David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena

Public comments concerning the condition of Falleti Ice Arena on Evans Street, the prospect of the City losing out on Video Lottery Terminal funds generated by Batavia Downs Gaming, and the lack of progress on the Ellicott Station project took center stage at tonight’s Batavia City Council Conference Meeting at City Hall.

“We need to invest in this facility to make the next 40 years as successful as the past 40 years,” said Batavia resident Michael Reich, who said he has been involved with programs at the ice rink for more than 25 years.

Reich mentioned the efforts of Jack Porter and Ronald Setzer in helping to make the rink a reality and bringing “a lot of smiles under that roof.”

“Thousands of families have gone through there … lifelong connections there and (a notable) economic impact,” he said. “But it’s 40 years old and it needs some work.”

He mentioned that the goal of the management company, Firland Management, was to make it “self-financing in the long term” and said there is $300,000 in a reserve fund.

“We’re in a strong position going forward,” he said, adding that he would be willing to be a part of a group or committee to work on a number of necessary improvements. “The time has come to do these things, (to make) incredible investments in our youth. It’s a phenomenal facility. Just help us.”

Council Member Paul Viele, who also is a hockey enthusiast, agreed with Reich.

“What can we do to help the rink? We can put money into Dwyer Stadium, why not the rink?” Viele asked.

Council President Eugene Jankowski suggested forming a group to clean and make minor repairs.

“A lot of things are just cleanup and maintenance things,” he said. “We’re compiling a list. We’ve got a long way to go … but we have some possibilities here.”

Council Member Rose Mary Christian asked how much was in the reserve fund – City Manager Martin Moore said that the amount would be addressed in the budget sessions – and Robert Bialkowski asked if Firland was meeting their obligations, to which Moore replied that Firland has one more year left on its contract.

Batavian John Roach spoke about Gov. Cuomo’s proposal to take the VLT money away from the municipalities, suggesting that the City should look to the Batavia Improvement District or Genesee County Economic Development Center to fund the Batavia Development Corporation if that comes to pass.

“The $70,000 (for the BDC) was supposed to be funded by VLT money,” he said. “If lost … I think the GCEDC could pick it up easily.”

He also questioned why the City gives $4,000 annually to GO ART!, when it used to be $2,500 to conduct the Picnic in the Park on July 4^th.

“Let’s take back our $4,000,” he said. “It was never meant to be a permanent subsidy to a private group.”

He also asked Council to consider “getting a little more aggressive to clean up Ellicott Station,” the mixed-use development project that has seen little progress.

On the GO ART! situation, Council Member Patti Pacino said she didn’t have a problem with a $4,000 contribution – “It’s not like giving $24,000" – and noted that GO ART! leadership makes a request for funding every year.

The Ellicott Station state of affairs generated more comments from the Council and management, with Moore informing the board that code enforcement personnel have a “green light” to make sure code issues are addressed.

He said the developer, Savarino Companies of Buffalo, is on “a very short leash” but acknowledged that not much can be done until he finds out whether a New York State Homes and Community Renewal grant of several million dollars is approved (likely to take place in April or May).

Council Member Kathleen Briggs said the community’s patience is wearing thin.

“Put up or shut up,” she said, directing her comments to Savarino. “What is this short leash?”

Understandably, Council members are worried that the project might fall through.

“If he doesn’t get the grant, does he just walk away?” Bialkowski asked.

Moore responded by stating that Savarino said he has $800,000 to $900,000 invested in predevelopment, and is working with the GCEDC and BDC on the funding.

Jankowski said he thought the initial announcement by the BDC (made in 2016) was premature since funding streams had yet to be put into place, but said he remains optimistic.

“If he (Samuel Savarino) does come through, it will be well worth it,” he said.

In another development, Council heard a request from Eric Biscaro, owner of Classic Home Improvements and Armor Building Supply at 653 Ellicott St., to construct an auto service station on his property.

Currently, the location is zone I-1 (Industrial) and does not allow the operation of a motor vehicle repair shop. Biscaro went to the Genesee County Planning Board, where his request for a use variance was rejected, and now he's hoping that the City can come up with a way to make this happen.

“We’re looking to put up a small two-bay garage behind the Armor side (of the facility),” he said. “You won’t even be able to see it from the street.”

Public Works Director Matt Worth suggested that City officials conduct an internal review of the proposal to see if a zoning change is in order – “We’ve done a couple zone changes in the not-too-distant past,” he said – and report back to Council before its next meeting.

