propane

The Genesee County Planning Board tonight voted in favor of a special use permit for a family-owned propane business that is branching out to the Town of Le Roy.

The board unanimously approved the permit for Wendt’s Propane & Oil to install an above-ground propane distribution center at OATKA Hills 1 Commerce Park on North and Lake Roads in Le Roy, agreeing that the project should pose no significant county-wide or inter-community impact.

It was recommended, however, that Town of Le Roy officials alert the fire district of the plan and that the applicant submit documentation pertaining to 9-1-1 address verification requirements and to meet Enhanced 9-1-1 standards.

Company President Paul Wendt and his son, Trevor, sales manager, attended the meeting along with David Ciurzynski, of Ciurzynski Consulting LLC, in Attica.

“Our office is in Sanborn but we have been delivering more and more this way,” said Paul Wendt, noting that the Le Roy facility will be their first venture away from Niagara County. “We found a nice piece of property in Genesee County and we thought that it would be good to expand.”

Wendt said three employees initially will work at the Le Roy site, which (mirroring its home base) will provide propane and oil service for commercial, residential and agricultural customers.

According to documents filed with the planning board, the plan is to develop around six acres of the parcel for the above-ground storage tanks and 9,600-square-foot warehouse and truck garage building. The rest of the 11.9-acre tract will remain undeveloped, with an eye on creating walking paths and green space.

Ciurzynski said they hope to have the tanks installed in November and have the building up by next spring. First, they have to get the Town of Le Roy's approval of the special use permit and then apply for the necessary building permits.

The Wendts’ project is set up in two phases – the first to get the site ready for the installation of a pair of 30,000-gallon storage tanks, with four additional locations for future expansion, and the second to put up the warehouse and truck garage.

In other action, planners recommended:

-- Approval of a special sign permit for a third sign at Metro Mattress at 4187 Veterans Memorial Drive in the Town of Batavia. While the maximum number of signs normally is two, the board felt the extra sign would not cause any problems.

Documentation submitted by Craig Tesler of Premier Sign Systems showed three freestanding lighted signs would be affixed to the building – at dimensions of approximately 4 x 10 feet, 3 ½ by 24 feet, and 3 ½ by 7 ½ feet.

-- Approval of an ice cream stand to be operated by Amanda Smith, of Darien, on property owned by John Mroz at 9114 Alleghany Road (Route 77) in the Town of Pembroke.

-- Approval of a site plan review for relocation of a doctor’s office to a building owned by Nancy Crocker at 7133 W. Main Road (Route 5) in the Town of Le Roy. The 4,460-square-foot structure sits on 3.1 acres and meets medical code requirements, the owner said.

-- Approval of the final subdivision to transfer a roadway at the WNY Science &Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park from routes 77 and 63 to Crosby Road (STAMP Drive) in the Town of Alabama from the Genesee County Economic Development Center to the Genesee County Highway Department.