Rezoning request denied

Village of Churchville trustees voted unanimously to remove two parking spaces in front of the Elmcrest Apartment building at the corner of South Main Street and Fitch Street after no residents spoke at a public hearing at the regular board meeting Monday, August 6.

Residents from Fitch Street and surrounding streets had petitioned the board to remove the first two spaces to the north of Fitch Street to improve visibility.

"We had several discussions with residents ... with grave concerns about the dangers of pulling out on Main Street when there are vehicles parked there," said Churchville Mayor Donald R. Ehrmentraut. "Most of us here have had close calls pulling out there," he said.

"I know this will create hardship to the people at Elmcrest, hopefully we can convince (the owner of the apartment building) to put parking on the site ... but right now we're concerned about the safety of residents passing through there," Ehrmentraut said.

In other business, the board decided not to entertain a request to rezone the vacant lot at 17 Fitch Street from its residential designation to an industrial one. Owners of the Star of the West flour mill wanted to purchase the L-shaped lot and put storage silos on the back part of the property, with the promise that the front part, which aligns with the homes on Fitch Street, would remain grass.

A memorandum to the board from planning board chair Chuck Daniels recommended against making the change. Planning board member Mark Majewski was at the August 6 meeting and told board members, "If we were to rezone, Star of the West could take the front property and do whatever they wanted with that."

Ehrmentraut said the mill could change owners or managers once the change was made, and the new ones may not honor the promise. There are no setback restrictions on industrially-zoned property, so, in theory, homeowners on Fitch Street could end up with silos, or other factory equipment, right next to their homes if the property were rezoned.

"I guess the best way to protect the neighborhood is not to let it happen," Ehrmentraut said.

•Under new business, Ehrmentraut told board members he would like to work on establishing a noise ordinance in the village, at the request of the New York State Troopers and Monroe County Sheriff's Department. He said one reason for the ordinance is to reduce the noise level on car stereos in the village. The board will meet again August 20.