Press release:

In support of the Genesee County STOP-DWI program, the STOP-DWI Board invites all sixth- through 12th-grade students to submit a poster design that reflects the dangers of drinking and driving.

Designs should focus on the effects drinking and driving have on an individual, their family and the community.

The theme for the 2021 poster contest is, "If you drink it’s your business, if you drink and drive it’s ours.”

 Guidelines:

• Contestants must be enrolled as a  sixth- through 12th-grader in a Genesee County School;
• Poster should be no larger than 9’’ x 12” and must include the theme of: "If you drink it’s your business, if you drink and drive it’s ours”;
• Please submit your artwork in landscape (horizontal) orientation;
• Each submission should be the original student’s work. Submissions should be mailed or dropped off to the address below;
• Each entry must include the artist’s full name, address, phone number, grade, age and school on the back of the poster (no personal information should be on the illustration).

Designs can be in any medium, including computer-generated. However, we strongly recommend that students create strong, simple and colorful designs that will deliver the most visual impact for their message.

Grand Prize Winner -- gift card, T-shirt with their artwork on it and their artwork on a billboard in Genesee County. They will also be honored at the STOP DWI luncheon banquet in November.

First-  through third-place winners from each category (sixth - eighth grade; ninth - 12th grade; and graphic art) will receive a gift card, commendation and T-shirt with the overall winner’s design. They will also be recognized at the STOP-DWI luncheon banquet in November.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received in person or by mail by 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8th.

Send submissions to:

Genesee County Youth Bureau

ATTN: STOP DWI Poster Contest

2 Bank St.

Batavia, NY 14020

Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron Jr. was a man of few words on Wednesday afternoon as he accepted a proclamation from the Genesee County Legislature designating the week of Sept. 19-25, 2021 as Sheriffs’ Week in Genesee County.

Those words were well placed, however, as the county’s top law enforcement official gave all the credit to his staff who are on the front lines each and every day.

“I consider it a privilege to serve as sheriff in Genesee County and to be associated with such tremendous people before me (acknowledging Maha, the former sheriff, and Legislator Gordon Dibble, retired chief deputy),” Sheron said.

“I take this on behalf of all the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office. They’re the ones that are out there daily, providing service to the public, and they do it in such a professional manner.”

Maha, chair of the Public Service Committee, read the proclamation, which recognizes the Sheriff’s Office as “an integral part of the criminal justice system in New York State and in Genesee County since its inception in 1777, and establishment as one of the original constitutional offices of Genesee County in 1802.”

The proclamation states that the “Office of Sheriff has evolved into a modern, professionally accredited, full-service law enforcement and public safety agency, manned by fully trained police and peace officers, as well as civilians, using state-of-the-art technology and applying the latest and most-advanced theories and practices in the criminal justice field.”

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

As someone who has felt the pain inflicted by suicide and addiction, Lynda Battaglia was filled with emotion as she accepted a proclamation Wednesday from the Genesee County Legislature designating Sept. 5-11, 2021 as National Suicide Prevention Week and September 2021 as National Recovery Month.

Battaglia, the county’s director of Mental Health & Community Services, said she spoke as a “survivor” of suicide and substance use disorder, having someone close to her who attempted suicide and survived and also losing someone to addiction.

“When someone dies by suicide, the attack ripples through the community and leaves an everlasting effect,” she said, urging society to do more to promote wellness and decrease the stigma associated with mental health disease.

She said that suicide is the 10^th-leading cause of death in the United States.

“Every 11 minutes, someone dies by suicide … around 48,000 per year, and every single number represents a person,” she said.

With a group of mental health and social work professionals in attendance, Battaglia commended service providers for their “tough love commitment to improving education and awareness on suicide prevention and commitment to acknowledging recovery – and how you decrease the stigma of both.”

“You’ve seen them at their worst and their best, and everything in between … and you provide treatment and care without judgment.”

Accepting the proclamation on behalf of service providers, she concluded, “All of you are lifelines for Genesee County residents and I thank you for your dedication.”

The proclamation, presented by Legislator Gregg Torrey, Human Services Committee chair, states, in part, that “in these challenging times messages of hope and healing are more needed than ever; and the benefits of preventing and overcoming mental health challenges, suicide attempts and loss, and substance abuse are significant and valuable to individuals, families, and our community at large.”

