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Lewiston Board OKs Creek-Pletcher PUD

by jmaloni
Sat, Jun 18th 2011 07:00 am

by Terry Duffy

The Town of Lewiston appears to have cleared the way for development at the northeast corner of Creek and Pletcher roads. The Town Board voted 4-0 Friday morning to approve a Planned Unit Development calling for a modified proposal of 43 units of senior housing sponsored by People Inc., along with a revised conceptual plan for 17 two-unit duplexes to be built on 20 acres.

The revised PUD had cleared the Town Planning Board on Thursday evening and was summarily approved by the Town Board on Friday morning. Town Councilman Al Bax was absent from the vote.

Councilman Ernie Palmer who attended the vote said the board action was procedural in approving the PUD. Notable was a deed restriction put into place that restricts the property from ever being used for any type of commercial development. That move came as a result of a compromise reached in meetings last week with Supervisor Steve Reiter and neighboring residents of the Creek-Pletcher roads site who voiced opposition to the initial proposal which contained plans for commercial development in areas fronting Creek Road. "The biggest hurdle was the possibility for commercial development," said Palmer. "The developer returned with a modified plan. I think most of the people were satisfied."

Reiter said the revised measure moved through the Planning Board without much comment from area residents. "They went through the whole site plan. I didn't hear of anything negative from that meeting. I think everything went OK," said Reiter who did not attend the session.

Attempts to reach Creek-Pletcher neighborhood residents who attended last week's sessions, for comment to Friday's Town Board PUD approval were unsuccessful yesterday afternoon.

Reiter said the PUD approval now clears the way for People Inc. to move ahead on its project of a 43-unit two-story building to be built on 7 to 8 acres on the northern portion of the lands. The town had recently approved a letter in support of the project on behalf of People Inc. as it proceeds to obtain grant funding for the project.

Reiter added currently there are no other plans for the property. The PUD approval allowing for the 17 two-unit duplexes was merely conceptual with no formal plans presented as of yet.

He and Palmer said the board acceptance of the PUD containing the deed restriction on commercial was merely a first step of many for People before any groundbreaking could begin. Among those was People Inc. having to finalize grant funding, along with completing a full environmental impact statement. "There's still several steps still to be done - traffic studies, environmental studies," Palmer said. "It's far from ready."

More on this as news develops.

Recapping news from the Lewiston Town Board's Monday workshop at Town Hall:

•The board approved fee increases for dog licenses following a brief public hearing that saw no comments from residents.

New annual fees are: Spayed or neutered dogs, $10, up from $7.50; unspayed/unneutered dogs, $20, up from $12.50. Senior citizen rates are $5 for spayed/neutered, up from $2.50; and $12 unspayed/unneutered, up from $5.

•The Town Board announced its support to a request by the Lewiston-Porter School District for a signal light to be placed at the district's main entrance to the campus on Creek Road, between the middle school and Lew-Port Intermediate. Reiter said the Lewiston Police would follow with an endorsement of the request, which will be going to the State Department of Transportation.

•Reiter announced the town's Joseph Davis Park Committee would be meeting on Wednesday, June 22, at the Town of Lewiston Senior Center on Lower River Road, staring at 6 p.m. The session is open to area residents.

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