Heritage Square scoping document accepted

The Sweden Town Board accepted the Heritage Square SEQRA scoping outline at its December 13 meeting. The scoping outline identifies the areas of environmental concern that must be addressed by the applicant before the town board can complete the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR). The next step is the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, which will contain various studies that predict the environmental impact of the project and proposed mitigations.

Heritage Square is a proposed mixed residential development located on Redman Road just north of the canal. The developer, McLean Contracting, has applied for re-zoning of the property from single family residential to commercial in order to build a senior residential community containing single family homes, town houses, patio homes, assisted living units and small commercial units intended to serve the residents of Heritage Square. Sweden's zoning does not allow mixed residential in the current single-family residential zoning.

The Sweden Town Board will not make a decision on the re-zoning application until the environmental study is complete, according to Deputy Supervisor Rob Carges. The environmental study could be complete by late this winter or early spring, Carges said.

The scoping outline is available at the Town Clerk's office during normal business hours.

January 8, 2006