Because a zoning modification may be the only route, it would take several months since it means adopting a Local Law, which requires a public hearing. Any zoning change would affect all I-1 zones and expand the scope beyond a singular project.

Viele, speaking in elevated tones, expressed his disdain for the process.

“We should be able to help the guy out … why drag our feet,” he said. “It’s baloney.”

After a short discussion, Council agreed to let City staff conduct the review and report back before the next meeting. As it stands now, all service stations in the City are in areas that are zoned Commercial.

In other action, Council approved moving the following resolutions to be voted upon at its next Business meeting on Feb. 10:

-- Adoption of the Genesee County 2019 Hazard Mitigation Plan to serve as the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, a measure that would permit the City to receive federal pre-disaster mitigation funds.

“This allows us to piggyback (on Genesee County) and garner more funding with more people in the mix – in the event that monies become available,” Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano reported. “It gives us greater buying power by working with the county and other municipalities.”

Napolitano said the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan has been reviewed and approved by the State Emergency Management Office and by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and was adopted by the Genesee County Legislature in October.

-- Acceptance of a $25,481 STOP-DWI grant from Genesee County to be used throughout the year and a $22,500 with a professional services firm (to be announced) to facilitate the acceptance of a $300,000 New York Main Street grant as a match for private investments to undertake proposed building improvements within the Batavia Business Improvement District.

-- Sale of a 12- by 50-foot parcel of property next to Eli Fish Brewing Co. in Jackson Square for the company to expand their offerings to include outdoor dining. Matt Gray represented AGRV Properties Inc. at the meeting. The parcel has been appraised for $840, which is the price offered to the City by AGRV Properties.

-- Appointments of Lois Gerace to the Board of Assessment Review and Council Member Rose Mary Christian as marriage officer to have the authority to perform wedding ceremonies.

-- Tentative public hearing on the 2020-21 budget, including water rates, sewer rates and capital improvement fee, for 7 p.m. Feb. 24. The amount to be raised by taxes is $5.4 million, resulting in an increase in the property tax rate of less than 1 percent.

Photo -- Christopher Camp has his assistant police chief badge placed on his uniform by his wife, Stefanie, as Chief Shawn Heubusch looks on during promotion swearing-in ceremonies at Monday's City Council meeting. Matthew Lutey (detective sergeant), Mitch Cowen (sergeant) and Marc Lawrence (sergeant) also were sworn in.

Imagine a state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar multipurpose sports and recreation facility attached to a renovated Falleti Ice Arena on Evans Street.

Batavia City Council members on Monday night had the opportunity to do just that as they absorbed details of a grant-funded feasibility study presented by Bill Krueger (inset photo right), principal, of CSL (Conventions, Sports & Leisure International) of Minneapolis, Minn.

All agreed that such an attraction would be a great thing for Batavia and the surrounding area. And all agreed that the cost and the timing of such a project are major issues, especially as the City looks to build a $10 million police station and Genesee County prepares to construct a $60 million jail.

Krueger, who said he has conducted about 500 of these studies over his 25-year career, outlined three options for what is now known as Creek Park, with all three tied to refurbishing Falleti Ice Arena.

Option 1, an indoor turf and hardwood facility featuring two soccer fields, four batting cages, three full-sized basketball courts and six full-sized volleyball courts, carries a price tag of $27.5 million and would operate at an annual deficit of around $200,000.

Option 2, a large indoor turf facility with a full-sized turf field, would cost around $26.6 million, with an annual operating deficit of $133,000.

Option 3 is a small indoor turf facility with a couple soccer fields and four batting cages, but no cost projections were offered.

All would include bleachers, scoreboards, locker/team rooms, fitness/wellness equipment, play areas, food court/café and walking track.

Falleti Ice Arena improvements costing $3.7 to 4.9 million would be a prerequisite to either of the options, Krueger said.

“The Falleti arena is showing its age and its usage is below average,” Krueger said. “The trend is flexible multipurpose types of buildings.”

In his assessment of the Falleti Ice Arena, which was built in 1978, Krueger pointed out that total use hours by the four primary groups – Genesee Amateur Hockey Association, Batavia Men’s Hockey League, Batavia High School and Notre Dame High School – have declined over the past 10 years.

