Village of Lewiston: Talarico presents condo concept plan

By Joshua Maloni

Managing Editor

Well-known Lewiston real estate broker Samuel Talarico presented the Village of Lewiston Planning Board with a concept plan Monday for the construction of eight condominium units at 10/20 Tuscarora Street (corner of South First Street). The two-story single-family units would overlook the Niagara River and offer dock access. Each unit would be sold, not rented.

Currently, the land is mostly open, apart from a small white house that would be demolished. An existing bluff would remain to hide the property, as it does now.

"Our goal is to use it as best we could," Talarico said of the land.

He later added, "We think it would be a great attraction."

Talarico explained his intent in approaching the board was to get a feeling for members' opinions of such a project.

Vice Chairwoman Anne Welch called it a "good project," and the Planning Board encouraged Talarico to further develop the idea en route to a first submission.

"You're in the right zoning for what you want to do," Chairman Norm Machelor said.

Saying goodbye

The Planning Board said farewell to secretary Melody Griffith, who is stepping down. They applauded her work, particularly with the Ellicott Development plaza proposal and James Jerge's Fairchild place proposals.

"I want the Planning Board ... to go on record thanking Melody Griffith for her service to our board, and to all of the Village of Lewiston," Machelor said. "We understand that she's leaving; this will be her last meeting with the Planning Board. We just want to thank her for all the service that she's given to us - above and beyond."

Welch said, "She will be missed, because she has really been a wealth of knowledge on this book (village code), and she's really good. She's been great to the residents, the business people, and she's contributed a lot. We're going to miss her."

Planning Board member Claudia Marasco added, "She helps us so much, because she's so very organized, and she has us prepared for our meetings. Otherwise I think it would be really quite unorganized.

"She's always on the phone; always courteous; 'What can I do for you? How can I help you do your position better?' We can't do it without her, but I don't know; I guess it's going to happen."