“The Genesee County Legislature proclaims the month of September 2021 as Suicide Prevention and Recovery Month: Finding Hope, Building Resiliency, and Supporting Recovery."

Photo: Accepting the proclamation are, from left, John Bennett, Lisa Clattenburg, Bob Riccobono, Lynnell Schreiber, Lynda Battaglia, Julie Brinkman, Kate Hawks, Rachel Mieney, Sue Gagne, Lisa Glow, Cheryl Netter, Gregg Torrey. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  Comments are closed.  It's become too much of a battle, taking too much time, to deal with all of the misinformation being posted in comments.

Several Genesee County residents exercised their right to peacefully assemble this afternoon, gathering in front of the Upton Monument at the Route 5 and 63 fork to protest governmental COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

“We’ve been rallying to help the cause of healthcare workers,” Roxie Winegar said. “I’m a DSP (Direct Support Professional) for ARC (The Arc of Genesee Orleans) and I don’t want to lose my job; I don’t want anybody to lose their job over being forced to be vaccinated when it’s a choice to put something into your body.”

Winegar said she believes vaccines cause death and impairment, “and long-term effects that you can not get out of your body – you cannot reverse.”

“They are not a vaccine. They are an mRNA (messenger RNA) genetic changer, and once you have that, you don’t have the human genetic makeup anymore – it’s totally changed,” she stated.

She said she has done much research into the vaccine, and doesn’t buy most of mainstream media’s reporting on the matter.

“They are so very evidently biased … they all say the same thing. It’s the same script. They’re all given a script and they all say it,” she said.

Sue Wlazlak, an employee (analyst) of United Memorial Medical Center, said the mandate is violating people’s freedoms.

“They’ve taken away our freedom of choice and it’s completely against the Constitution. I don’t understand any of this,” she said.

When asked if she thought natural immunity for those who have had COVID should be considered, she replied, “That’s the other piece that is huge. They’re not testing for the immunity. I had to get tested for the chicken pox and that proved that I had immunity, so they didn’t offer me a vaccine. They should be doing that.”

Wlazlak said she sees the vaccines as experimental and full of risks.

“So, if you have reasons why (you don’t want it), you shouldn't be forced to infect your body to go to work,” she offered.

Another protester said the issue goes beyond just the vaccine mandate.

“Vladimir Putin said it best: The United States is heading toward communism with breathtaking speed,” Gary DiSanto said. “We’re becoming a totalitarian, one-party state.”

Thousands of healthcare workers at hospitals run by New York State could face suspension or loss of jobs beginning on Monday as a result of the mandate originally ordered by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and kept in force by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The directive does not allow for regular testing instead of being vaccinated. Hochul’s administration and numerous labor unions are in negotiations to see if an agreement could be reached. Mass firings or resignations would cripple the state’s healthcare system.

In a related development, as first reported by The Batavian, the Genesee County Legislature yesterday passed a resolution adopted by the Ways & Means Committee to modify the COVID-19 mandate by providing options such as regular testing for those opting to not take the vaccine at this time.

Copies of the resolution are being sent to Hochul, Health Commissioner Ann Marie T. Sullivan, State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt.

Photo: Among those protesting vaccine mandates today are, from left, Gary DiSanto, Roxie Winegar, Bob Hoskins, Sue Wlazlak, Jo Coburn, Theresa Wlazlak and Evelyn Aubrey. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

He has worked in kitchens throughout the United States as well as Australia and Indonesia.

He has prepared dishes for four presidents and, for a while, was the personal chef for Michael Jackson.

Now, he is back in Western New York, spreading his culinary joy in the form of authentic Texas-style beef and Kansas City-style pork barbecue to patrons of Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel.

And, if all goes according to plan, his edible creations will be available soon at 10 East Main St. in his hometown of Corfu.

“He” is Nick Rada, a 1999 Pembroke Central School graduate, who has lived out his lifelong dream of preparing delicious meals at a variety of establishments – from prestigious hotel restaurants to neighborhood bistros and taverns.

