County officials back plan for Murray landscaping business

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 January 2023 at 10:43 am

Recommends Albion rezone 2 sites on 31A to general commercial

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board is recommending the Town of Murray approve a special use permit and the site plan for a landscaping business in a residential-agriculture district at 3733 Hulberton Rd.

Nicholas Bell and Hannah Beall own and operate Bell Design & Landscape. They plan to run the business from their property using 1.3 acres of a 14.1 acre site for the business.

Their plan includes construction of a 40-by-70-foot barn with the potential of a 40-by-30-foot addition in the future.

There would also be a 20-by-70-foot lean-to off to the south of the newly constructed barn. There would also be two greenhouses at 65 by 32 feet, and a 45-by-20-foot office attached to the north of the barn.

The business currently has three employees. Most of the coming and going from the site would be in the morning and late afternoons.

Planners recommended approval of storage and sale of topsoil, mulch, wood chips and similar products as long as they are stored at least 300 feet from any residential structure and 50 feet from any property line. Any piles of those products should not exceed 25 feet in height.

Any repairs to construction equipment for the business also should be done inside a building, planners said.

In the meeting last Thursday evening, the County Planning Board also recommended the Town of Albion amend its zoning map from residential-agriculture to general commercial for land at 14530 East Lee Rd. owned by Land Pro Equipment, and 14846 East Lee Rd. owned by Henry Haines. The two sites are 3.3 acres.

The Land Pro site is for sale. Frontier Heating & AC Service is looking to acquire it. The spot used to be used as a cabbage storage facility and more recently by BCA Ag technologies. Land Pro is combining its Oakfield and Albion locations with a new site in Batavia.

The property next door owned by Haines has been used for auto repairs.