Neighbors object to rezoning Countyhouse Road at corner of 98 in Albion
ALBION – Neighbors want vacant land near the intersection of Route 98 and West Countyhouse Road to stay residential.
They spoke during a public hearing Monday at the Albion Town Hall. The town is proposing to change the zoning from R-1 to light industrial. That includes 852 feet of frontage on West Countyhouse Road and 370 feet on Route 98.
“It would potentially change the nature of the neighborhood,” said resident Jeffrey Post, voicing his objection to the rezoning.
Grant Downey, another neighbor, said he also opposes the zoning change. He prefers the peacefulness of the area right now.
“There’s a nice wooded area there with deer and wildlife,” he said at the hearing.
David Hill of Gasport is seeking the zoning change so he can start a business on the property. He wants to have self-storage units that would take up about an acre of the property, and draw very little traffic.
Post is concerned the zoning change would lead to more development of that land, with the storage units only the beginning.
Marcell Taylor urged the Town Board to make the zoning change because it supports bringing more businesses to the community.
The Town Board didn’t make a decision on the issue on Monday.
Hill in 2015 proposed a small concrete plant at the southwest corner of the property. He proposed a storage hopper and gravity-fed discharge truck loading tower with an 85-foot antenna.
There would have been entrances on West Countyhouse Road and Route 98, as well as 12 parking spaces for employees and a 4,200-square-foot wood framed building.
That project didn’t move forward. Hill said on Monday he is trying to generate some revenue from the property with his latest proposal for self-storage units.
In other action, the board approved to have Bruce Landis of Photos by Bruce take photos of all town employees, including board members, for new photo IDs.
Town Supervisor Richard Remley said the IDs will assist security on court days. The officers aren’t familiar with all the town employees, Remley said.