Currently, Rada (pictured above) is the manager at Burnin’ Barrell BBQ, located at the Homestretch Grill area of Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. He’s been working in that capacity since May.

“One day I made some barbecue for Henry (Wojtaszek, Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. president) and Scott (Kiedrowski, vice president of operations), and they fell in love with it,” Rada said during an interview Tuesday at the Park Road facility. “They mentioned that they wanted to do something new with the Homestretch (Grill) and asked me if I wanted to do barbecue.”

Rada jumped at the chance, coming up with the name, concept and menu that offers numerous choices in the form of sandwiches, snacks, salads, sides, small bites and big bites.

He said he caught the cooking bug as a teenager, growing up as the oldest of eight children.

“Ever since I was 13 or 14 years old, I knew that I wanted to be a chef,” he said. “My great aunt and uncle (the late Leo and Marge Brumsted) were butchers. Everybody in my family were hunters; everybody in my family cooks. My father, Don, cooks, and so does my grandfather, Al Lang.”

There always was plenty of food on the table, he said, adding that he is the oldest of 68 grandkids – and that’s just on the side of his mother, Claire, who is one of nine Lang children.

After graduating from high school -- where he was a lineman on the Dragons’ football squad and competed in the shot put and discus on the track and field team -- the 6-foot-1, 300-pounder went to culinary school in Pittsburgh. Not long after that, he found himself working in Milwaukee, Wis., for a brief time.

“The chef that I worked for in Milwaukee told me that I have to work at two places in my career – Ritz-Carlton and the Bellagio in Las Vegas (to get ahead),” he recalled.

Rada did just that, working for the Ritz-Carlton in Detroit before transferring with the same company when they opened a hotel in Las Vegas in 2000.

“I transferred out there and worked for them as a cook for a few years and then went to the Bellagio Resort & Casino on the strip there. At the age of 24, I became the youngest chef – a sous chef -- at that hotel’s restaurant, Sensi.”

Having established himself as a top chef, Rada stayed there for about five years before traveling across the country to the Carolinas, where he worked as an executive chef for a country club. After that, it was on to jobs in Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Australia and then to Indonesia.

“I learned a lot of different techniques, flavors and styles of cooking by traveling all over,” he said.

When asked if he ever cooked for any celebrities, he quickly rattled off the Obamas, the Clintons, and both Bushes while he was employed as part of a catering company when in Milwaukee and Boston.

“I also was a private chef for a short period time for Michael Jackson at the Ritz-Carlton in Las Vegas in 2001 or 2002,” he said.

Over the past five or six years, Rada was a chef at several restaurants in the Buffalo area. In January of this year, he and his wife, Fanchonya (call her Fan), and 5-year-old son, Ronin, came back to Corfu when Rada began work as a cook at the Downs’ Homestretch Grill.

He said the establishment’s transition to barbecue has been a hit with customers.

With a huge smoker outside, he whips up signature plates, including a new one called Wild Wild Weck (pictured below) – a combination of sliced smoked brisket and shaved beef knuckle, horseradish and Alabama white sauce on a brioche kummelweck roll.

He said the brisket is the most popular of the many choices on the menu – “it gets sold out almost every day,” he noted – with other favorites being the St. Louis-style spare ribs, the Texas-size baked potato that is big enough for three, and fried green beans.

Another coming attraction, Rada said, is the Notorious PIG, which he called “a heart attack in one sandwich.”

It consists of stuffed and smoked pork loin, Italian sausage, bacon and cheese on a brioche bun and topped with pulled pork, more cheese and a bourbon sauce.

Rada’s plan is to continue working full time at Batavia Downs while, with assistance from his dad, leasing space in the Village of Corfu for barbecue catering and (after the first of the year) takeout. The Corfu location also will be called Burnin’ Barrell BBQ.

The business site plan is scheduled for review by the Corfu Village Board next week, followed by a referral to the Genesee County Planning Board.

He said he will offer “more traditional” barbecue in Corfu along with another of his specialties: whole hog roasts.

“I do a ton of whole hog roasts for people. That’s one of my main wheels that people call me up for when I cater,” he said, noting that he gets the pigs from Always Something Farm in Darien. “Anything from the small suckling pigs that are 15 to 20 pounds to the whole hugs that are dressed at 220 to 240 pounds. That’s one of the first things I learned to cook in the smoker.”

