Brockway apartment addition plan pulled

by Joshua Maloni
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, September 16, 2006

Brockway Apartments.

Residents came to the Village of Lewiston Planning Board meeting Monday ready for battle, upset with the prospect of adding 18 units to the Brockway apartments on the corner of South Seventh and Seneca streets. Even though developer Jeff Williams pulled the proposal before the 6:30 p.m. session, neighbors still spoke their minds on the subject.

Former trustee Al Soluri said the added units would “destroy the character of the neighborhood.”

Peter Hanson, who lives on Seventh and Tuscarora streets, said the area is already overcrowded with apartments, and lacks sufficient parking spaces.

“Enough is enough,” he said.

Linda Marshall wondered when the board would say just that to developers.

“When are guys like Jeff Williams going to be stopped? When the last tree is cut down? When the last blade of grass is removed?” she asked.

At last week’s Board of Trustees meeting, Williams and Lewiston architect David Giusiana, AIA, of Giusiana Architects and Engineer, discussed the prospect of adding on to the housing structure. Nothing was presented, but rather ideas were shared.

Planning Board Chairman Victor Eydt said Williams was scheduled to present a formal proposal at this week’s meeting. However, with a roomful of residents ready to rip into the plan, Eydt said, “They have decided to withdraw their plans. There’s nothing to be submitted. I don’t know if they’ll come back.”

Board member Kristin Gamble commended residents for speaking up, saying, “We’re happy to see the community sticking together.”

She said that, even if the plan had been presented, it would have been, “the beginning of a potentially very long process.”

The board agreed to notify residents if the proposal is resubmitted.