The Public Hearing for the Annual review of the Master Plan 2015 is February 24, 2010 at 7:45 pm at Town Hall.

ClarenceFIRST has not heard any thing officially regarding what to expect from this year’s review. Members of ClarenceFIRST will be on hand to urge that the Town Board act immediately on the Town Planning Board’s recommendation to DOWNZONE segment B which has been pending for two years now.

We encourage everyone to be in attendance on February 24 at 7:45 pm to engage in your Town’s annual review of the MasterPlan and hear some of the proposed changes which could impact your neighborhood.

Thank you.

UPDATE: Planning Board upholds decision to downzone and Weiss motions to circumvent the Planning Board to get project reviewed.

We hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. Now that there is a lull before the New Year, we would like to update everyone on developments behind the Wegmans project proposed for Segment B on Transit Road north of Roll Road.

On November 25, the Planning Board detailed all of the proposed and approved Master Plan amendments in recent history and reviewed all of the recent history of the Bella Vista / Wegmans application to have the master plan amended.

The Planning Board did NOT forward the application to amend the Master Plan for the Wegmans project to the TEQR committee for further review and voted unanimously to request that the Town Board adopt the Planning Board’s recommendation to DOWNZONE Segment B.

Read full details of the meeting here: http://www.erie.gov/clarence/pdfs/minutes/PBM11-25-2009.pdf

At the next Town Board meeting on December 2, Councilman Weiss made a motion to bypass the Planning Board and to send the Bella Vista \ Wegmans project directly to the TEQR committee review. There was no second on Councilman Weiss’ motion. There was no further discussion on the topic.

Read full details on the meeting here: http://www.erie.gov/clarence/pdfs/minutes/TBM2009-12-02.pdf

At this point, we are watching for any further developments from Bella Vista Development / Wegmans and will be drafting a letting to the Town Board requesting that they address the Town Planning Board’s recommendations for Segment B at their nearest opportunity.

In the meantime, please contact the Town of Clarence Board members and let them know that you support the Planning Board’s decision to downzone Segment B and would like to see it put on the agenda for a near future Town Board Meeting.

Town Supervisor: Scott Bylewski – sbylewski@clarence.ny.us

Councilman:

Bernard J. Kolber – bkolber@clarence.ny.us

Joseph N. Weiss – jweiss@clarence.ny.us

Patrick Casilio -  pcasilio@clarence.ny.us

Peter DiCostanzo – pdicostanzo@clarence.ny.us

Thank you for your support.

ClarenceFIRST Homeowners Association.

November 25, 2009 – Planning Board to address Wegmans Project

During the Town Board meeting earlier this month, Councilman Weiss brought a motion forward and the Town Board voted (with Councilman Dicostanzo being the only NO) to clarify Councilman Weiss’ previous motion in July to request that the Planning Board send the Wegmans project to TEQR as is; with the original 100 foot +/- buffer.

Councilman Weiss, “ I believe that the entire application with the full build out deserves a review in all fairness to the citizens, Wegmans, Bella Vista and all people involved in the situation.”

The planning board now has the Master Plan amendment to Segment B north of Roll Road (the Wegmans Project) on its agenda for November 25, 2009 at 6:30 pm.

When the Wegmans project came before the Planning Board the first time, they determined, after a lengthy review, that only a 300 foot buffer would be sufficient enough to not detrimentally affect the surrounding neighborhoods. Bella Vista ignored the Planning Board’s decision and starting lobbying the Town Board again.

Please plan to attend. It is an early meeting and this is the only topic on the agenda. Its imperative that the Town of Clarence residents send a clear message to the Town Board that the MasterPlan is important to them and we aren’t going to stand for a developer who is trying to circumvent that which the Town residents worked so hard to establish when the MasterPlan was being developed.

ClarenceFIRST has learned the the TEQR committee WILL NOT be addressing the Planning Board decision on Segment B on Monday, September 21, 2009. The review of the decision IS NOT on the agenda.

We will keep everyone posted as to IF and WHEN the item is put on a future agenda.

In a surprising flip-flop, the Town Planning Board reversed its position on Segment B on September 2. The planning board (who was very much in favor (as recent as two weeks ago) did not vote September 2 to send the same recommendation to the Town Board that they have done on two previous occasions; that being to downgrade the first 500 feet of segment B from major arterial to commercial and to leave the remaining 480 feet as single family residential.

Instead, the planning board voted 4-3 to send this project to the TEQR committee for a traffic, environmental and quality review study under the scenario that a 300 foot buffer would need to be applied to the East of the project (Kippen Dr.) but not to the North or South.  This would mean that 180 feet of the single family residential portion of segment B would be rezoned major arterial. If the TEQR committee comes back with a negative declaration (meaning that they have no problems with the plan) this will make it much easier for Bella Vista and Wegmans to move forward with their site plans.

ClarenceFIRST will be submitting our report regarding the issues to the TEQR committee this week. The report will be available online soon.

ClarenceFIRST has been VERY active this summer following this issue as it has been moving throught the process all summer.

ClarenceFirst would like to thank everyone who attended last night’s Town Board Public Hearing regarding the proposed changes to the MasterPlan! The support of the community is important in order to be able to maintain the quality of life and safety of our children and neighborhoods!

The Town Board decided to table a decision on the rezoning of Segment B so that it can be further reviewed by the Town Planning Board and requested that the proposed superstore proposal be sent to a Town Environmental Quality Review process.

While the decision of the Town Board to not act upon the unanimous recommendation of the Town Planning Board to downgrade the zoning of the major arterial zoning (the first 500 feet into Segment B from Transit Road) to commercial zoning was not the desired outcome of the July 8th meeting, it still does not mean that the Wegmans project will be allowed to move forward.

We have to remain vigilant, relevant, and vocal regarding the opposition to this project. We will keep all of our supporters up to date as to when the next stage of this battle will be heard.

This is not a popularity contest, this is a deciding moment where the residents of Clarence get to decide if we are a community of neighborhoods and families or a community of big boxes.

Thank you again for your support!
ClarenceFirst Homeowners Association

ClarenceFirst would like to thank everyone who attended last night’s Town Board Meeting! The support of the community is important in order to be able to maintain the quality of life and safety of our children and neighborhoods!

The public hearing regarding the rezoning of Segment B has been set for July 8, 2009 at 7:45 PM. Please set this date aside. This will be the critical date for everyone to appear at Town Hall to voice their opposition.

This is not a popularity contest, this is a deciding moment where the residents of Clarence get to decide if we are a community of neighborhoods and families or a community of big boxes.

Thank you again for your support!
ClarenceFirst Homeowners Association