Rada said to watch for “Whole Hog Saturdays” in Corfu during the summer months and, possibly on the first three Saturdays of this November, for a three-part whole hog cooking class at Batavia Downs.

Perfecting the smoking of beef and pork took quite a bit of trial and error, Rada said, mentioning that his wife, a native of Dallas, Texas – the home of genuine barbecue -- was a key part of the process.

“Before I got to start serving any of my barbecue, I had to get it approved by her – especially the brisket,” he explained. “I had to make a lot of brisket before I got the blessing to start serving it. She’s my biggest critic and my biggest fan.”

For more about Rada’s barbecue service, send him an email at burninbarrelbbq@gmail.com.

Photos by Mike Pettinella.

There may be serious injuries following a motor vehicle accident on Route 77 at Indian Falls.

Dispatchers are checking on the availability of Mercy Flight.

The accident involves a tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle. 

Pembroke and Indian Falls along with Mercy EMS  dispatched.

There are power lines down in the area.

UPDATE 1:52 p.m.: A person is trapped in the vehicle.  Mercy Flight is on in-air standby.  East Pembroke responding mutual aid.

UPDATE 1:58 p.m.: Mercy Flight is canceled.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m. (Information and Photos from Alecia Kaus/Video News Service): According to Chief Deputy Brian Frieday, emergency crews were called to Rt. 77 and Indian Falls road about 1:47 pm. Preliminary investigation shows a passenger vehicle was headed west on Indian Falls Road and failed to stop at the intersection at Rt.77. The passenger vehicle was struck by a northbound tractor-trailer. Both vehicles ended up in a field northwest of the intersection. Frieday confirms there are two fatalities in the passenger vehicle.  The driver and one passenger in the tractor-trailer were not injured.

Press release:

The Batavia City School District’s Board of Education has engaged the services of Genesee Valley BOCES District Superintendent Kevin MacDonald to assist in the search for a new superintendent. 

The Board is encouraging input from members of the staff and community on the qualities and characteristics they would most like to see in the district’s next superintendent via virtual informational sessions hosted by Mr. MacDonald. 

The virtual informational sessions will be held on: 

• Tuesday, September 28 at 6:00 pm 
• Wednesday, September 29 at 5:30 pm 

A valid email address will be required to register for either session. To register, click here. On the day of your chosen session, you will receive an email with the invitation and link to join the Zoom meeting. 

For those that are unable to participate in the virtual informational sessions, there is an optional survey available. The survey will be open from September 21-October 1.

Additional information on the search process and timeline can be found on bataviacsd.org. 

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is seeking the assistance of the public in identifying the male pictured. The incident occurred at a local business on August 27th. If you can identify the male, please contact Officer Lindsay at (585) 345-6350.

Press release:

Jason Doohan, 38 of Batavia, pled guilty to one count of petit larceny and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge in Batavia Town Court on September 21, 2021.

Doohan was originally charged with one count each of Offering a False Instrument for Filing and 4^th degree Grand Larceny after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi revealed that he failed to report income from scraping metal.  He subsequently received $1464 in benefits he was not entitled to.

Doohan has made full restitution to the Genesee County Department of Social Services, in addition to the reduced charges and conditional discharge.  He is also disqualified from receiving benefits for one year.

Anyone wishing to report suspected cases of welfare fraud in Genesee County can contact the Genesee County Department of Social Services Fraud Unit at (585) 344-2580, ext. 6417 or 6541.

Not looking to branch out into the landscaping business, the Town of Batavia is taking steps to put the onus on solar companies to make sure their community solar projects are maintained and screened according to signed agreements with the town.

“We want to be green friendly but also want those who we do approve to stand up for exactly what they told us and informed us they would do,” said Town Building Inspector Daniel Lang at Tuesday night’s Town of Batavia Planning Board meeting at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road.

After hearing about modifications being made to the proposed Trousdale Solar twin 5-megawatt and 4-megawatt projects on Ellicott Street Road, one of them which addressed buffering the site from neighbors’ views, the board heard an update from Lang about issues at current solar farms.

