A Summit Street entrance and exit to the proposed Healthy Living Campus is off the table.
That’s the word from Duane Preston, City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee chair, following Tuesday night’s monthly meeting at the City Centre Council Board Room.
Consultants and architects assigned to the joint venture of United Memorial Medical Center (Rochester Regional Health) and the Genesee Area Family YMCA continued their presentation of the $30 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative project, looking to address concerns from their appearance in July.
At the forefront was the idea of an access from Summit Street on a parcel owned by the hospital between two houses on the west side of the street. Developers contended that it was needed to ensure proper traffic flow; planners, however, disagreed.
“They (project representatives) were kind of hesitant but we all agreed to take the Summit Street access off the plan,” Preston said. “Nobody on the board felt that it was needed at this point and my thing is that it is something that could be put in at a later date if we had to.”
As it stands now, vehicles will be able to enter the campus via Bank Street, Washington Avenue or Wiard Street.
Preston said two residents of Summit Street spoke against the access, mentioning increased traffic on the street and annoyance of vehicle lights in the backyard or side of their house.
The PDC also had hoped developers would expand the amount of green space along the east side of the GO ART! building at the corner of Main and Bank streets, removing some parking spaces in the process.
Consultant David Ciurzynski said that has been addressed, making that area more of a park-like setting.
Preston said he expects more green space there, but emphasized that developers still believe all parking lots in the plan are necessary.
No official action on the site plan was taken, said Preston, adding that the State Environmental Quality Review will be conducted now that the public hearing is over.
“They’re going to throw us another plan next month, and we’re going to go from there,” he said. “We all agree that the building is great. We don’t want to pinch this whole thing … but we’ve spent more time on the parking lot than we have on the building. Still, we have to do what’s best for the residents of Batavia.”
In other action, planners approved downtown design reviews for a new façade, lighting and signage on one side of the Batavia Tailors & Cleaners building at 33-39 Ellicott St., along with a new rooftop heating and air conditioning unit, and for renovations at Fieldstone Private Wealth, 219 East Main St.
Photo: The City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee has decided against allowing a Summit Street access point to the proposed Healthy Living Campus. Photo above was taken from Wiard Street, looking east to Summit. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
