.
“Apartments are huge,” Robinson noted. “They can’t build them fast enough.”
