Planners approve car repair/sales businesses

Board backs zoning change for former NYSEG in Albion

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday backed two car sales and repair businesses, with one in Shelby and the other in Albion.

Shawn Cobb wants to relocate his business by Frank’s Auto on Route 31 across the street on vacant land currently owned by Griffith Energy, just west of the Environmental Construction Group.

Cobb wants to establish a 50-space lot for selling used cars and also build a 30-by-40-foot wood framed building as an office and for vehicle repairs.

Planners said the new setup will ease some of the congestion in Cobb’s existing location.

The Planning Board on Thursday also recommended the Town of Shelby approve the site plan and a special use permit for Lance Hudomint to operate a motor vehicle repair shop at 10666 Maple Ridge Rd., the former location for Medina Car Sales.

“I’ve wanted to open my own repair shop,” Hudomint told county planners. “It’s been a dream.”

Hudomint will fix vehicles out of a 32-by-60-foot building. The location will also be used by Jim Paxon of Rochester to sell used cars. Paxon said he would have a maximum of 18 cars for sale at the site.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The former New York State Electric and Gas building at 366 Washington St. had its zoning changed from commercial to residential after the building sat empty for more than a year. The new owner wants the zoning to be changed to allow for business uses.

The Planning Board also recommended the Village of Albion change the zoning for the former New York State Electric and Gas building at 366 Washington St. The site was long used for commercial and business purposes, but after it sat empty for more than a year the site’s zoned was changed to residential to reflect the neighborhood.

The 4,215-square-foot stone building has several truck bays. It would be an ideal site for businesses that do auto repair, construction, HVAC, roofing/siding, distribution, storage, landscaping as well as other uses, building owner Charles Maloy told the Albion Village Board in December.

The village favors the zoning change, including for two neighboring vacant parcels.

“There’s no way this will ever be residential,” Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti told the County Planning Board.

The property abuts an existing General Commercial district that runs along West Avenue. The former NYSEG and two vacant spots would be the first General Commercial sites with frontage along Washington Street.

Planning officials noted that there has been little residential development on the street after a few starter homes were constructed several years ago. The Albion Correctional Facility is down the street to the west.