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Wheatfield Town Board to consider new zoning district for Shawnee Road by Larry Austin
The Wheatfield Town Board will take a broad approach to address the rezoning issue of the White Linen Tea House by seeking a new zoning classification for part of Shawnee Road. The board voted Monday during a special meeting to set two public hearings, one to consider creation of a new zoning classification called the Rural Neighborhood Business District, and another to amend the town’s Comprehensive Master Plan to reflect the new classification. The board will hold two public hearings on July 16 prior to their regular monthly meeting. At 7 p.m., the board will hear comments on whether to amend the town’s zoning law to create a new zoning classification, called the Rural Business District. At 7:15 p.m., the board will take comments on whether to amend the town’s Comprehensive Master Plan to reflect that a Rural Business District would be appropriate use in the area of Shawnee Road. The White Linen Tea House, located next to the Shawnee Country Barn on Shawnee Road, did not meet town code and was shut down on June 4, said Town Supervisor Timothy Demler. A proposed rezoning would have brought the entire site into compliance, primarily with parking and on-site improvements. The owner of the Tea House, Linda Kloch, sought the rezoning before the Town Board, but on June 11 the Town Board decision on the matter fell one vote short of approval. Subsequently, the town consulted with Wendel Duchscherer Architects and Engineers, the town’s engineering firm, said Town Attorney Robert O’Toole, and crafted a way to address the White Linen Tea House issue. O’Toole said the plan is “to take a more global approach and to look in general about business usage along Shawnee Road.” A rural business district would permit certain business along the corridor. O’Toole said that with the increased traffic, certain commercial districts already in place, and the growing residential developments along Shawnee, a limited business district would be beneficial as part of the town’s master plan. Allowed uses would exclude “big box” stores, O’Toole said, such as Target of Wal-Mart, but would allow “Mom and Pop” retail stores, farmer’s markets “and restaurants such as the Tea House.” First in the process is to create a new zoning classification for a rural business district, followed by a revision of the town’s master plan for Shawnee Road. Both creations would require public hearings, O’Toole said. “This would be an area-wide consideration. It would not be spot zoning,” he added. After the zoning is established and the master plan amended, any rezoning would be “favorably looked on because it would be in conformity with the town’s master plan,” O’Toole said. Asked about the traffic on Shawnee Road O’Toole said: Shawnee Road has too much traffic to be used as a residential area, and limited or restricted commercial usage is more appropriate. Demler, who lives on the corner of Shawnee and Wild Wing, said the move will improve Shawnee Road, which is now “a complete mish-mash” of commercial and residential zoning. “It’s ridiculous how it’s laid out.” “My backyard is zoned commercial. I don’t know why,” Demler said, noting several commercial zones doting the road. “Shawnee Road is a state road. It was designed like Williams (Road) and (Niagara Falls) Boulevard to have a commercial corridor.” “The purpose of this resolution is to restrict the type of commercial that can go there,” Demler added. Demler said: “There are a lot of rumors out there and, being a political year, the rumors are there’s going to be a bar, there’s going to be a hotel, there’s going to be a Wal-Mart on Shawnee Road. None of that stuff is true.” Niagara Falls Boulevard has an existing district for large-scale commercial development for those types of big box stores, O’Toole noted. The district boundaries would begin south of the commercial district at the intersection of Mapleton and Shawnee roads and extend southward to a point parallel to the southern boundary of the commercial district north of Loveland Road. The boundary of the district would also abut the agricultural protection district to the west of Shawnee Road. “The district would be located only on the west side of Shawnee Road,” the proposal said. According to the proposal, permitted principal uses in the RNB district would include:
The permitted uses upon issuance of a special use permit would include small animal hospitals, day care centers, nursing or convalescent homes, sandwich shops and restaurants (without drive-throughs). “It’s a lot easier to keep a business than to attract a new one to town,” Demler said. |
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