Lang brought up the possibility of requiring solar companies to sign a landscaping bond, which would make them legally responsible for initial planting and regular maintenance of trees, berms and plants to ensure proper screening.

“It’s a code enforcement nightmare to maintain and ride around and figure out how many trees, what trees are dead, what trees are dying, when the best time to plant is,” he said, advising that the town’s solar committee will be meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Town Hall to address these and other topics as it moves toward adopting a new solar ordinance.

He said a landscaping bond could be a way to solve the problem of unscreened solar sites by giving the town the necessary leverage.

“Right now, we don’t have the teeth other than letting them (solar companies) know that we’re going to pull their certificate of occupancy, certificate of compliance or shut them down,” he said.

Lang said Thursday’s meeting, which is open to the public, is expected to include representatives of the Wendel engineering firm, New York State Soil and Water Conservation and, possibly via Zoom, Ian Latimer, project manager for NYS Energy Research and Development Authority.

Currently, town employees have been dealing with plantings and stone issues at a few solar farms, Lang said.

Planning Board member Steve Tanner suggested requiring a special use permit for future projects, with Lang noting that could be an option.

ELLICOTT STREET CHANGES ADVANCED

Partridge recused himself from the conversation; no voting was conducted.

“We’re here basically to talk about how we’re trying to satisfy the conditions of approval for the project that you gave previously … in March or April 2020,” Sweeney said.

On the first modification, Sweeney (photo at right) said the goal is to ground mount as much equipment as possible. After meeting with and obtaining approval from National Grid, he proposed a plan showing a total of four poles.

Originally, the design had seven poles, he said, three to handle solar company Cypress Creek (Renewable’s) equipment and four for National Grid’s equipment.

Since then, developers were able to ground mount “both of the mutes – one for Cypress Creek and one for the utility company – and eliminate one pole altogether,” Sweeney said.

As far as screening is concerned, he said landscaping is proposed at the entrances and across any current gaps between trees, and a one-foot berm will be used to elevate the plants. He said the revision includes a “specific planting plan” outlining the types of species, sizes and numbers – with the company obligated to replace plants as needed.

Sweeney also said the solar company is willing to agree to a decommissioning bond (to be in force at the end of the project’s cycle). Lang advised him to work with Town Attorney Andrew Meier on completing the proper form.

Tanner said he supported decreasing the number of poles to four, although planners were hoping that number to drop to three.

“It’s definitely a good reduction,” he said. “Much better than it was.”

NY BUS SALES PRESENTS ITS PLAN

Lauren Rodriguez, civil engineer with LaBella Associates, and John Johnston, vice president of New York Bus Sales, opened the meeting with a brief presentation of the school bus company’s plan to place a 20,000-plus-square foot facility at the corner of West Saile Drive and Call Parkway.

The operation is set to be built on two parcels, covering 6.9 acres, in an area currently zoned both Industrial and Commercial. Rodriguez said they wish to combine the parcels into one Commercial zone, which does fit into the town’s Comprehensive Plan.

Details of the site plan are as follows:

• Three entrances – two off of West Saile Drive and one off of Call Parkway, with passenger vehicles (employees and others) to use the eastern entrance off West Saile Drive; bus deliveries and tractor-trailers heading for the loading dock would use the other entrances.

• The area around the building will be paved; the area used for parking of the buses will be gravel.

• The site will accommodate 20 passenger vehicles and 180 buses.

• Security lighting will be installed, along with a fence around the property and gates at the entrances. The stormwater facility will be located at the south end of the lot.

Johnston, who gave a more extensive report to the Genesee County Economic Development Center on Sept. 9, said NY Bus Sales receives school buses from the factory, prepares them, adds options if required and then – after inspection by the state Department of Transportation – delivers them to local school districts.

Planning Board Chair Kathleen Jasinski advised them the board will take up the matter again next month to review the site plan and conduct the State Environmental Quality Review.

Prior to that, the proposal will be heard by the Genesee County Planning Board and be the subject of a public hearing held by the GCEDC, which is offering $430,120 in tax abatements.

The company’s total capital investment is estimated at $4.5 million. The project is expected to create 24 additional full-time equivalent jobs paying $30,000 to $75,000 annually by year three.