He also noted that there are an “increasing number of repair, replacement and maintenance items that need to be addressed … to sustain safe, operating conditions” and that the arena “lacks many of the amenities, seating and service/support areas that are present in modern facilities throughout the country.”

“As a bare minimum, you should make Falleti improvement the top priority,” Krueger said, adding that moving forward beyond that hinges on the project becoming a group effort.

“It doesn’t have to be all on the shoulders of the City,” he said. “The private sector, grants and state and/or federal funding (should be explored). “Certainly, Option 1 or 2 would elevate sports tourism in Batavia.”

Krueger estimated the economic impact of either Option 1 or 2 between $11.8 and $16 million per year, with attendance topping 200,000 annually.

Following his PowerPoint presentation, City Council members and officials had their say, with Rose Mary Christian kicking things off.

“We desperately need a new police department … City residents don’t need more taxes from the city, county or school district,” she said.

Public Works Department Director Matt Worth said that the demands for more recreation are there, but “the approach has to be regional” with the county and town getting involved to avoid duplicating efforts.

Christian agreed that it could be “very feasible if the county and town got in it.”

Council President Eugene Jankowski brought up the expense of the new county jail and the expense to families involved in hockey, surmising that a turf facility “could be a better fit” as far as individual costs are concerned.

“Maybe we could partner with the (Genesee Community) college and other agencies that could use it,” he said.

Council Member John Canale acknowledged that there hasn’t been an increase in usage at the Falleti arena because of its poor condition.

“We have a terrible reputation” in terms of the facility, Canale said.

A public hearing on the matter ensued, with Batavians Sam DiSalvo and John Roach addressing the board.

DiSalvo said he is an avid long-distance runner and a participant in three soccer leagues in Buffalo and Rochester who would forgo his driving if such a facility were in Batavia.

“If you’re telling me that I could walk five minutes and save 45-minute drives in both directions, you better believe I would,” he said. “I’m in favor of this – turf and hardwood. It’s a great idea if you could make it work financially.”

Roach offered a contrasting viewpoint.

“No, a big surprise,” he said, sarcastically. “It sounds like what we heard with the (Dwyer) baseball stadium … build it and they will come. Now we will have a baseball stadium that we won’t know what to do with it.”

He also said projections show a population decrease of 9 percent over a 10-year period of the younger demographic and “then you’ve got to look at that tax burden,” mentioning the police station, Falleti Ice Arena and the county jail projects.

“Unless the county decided to go into it, I’d say absolutely not. And I know what the county will say,” he concluded.

Canale agreed that “we couldn’t take this on ourselves” but suggested exploring grant opportunities and looking to the private sector to help “so the taxpayer would not be burdened with the entire (cost).”

After Council Member Patti Pacino said the priority should be to “make a decision to fix the (Falleti) facility,” Jankowski said that since the Creek Park property is part of the Brownfield (Opportunity) Area, it would be “ripe for grants.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to let our economic development people look into this and get public feedback,” he said.

Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO ART!, was in attendance as well and he said that by including figure skating, dance and cheering competitions it could lead the way to additional grant funding.

Council Member Robert Bialkowski urged his colleagues to proceed wisely.

“This is one thing we can do right for a change,” he said. “The ice rink shouldn’t have been part of the fire department.”

Worth said that the City will be reimbursed the $54,000 cost of the feasibility study by a Community Development Block Grant.

To all of our readers and sponsors: Thank you for your support of The Batavian. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia is sponsoring Thanksgiving morning ice skating at the Falleti Ice Arena.

It will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28, at the arena at 22 Evans St. in the City of Batavia.

Free admission! Free skate rentals -- while supplies last! And free hot chocolate, too!

A second ice rink adjacent to Falleti Ice Arena might make Batavia a more attractive location for hockey tournaments but rather than just build it and see if they will come, the City Council is poised to approve hiring a consultant to do a feasibility study.

The cost of the study is $55,000, with $50,000 covered by a Community Development Block Grant approved specifically for this purpose and $5,000 (the 10-percent match requirement of the grant) coming from private donations.

Public Works Director Matt Worth said the study will look at whether a second rink really would be a draw and also whether the addition to Falleti should be a multi-purpose facility so it could be used for other sporting events such as indoor soccer in the winter. 

A feasibility study would balance the cost of the addition against the potential economic impact of an upgraded facility.

Worth said the study should be completed by the end of the year.

The City of Batavia will file an application with the State of New York to fund a feasibility study on the possible expansion of the Falleti Ice Arena. 

