3 days ago
Lewiston Town Board approves new concept plan for President's Park development
The controversial President's Park apartments project in Lewiston has moved another step forward.
The Lewiston Town Board voted 3-1 last week to accept the concept plans for the complex on Washington Drive, moving it further in the approval process. Joe Jacoby, the lone councilman present voting against it, said he felt this was an oversized development that did not fit in with the neighborhood.
'In my opinion, it's an improper project for our community,' Jacoby said. Councilwoman Sarah Waechter, who was absent, sent a message to the board saying she does not support the project either.
'I am comfortable with what's going to occur from here on out,' said Town Supervisor Steve Broderick, noting the development will be further scrutinized as it goes further along. 'This is just to push the project forward, to get the information that we need to have to make the decision.'
Project developers 5/4 Development would now have to provide a more detailed site plan to the town, which in turn needs approval from the town board and town planning board. There also needs to be traffic and sewer studies done on the development's potential impact.
Town Engineer Robert Lannon said the sewer study would include a downstream capacity analysis, measuring the capacity of the conveyance system taking wastewater from the apartments to the town's water pollution control center. The existing concept relies on downstream capacity and gravity, though if that does not work a pumping station may be considered.
That study can take up to six months to complete, given it needs to be tested during both good and bad weather events.
Water Pollution Control Center Administrator Jeffrey Ritter said the plant could handle the estimated 60,000 additional daily gallons of wastewater the complex would produce.
There has not been an official traffic study done for the area, as the Department of Transportation had said during coordinated environmental reviews that the additional traffic would not be a concern.
The town board also approved a negative SEQR declaration stating this project would have no significant environmental impact.
5/4 Development first got town approval to build apartments on Washington Drive in 2022, when the project size was 168 units. Developers Joe and Dave Giusiana later asked the town for and received approval for, an increase of site density to 210 units, which they argued was needed for the $24 million project to make financial sense.
The revised concept plan accounting for the unit increase had to go through the town approval process because it was considered a different project than what was initially proposed. The developers said they could realistically start construction.
President's Park has faced plenty of opposition from the 3F Club, whose Swann Road they hunt on neighbors the site where these apartments would be. State laws prevent firearm discharges within 500 feet of a residential building, meaning that with the buildings located 250 feet from the property line, the hunters would not be able to use all their land.
Other residents have complained about the development bringing increased traffic to Route 18, concerns that the wastewater treatment facility could not handle the additional loads coming from it and that despite the developers saying these would be market-rate units, they would end up becoming subsidized housing.
