With too few members present to form a quorum, the Le Roy Planning Board on Tuesday night could not vote on a proposal by developer Eric Biscaro to build a 60-unit housing development on Lake Road.
Even so, Biscaro, planners, and residents were given a chance to discuss the project and it will move forward with the next step in the approval process -- a public hearing with the Village of Le Roy trustees.
Since the property is already zoned for a multi-unit development (R-3) -- Biscaro is planning to build duplexes -- and no variances are required, it's unlikely there are any legal hurdles for Biscaro to clear.
Previously, Biscaro tried to undertake a similar housing development off of East Avenue but because the zoning there is R-1, he needed village approval to modify the zoning.
On Tuesday, Biscaro laid out his plans and answered questions from those in attendance.
The project calls for 30 duplex homes on 16 acres off Route 19. The complex will be open only to people age 50 and older. Megan Hensel, project manager, said in Clinton Crossing in Batavia, which Biscaro developed, the average age of residents is 75.
Le Roy Fire Chief Craig Johnson expressed concern about the 20-foot-wide streets in the development and whether they would be wide enough to get apparatus to an emergency call if any cars were parked on the street.
Biscaro said given the average age of his tenants, they're not hosting many large gatherings and that while the garages for the units are single-car, the drives are all two-cars wide and most can accommodate up to four cars.
There will be very little on-street parking, he said. But he stopped short of saying on-street parking is prohibited.
Johnson said he would still like to see wider streets.
"It's just not a matter of not wanting to pave it," Biscaro said. "You wouldn't want to see it (wider streets). It wouldn't be a nice neighborly place."
There was also concern from Johnson and others in attendance that the driveway on Route 19 is close to a bit of a hill and the additional traffic will create an accident hazard.
Biscaro said the complex will generate little automobile traffic in and out of the entrance, reducing the risk of accidents.
Neighboring residents expressed concern about losing the open space near their homes, night lighting, and a possible stormwater pond on the property.
The project will use only five of the available 16 acres, Biscaro noted.
"We could take four times the buildings in there and still meet code," Biscaro said.
As for the lighting, in accordance with current standards, the lights will all focus their beams down toward the ground. There won't be lights shining into neighboring homes, Biscaro said.
One neighbor said he had two young sons and expressed concern about the stormwater pond and asked if it would be fenced.
Biscaro said the pond is still a concept and hasn't been engineered yet but if it does go in, it wouldn't be fenced but would be no more than two feet deep.
At Clinton Crossing, Biscaro said, most of the residents come from Batavia but they also come from Attica and Elba and other neighboring towns. He expects the occupancy of the Le Roy development to be the same.
"Le Roy could use some extra people and our clientele are good people and they will be your neighbors," he said.