The study will look at expanding the size of the building to add a second ice rink and possibly a field house suitable for indoor soccer, lacrosse, flag football and other indoor sports.

The study will look beyond just what Genesee County will support but whether an expanded facility can bring in more tournaments and attract sports tourist dollars from throughout the region, including Rochester and Buffalo, said Interim City Manager Matt Worth.

"That's probably the key as much as anything," Worth said, "to capture a tournament that would draw from both of those cities and be convenient. Absolutely that will probably be the key to it."

The impetus for the grant request came from parents involved in hockey at Falleti.

"The hockey parents there they are organized and are very interested in expanding that," Worth said. "Nowadays, virtually all these ice rinks are built with two sheets of ice. It's the most economical way to do it. Usually, for tournaments, things like that, it's ideally at least two sheets of ice."

The grant would come through the state's portion of Community Development Block Grant funding and a feasibility study would cost from $30,000 to $50,000.

The study would look at the demographics of the region, the need, the opportunity, the viability of an expanded facility and what, if any, economic impact it might have on Batavia. The study would also help determine the anticipated cost of expansion and how it might be funded.

The City Council approved an application for the grant at its meeting Monday night.

"The planning grant is to determine the feasibility of adding an additional sheet of ice to the ice rink as well as the possibility of a field house, which would be basically an indoor turfed area that would be available for indoor soccer, lacrosse, flag football, things of that nature, to see if the community in the sporting area, if there's enough interest, enough economics to support that type of investment," Worth said.

The Empire Hockey Youth Conference 12 and under Peewee Batavia Ramparts beat the Tri-County Golden Eagles of Brockport 7-0 yesterday afternoon at the Faletti Ice Arena on Evans Street in Batavia.

Tyler McClurg and Greg Narburg both led the game with two goals and one assist each.

Also scoring goals were Logan Narburg, Ian Kepple and Preson Tobolski. Justin Valyear had two assists.

Goaltender Robert McCarthy recorded his eighth league shutout between the pipes for the ramparts and 11^th overall to finish the regular season.

Empire Conference this weekend is the playoffs are known as play downs. Friday night and Saturday morning games will be played at the Bill Gray’s Ice Complex in Rochester.  Saturday afternoon the finals will be at SUNY Brockport.

To purchase or view game photos click here.

For a list of team divisional standings click here.

A few hundred people came out this morning getting their excercise in before today's Thanksgiving holiday sponsored by The Kiwanis Club of Batavia. This has been a great tradition enjoyed by many people.

Garden Brothers Circus have brought to town clowns, jugglers, magicians, acrobats, stunt riders and everything else that goes with a professional, touring circus.

Including elephants.

This is the last tour that elephants will be included in the Garden Brothers Circus, so miss the show at 7:30 p.m. at Falleti Ice Arena and maybe you miss your last chance to see a circus with elephants.

These pictures are from the 4:30 p.m. performance today (no elephant pictures because I couldn't stick around until the end of the 90-minute show, but from what I saw, this is a circus well worth seeing).

Frank Falleti, owner of Falleti Motors on Ellicott Street Road and father of two boys who play in the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association, said he and his family want the Falleti Ice Arena to be a recreational facility the city can be proud of but the management side of the operation is out of his hands.

“We own the naming rights only, but have nothing to do with the operation,” Falleti said today in response to an article in The Batavian posted following Monday night’s City Council meeting. “The rink is managed by an out-of-state management company (Firland Management).”

At last night’s meeting, Councilman Paul Viele pointed out deteriorating conditions of the Evans Street rink’s locker rooms, backing his claims with photos that accompanied the article.

“The locker rooms are disgusting … as a city we should be ashamed of ourselves to let it go this much,” Viele said at the meeting. “We need to help the rink management to get them where they need to be.”

Since then, Falleti said he has received more than three dozen calls from people who are pointing the finger at him.

“People think it’s me. It’s not me,” he said. “But I will help where I can. When the Zamboni broke down, I helped get it fixed.”

Furthermore, Falleti said that he would be interested in purchasing and managing the ice arena should it become available – preferably if the adjacent City of Batavia fire headquarters moved to a new location.

“If they (the city) put all the amenities in one place – fire and police – and if we came to an agreement with the city, I think we could go in there and do a good job managing it,” he said, adding that he envisions a pro shop, separate locker rooms for males and females and a restaurant.

