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Village of Lewiston appoints HPC members, ZBA rescinds appeals

by jmaloni
Sat, Jun 4th 2016 07:00 am

By Joshua Maloni

Managing Editor

The Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees appointed people to its new stand-alone Historic Preservation Commission at Tuesday's year-end meeting. Each person will serve for a different period of time, as the village codebook has a provision for rotating members on and off the HPC.

Ken Slaugenhoupt, a former chairman of the HPC/Planning Board, was appointed for five years. Lewiston historian, author and former Niagara County Legislator Lee Simonson will serve for four years.

Architect James Fittante was appointed for three years, while former Zoning Officer Harry Wright will serve two years, and historic Fairbanks Mansion owner Kelly Lauber will serve for one year.

Former Planning Board member Loretta Frankovitch was appointed an alternate. Village Historian Pamela Hauth will serve ex officio. Stephanie Myers was selected to be secretary.

"I think it's a good group of folks," Deputy Mayor Bruce Sutherland said.

"It's a very good group," Mayor Terry Collesano added. "It's a long time coming. We've been trying to do this for quite some time."

Trustees voted May 16 to separate the HPC from the Planning Board. The two were joined together in 2000 when the village couldn't properly populate the HPC.

Village Board members have tasked the new group with safeguarding the municipality's 110 historic properties, as well as looking into grant opportunities. 

The HPC has tentatively slated the fourth Monday of the month for meetings.

Plaza Variances Withdrawn

As the Village Board was wrapping up its meeting in the Morgan Lewis Village Boardroom, the Zoning Board of Appeals was gathered in the old boardroom down the hallway for its own special meeting. The purpose was to rescind five variances prematurely granted to Ellicott Development's proposed North Center Street plaza.

The ZBA awarded the variances May 6 without knowing the proposal first had to go before the Niagara County Planning Board.

ZBA Chairman John Ritter and members Bart Klettke and George VanHoose voted 3-0 in favor of annulling each variance. Peter MacLaren and Michael Swanson were absent.

The NCPB is expected to discuss the plaza plan at its June 20 meeting. Following that, Ellicott Development can ask the ZBA to re-approve the variances.

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