The Churchville Village Board will hold a public hearing April 16 to discuss a request to change the zoning on a 10-acre parcel of land on North Sanford Road in the village from "highway commercial" to "light industrial."

Village Trustees voted 4-1 at last Monday's board meeting to consider the request. Mayor Donald R. Ehrmentraut, and Trustees Nancy Steedman, Dean Arlidge and Marian Gowan voted yes; Trustee Lyle Warren opposed the resolution. Zoning changes must be made by local law, requiring the board to hold a public hearing to hear concerns from the community.

"I’m glad it’s back to the village board," said planning board member Tom Fitzsimmons. "I really felt that it being thrown in for a variance wasn’t the right thing."

In June of last year the village planning board made a recommendation that the village board change the zoning to allow the property owner, Donald Jenks, to sell to a packaging plant.

The recommendation from the planning board said because the property, next to Rochester Auto Collection, does not have easy access to Interstate 490, it is unsuitable for highway commercial use. Other reasons for the recommendation included the fact that almost all of North Sanford Road is already zoned for light industrial park use.

The village board denied the request, saying there was enough light industrial property already available elsewhere in the village, and no other village property zoned for highway commercial usage.

Jenks then applied to the planning board for a variance. At that time, Gowan and Ehrmentraut told board members they felt Jenks would meet the criteria necessary for obtaining the variance. Granting the use variance, and allowing light industry to be constructed on the property would, in effect, change the zoning permanently, Gowan said. She recommended the board reexamine the question of changing the zoning.

Warren expressed concern over changing zoning without an updated village master plan in place. He said he was also concerned that there is no other property in the village zoned for highway commercial usage, which could include a hotel, nursing home, office complex, retail stores and fast-food restaurants.

Residents are invited to the public hearing Monday, April 16 at 7:15 p.m. in the meeting room of the Village offices, 22 South Main Street, when the matter will be discussed further, and possibly decided.

In related news, Steedman reported to trustees last week that she and Riga Town Council member Pamela Moore are moving forward with plans to update the joint village and town master plan, and hope to have it completed by the end of the year.

Steedman said as the planning moves forward, the municipalities will invite residents of Riga and Churchville to offer their input and ask questions at public hearings. Any public hearings will be announced in the Suburban News.