Council tables LMK final plat, heard on road repairs
By Terry Duffy
Editor-in-Chief
With work sessions now on the shelf for the summer, one could surmise that Lewiston Town Board business has lightened. But one could not tell that from Monday's regular meeting - one that addressed a number of matters and stretched for close to two hours before convening to an executive session.
Among the news items:
•The session opened with a public hearing on the final plat by LMK Realty, which, when finalized, will allow for construction of 15 two-unit patio homes on the northern side of Legacy Drive. The hearing went without comment. The matter was left open to address lingering LMK Realty concerns that still needed to be rectified.
"There are still issues that haven't been dealt with," Town Attorney Ryan Parisi said.
He didn't elaborate.
But his advice to board members to table and keep the public hearing segment open - a procedural move as the town moves on approving final plat - drew the response of developer Dom Massaro of LMK Realty. He told town officials "the majority" of Parisi's concerns pertaining to drainage had already been addressed and LMK was looking for "contiguous approval" of all items covered thus far.
"The further delay ... basically impacts the project negatively from a standpoint of a number of reasons," said Massaro. Included were getting financing for the project committed, which Massaro said is contingent on board approval; finalizing the legal work en route to developing the HOA offering plan; and planning advertising/marketing for the project.
Massaro said the remaining issues were not of major consequence as he asked for board approval on the "contiguous paths" addressed thus far. "This allows for necessary work for the project to proceed," he said, adding that otherwise the project would not be progressing until all issues are addressed.
"An additional month's delay will impact us," he said.
On questions regarding the town to provide adequate notice en route to its reconvening of the public hearing for board action, Town Councilman Bill Geiben and Supervisor Steve Broderick both said that a special meeting could be scheduled with five day's notice. The matter closed with the board to reconvene the public hearing in a special session, at 6 p.m., Monday, July 9, in order to approve the final plat.
•The Monday meeting saw the first of what is now hoped to be regular video coverage of Town Board meetings. Dr. James Abbondanza, who has steered the town through the process of getting its board sessions videotaped from the awarding of a Time Warner grant/agreement with the town three years ago, visited to discuss the planning process.
"It resulted in a 15-year contact with (Time Warner, now Spectrum) and the town. They provided us with basically a 15-year, no-interest loan to set up a system."
Abbondanza said that, over the past year and a half, the town worked to provide the cable group a comprehensive plan geared toward providing the town "public, education and government cable TV and streaming technology." The effort also involved working with NCCC students to develop operations for the system.
Now operational but still a work in progress, Abbondanza said that taped versions of the Town Board meetings are expected to become available to view on LCTV channels 1302 and 1303 and will eventually be streamed on the town website. For viewing times, visit
www.LCTV.net.
•Town Highway Superintendent Dave Trane updated board members on the town's paving, grinding and milling work done thus far. He said Ward Road is now complete, but that work remains on four more roads.
Trane also asked for the cooperation of town residents. "Give us a little courtesy when we're on the road. Be careful; I've had people drive through our pavement as we're laying it. People pay no attention at all."
Trane also announced that a process called "micro paving" is now underway to extend the life of selected town roads. Roads addressed so far include Sara Court, David Lane, Lauren Court, Curtiss Court North, Curtiss Court, Jason Court and Perry Court.
"It's a micro pave. It's almost like sealing your driveway; they add a fine stone or sand. It takes a little time to cure and heal," Trane said, adding that with the hot weather the overall curing process should work quicker.
Trane then requested and was approved for a transfer of $83,000 from the town's H-97 account to the highway permanent improvement account to fund the micro paving, a process he said could extend the life of the town roads treated by three years.
•On a request from Parisi, the board approved for a 6 p.m. Monday July 23 public hearing on a new local law to allow for the Town Board to remove fees and in turn set them by resolution. "This will allow the Town Board to act more efficiently and not have to pass a local law every time a fee needs to be changed in the town," he said.
Parisi said the resolution will contain as schedule of new set fees to cover any fee removed from the code, to eliminate any possible gap in fees. "I've made all the department heads aware; they are reviewing their fees," he said.
Parisi also submitted a resolution for the board to create a local law covering a pilot fee agreement pertaining to solar installations in the town. The approved measure now calls for the town to notify any solar interests who are planning installations in Lewiston for purposes of collecting taxes.
