The proposed Gary Drive extension project is about public safety, period. The Town Board has spent nearly three years pursuing improved transportation safety across the town. We have concentrated a great deal of our effort on Route 31 improvements, particularly on safe access for Sweden Village residents.
In May of 2018, the town submitted a request to the NYS DOT, along with more than 50 letters of support from Sweden Village residents, for a light at Sherry Lane. The request was denied but came with a DOT recommendation to extend Gary Drive to Route 31 at the existing traffic light. At that time, our engineer put together a rough estimate of the cost of the project. It came to about $500,000; for lack of such funding, the idea essentially died.
This spring, there was an opportunity for funding for such a project, an opportunity that had not existed before. The Town of Sweden applied for the funding and received the largest award in Monroe County – $175,500. The DOT also offered to fund the cost of the signalization bringing the cost to the town down to between $25,000 and $40,000. Not only had the concept of the extension of Gary Drive been recommended by the NYS DOT, it had also been recognized as an important infrastructure improvement by Monroe County Planning and Development.
The Town Board then conducted a survey of Sweden Village residents and held a Public Information Session prior to committing to the project. Neither of these things was required. Two questions were posed: do you support traffic light-controlled access to Route 31, and do you support the extension of Gary Drive to create traffic light-controlled access to Route 31? The response to both questions was overwhelmingly in favor by a 3-1 margin.
Obviously, some residents are opposed to the Gary Drive extension, some adamantly opposed. The Town Board understands and respects that position. However, there is no room in this debate, in any debate, for false information. We hope that the misinformation that is circulating is the result of misunderstanding, not malice. The facts are as follows:
•No promise has been made to the landowner for a rezoning in exchange for the needed right-of-way, nor has such a request been made. Nor is the town aware of any imminent plans to develop the parcels involved. There is no quid pro quo.
•No Town Board member is earning any type of commission or fee for the transfer of the right-of-way or the sale (now or in the future) of the property to a developer, and the ROW is being given to the town for nominal consideration ($1.00).
•The Land Banking language recently added to the Land Use Development and Subdivision Regulations has nothing to do with this project. The Land Banking language had been requested by the Planning Board at least back to August 2017 and submitted in writing by the Planning and Building Department with a host of other recommended code changes in August 2019, months in advance of the town learning that the Gary Drive extension would qualify in the 2020 round of CDBG funding.
It would have been far easier for the Town Board to dismiss the recommendation of the NYS DOT, to pass up the opportunity for CDBG and DOT funding, and to ignore the state’s offer to coordinate the extension with its Route 31 improvement project than to tackle an issue that would certainly be opposed by some residents.
The Town Board will continue to study the Gary Drive extension project until we are satisfied that we have given all considerations due deliberation. We ask residents to engage with us in meaningful, productive dialogue. For those involved, please stop the descent into false accusations, libelous disinformation, harassment of the property owner, and the intimidation of Sweden Village residents who are in favor of the proposal. Such efforts are counterproductive. Let’s work together to find the best solution for the town.
Sweden Town Board
