Planners back zoning change so taxi service can expand in Medina
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board approved a zoning change for East Center Street that will allow three properties to go from single-family residential to general commercial.
The zoning change accommodates growth for Medina Transport, a taxi service owned by David Stalker. Planners said the zoning change blends in with the area, which includes a Mexican grocery store and other businesses. The former Towne Primary School also is in back of the property and has been zoned for business.
The zoning change includes 501 East Center, 493 East Center, and 491 East Center.
“The village feels it makes a lot of sense to do this,” said Marty Busch, the village’s code enforcement officer and also a member of the County Planning Board.
Stalker’s business was called a “great success story for Medina,” according to a letter from his attorney, Nathan Pace.
“The success of this business is stretching the limits of what is possible in the Residential district,” Pace wrote to Medina Mayor Michael Sidari and the Village Board. “The change in zone would be in line with the general plan for Medina and the area, as there is already a light industrial zone across the street and the section in question is immediately contiguous to a presently existing general business zone.”
Stalker said one of the houses with the rezoning is lived in by employees. He is looking to add additional parking space. He also acquired land across the street that could be used for parking vehicles.
The Planning Board on Thursday recommended the village approve the zoning change. Planners said the business draws few, if any, customers to the site.
Other decisions by the board include:
• Approval for the site plan and special use permit request for construction of a ground-mounted solar system (11.725 kW) at 10506 Telegraph Rd. That property, owned by Graydon and Eileen Owen, is located in a Agricultural/Residential District in Shelby. The site is along the Erie Canal and the solar system won’t be visible from the road, planners said. The system will be constructed by CIR Electrical Construction Corp.
• Recommended Medina and Ridgeway both approve amendments to their zoning ordinances for regulating solar energy systems, including requiring building permits, setting up systems to minimize visual impact, limiting ground-mounted systems to side or back yards and no more than 2,000 square feet or up to 50 percent of lot coverage in the village. Larger systems will limit the maximum height of solar panels at 15 feet in Medina (20 feet in Ridgeway), establish minimum setbacks from property lines at 25 feet in Medina (100 to 500 feet in Ridgeway), and require landscape buffer around solar collectors and equipment.
A decommissioning plan also will be required with solar systems to be removed within 180 days of cessation of use.
• The board also re-elected Brian Napoli of Ridgeway as board chairman and Tibbs Ahlberg of Gaines as vice chairman.
