TOWN OF HAMBURG
Hamburg rezoning OK’d, 3-2, for swimming pool showroom
In a 3-2 vote, the Hamburg Town Board on Monday decided to rezone for commercial use a portion of McKinley Parkway that borders a residential area.
The move will allow owner John Kuebler to build a swimming pool showroom on the approximately one-acre site, which lies south of Dorchester Street.
“I feel it’s a terrific use for this property — a low-traffic use,” Supervisor Steven J. Walters said.
The zoning resolution bars some future uses, such as gas stations, and prohibits vehicle access from the rear of the property onto Allendale Parkway.
Opponents sought to attach additional conditions to the rezoning in order to shield residential neighbors.
“There were a couple of items we wanted to fine-tune for this particular development,” Councilwoman Joan Kesner said. “It’s going to set the tone for development along McKinley.”
She sought a buffer zone between residential neighbors deeper than the 10 feet required.
Kesner and Councilman Thomas J. Quatroche Jr. voted against the rezoning.
The town expects the stretch of McKinley Parkway between McKinley Mall and the Seven Corners intersection to see further commercial development. Each property is to be addressed in spot rezoning.
During a public hearing Dec. 8, neighbors of the Kuebler site voiced concerns about noise, traffic and potential future uses of the property.
Councilman Thomas Best Sr. said that the plan to build on the site had already faced lengthy delays awaiting the town’s action.
“This resolution’s been before us about a year now,” he said. “I’m ready to vote on this thing.”
In other matters, the board:
• Took another step toward transfering the town water system to the Erie County Water Authority, by appointing the supervisor to lead the application for a $400,000 state efficiency grant. The money is to help fund an expected $5.2 million in repairs to the water system.
• Renewed Town Clerk Cathy Rybczynski’s appointment as registrar of vital statistics. A proposal introduced last year in the State Legislature would have taken away from town governments the task of issuing official documents like birth and death certificates, but the proposal wasn’t acted on.
• Reappointed Richard Krautsack and Sean Fanning as deputy superintendents of the Highway and Buildings and Grounds departments, respectively. The deputies will head the departments after the resignation of Highway Superintendent James Connolly takes effect Friday.
Walters said he expects that an audit of the department will be complete by end of the month. The board decided on the audit last week after learning of Connolly’s plans to retire with a year left in his term.
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