Genesee County planners on Thursday gave a "thumbs up" to five sign permits in Batavia and two skilled trade shops in Pembroke, but did not look favorably upon John Rumble's request for an area variance to replace a 14- by 66-foot mobile home on his Kelsey Road property in the Town of Batavia with a new one of the same size.
In a 5-2 split decision, the panel voted for dissapproval, citing Town code that a one-family dwelling may be replaced with another mobile home only if it meets the minimum dimensional criteria of 20 feet in width. The majority were of the opinion that any deviation from Town regulations should be authorized by Town officials.
Rumble contended that because the dwelling was there for 29 years, his plan is one of "replacement not new construction." He said he is not putting in a new foundation.
"Now you're saying that I have to go with a double-wide," he said.
Since the Planning Board is a "recommending" board, Rumble can present his case to the Town of Batavia Zoning Board of Appeals.
Planning Board members Robert Bennett and Ginny Adams voted against the recommendation for disapproval.
In other action, planners:
-- Recommended approval of sign permits for Lawley Insurance, M&T Bank, Carter's Restaurant and Kati's Place Restaurant in the City, and for the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center on Park Road in the Town.
-- Recommended approval with modifications for a pair of skilled trade shops in the Town of Pembroke -- a canoe and small boat shop operated by Randy Filter on Indian Falls Road and an online wholesale business of statues and lights and furniture refinishing along with the construction of a 2,400-square-foot storage building operated by Donald Barone on Lake Road.
The modifications include not using more than 2,000 square feet of the buildings for the trade shop, no retail sales, limitation of the size of the buildings' signs, no outdoor storage and no outdoor lighting that shines directly onto neighboring properties or nearby motorists.
-- Recommended approval with modifications of a site plan review request by Kay Muscarella to open a consignment store at the corner of Main and Indian Falls roads in Pembroke. Modifications to be made include lighting and sign requirements along with the applicant obtaining a driveway permit from the NYS Department of Transportation prior to final approval by the Town of Pembroke.
-- Gave high marks to Bergen Town and Village officials on the adoption of their updated Town/Village Joint Comprehensive Plan, a project that took two years to complete.
"This is a great undertaking," Adams said. "I'm very pleased with it."