Falleti said he had a brief discussion with City Manager Jason Molino about buying the rink, but nothing concrete.

Molino, when asked if selling the ice rink was an option, said that could be a possibility, especially in light of the city’s multimillion dollar plan to redevelop that entire area to include another recreation facility (see architect’s rendering above).

“The city has been open to this option as long as it is part of our BOA (Brownfield Opportunity Area) redevelopment plans,” Molino said. “That plan outlines that area as the Creek Park redevelopment which is one of the most underutilized assets in the city.”

The city manager said the Creek Park area takes advantage of the incoming Ellicott Trail (bicycle/walking path) to be constructed this year and connects with the ice arena, an additional recreational amenity (such as another ice rink or indoor soccer field) and new housing while reorganizing wasted space into new green space.

“The proposed budget includes funding for the BDC to specifically work on preparing this site for redevelopment as it is one of our five strategic priority sites,” he said.

As far as the current state of affairs at the ice rink, Molino said there is $183,000 in the facility’s reserve account – money from lease, debt service and operational payments from Firland – which could be tapped into to correct some of the deficiencies.

“This facility is important to the community and we want it to remain a quality asset,” he said. “It brings a lot of visitors into the community.”

Molino said he will be setting up a meeting of the parties involved.

“Some of the problems stem from maintenance and operations, and that is Firland’s responsibility, and if capital improvements are needed, that is on our end, and we should discuss that as well.”

Architect’s rendering – The proposed Creek Park redevelopment shows a new recreational facility (front left) and a housing complex (left, rear) in addition to the current buildings along Evans Street. The Genesee County Courthouse Facility can be seen at right.

City Council members piggybacked on a request by Public Works Director Matt Worth to replace the dehumidification unit at Falleti Ice Arena to express their disdain for the conditions of the locker rooms and other aspects of the facility during their meeting Monday night at City Centre Council Chambers.

“The locker rooms are disgusting … as a city we should be ashamed of ourselves to let it go this much,” Councilman Paul Viele said. “We need to help the rink management to get them where they need to be.”

Viele (armed with photos -- see above) and Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. pointed out that the locker rooms exhibit mold in the carpeting, peeling paint, hanging cable lines and falling ceiling tiles, prompting Worth to say that previous inspections revealed that “general housekeeping was not up to par.”

Councilman John Canale mentioned the size and condition of the locker room for the women and girls who play in organized leagues at the Evans Street rink.

“The female locker room is very small,” Canale said.

Viele agreed, stating that plans need to be made to create a separate, adequate area for females.

“We need to get a women’s locker room so some of the women and girls aren’t sharing a locker room with the guys. We need to spruce it up to be competitive with other rinks like Lakeshore and Bill Gray’s and Scottsville as other teams want to come and enjoy our rink.”

Viele also said he didn’t like it when the heaters weren’t turned on for spectators at youth league games.

“It seems like they’re only on when the high school plays,” he said. “What about when all of these people come to watch their kids – hundreds of visitors who spend money at our restaurants?”

He noted that the Zamboni machine that resurfaces the ice broke down over the weekend, and that a replacement had to be found.

City Manager Jason Molino, who plays in the Batavia Men’s League at Falleti Ice Arena, said he hadn’t heard of any complaints, but welcomes public input.

“If there are complaints we’d like to hear them so we can move sooner rather than later,” Molino said. “Then we will sit down with the operator (Firland Management).”

Per the city’s contract with Firland, the management group is responsible for maintenance and upkeep.

At the close of the discussion, Council instructed Worth to talk to Firland personnel about their concerns.

Prior to the start of the David M. McCarthy Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Falleti Ice Arena, Assemblyman Steve Hawley donated a U.S. flag and a state flag to the arena to hang next to the scoreboard. The U.S. flag replaces the one that has hung in the area for years and has become worn with age.

Pictured are arena managers Alan Fitzsimmons and Adam Reach, Batavia players Bryce Polito and Riley Kusmicrski, Hawley, and players Bryce D'Alba and Jack Kasmarek.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia will host its annual free Thanksgiving Day skate at the Falleti Ice Arena starting at 9 a.m.

The event ends at 11 a.m.

Free skate rentals while supplies last, and free hot chocolate.

It was Try Hockey for Free Day at Falleti Ice Arena and Nora, almost 3, couldn't wait to play, said her father Brian Gildner. In fact, Nora is eager to play every time Brian takes her older brother to practice.