Previously: GCEDC board of directors accepts application for New York Bus Sales facility in Town of Batavia

Photo at top: Town Building Inspector Daniel Lang at Tuesday night's Town Planning Board meeting. Photo by Alecia Kaus.

Fletcher M.  Royce, 33, of Dunham Road, Varysburg, is charged with criminal possession of a  controlled substance 3rd, driving while impaired by drugs, and DWI. Royce was located on Galloway Road in Pembroke after deputies received a suspicious condition complaint at 2:24 p.m., Sept. 17, and taken into custody by Deputy Trevor Sherwood and Deputy Erik  Andre. 

Jesslyn Faustine Bigelow, 25, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd.  Bigelow is accused of harassing another resident of the apartment complex at 3727 West Main Street Road, Batavia.  Bigelow was issued an appearance ticket.

Cole Ryan Booth, 31, of Blasdell, is charged with criminal mischief and petit larceny. Booth is accused of damaging a vehicle and stealing its license plates in the parking lot of Darien Lake on Aug. 14.  He was arraigned in  Darien Town Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Alex Dumbleton, 28, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with attempted assault 2nd. Dumbleton,  being held at the Genesee County Jail on prior charges, allegedly attempted to kick a corrections officer.  Dumbleton was issued an appearance ticket.

Press release:

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4350 – the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act.

Our nation faces many challenges in the coming years – from the growing threat of terrorism brought on by our reckless withdrawal from Afghanistan, to Chinese aggression.
This bill reverses defense cuts proposed by the Biden administration to fund our military and ensure our nation can counter any threat.
It also addresses President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan by prohibiting financial support for the Taliban and allocating resources for counter-terrorism operations. 

In addition, it provides our troops a pay raise and supports the procurement of essential equipment.

Finally, the bill includes a bill I introduced to improve retention and readiness by providing opportunities to reservists, and the rule makes in order my amendment that will get more small and innovative companies to access to DoD contracts.

Mr. Speaker, we face numerous challenges both today and in the future. This legislation prioritizes resources for our military at a critical time, and I urge its passage.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) introduced a bill to provide the $1 billion in defense funding for Israel’s Iron Dome that Democrats stripped from today’s spending bill.

“As if Democrats hadn’t learned their lesson about turning their backs on our allies when they need us most from the events in Afghanistan these past few weeks, today Speaker Pelosi stripped critical funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Just a few months ago we witnessed the Iron Dome’s effectiveness against terrorist attacks from Hamas. This decision to cut critical aid funding from our most important ally in the Middle East is shameful, adds further damage to our international credibility, and emboldens our enemies like Iran.

“I am proud to stand with Israel and their right to self-defense. I introduced this legislation to ensure critical funding gets to our ally and allows for them to protect innocent lives from future attacks. I urge my colleagues in the House to cosponsor this legislation and send a clear message of support to our Israeli partners. 
 

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) released the following statement following tonight's combined vote on a continuing resolution and legislation to raise the debt limit.

“Once again, Democrats are playing games with our nation’s economic recovery. Nancy Pelosi asked Republicans to act on a bipartisan basis to raise the debt limit so she can force through $3.5 trillion in unnecessary partisan spending.

“Equally troubling, Pelosi caved to radical progressives in her party and stripped $1 billion in critical funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. This spring we saw the Iron Dome’s effectiveness against terror attacks – we need to keep it operational and stand by Israel’s right to self-defense.

“Speaker Pelosi is taking us down an incredibly divisive path that will only result in further spending problems and erosion of our credibility with our allies. Our nation would be better served if the Speaker shifted her focus from partisan power to fiscal responsibility. This is no way to govern, and Americans and our allies are growing tired of these partisan games with their well-being.
 

Photo by Jim Burns.

Because of rain this morning, Allenview Drive and Garden Drive in the City of Batavia won't be closed today for roadwork.

Bureau of Maintenance Superintendent Raymond Tourt said the planned work has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

Previously: Road closures at Allenview and Garden Drive expected on Wednesday

A two-vehicle accident with injuries is reported in the area of 9332 Warsaw Road, Le Roy.

That's between Perry Road and Robbins Road.

Le Roy Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Updated: 7 a.m.:

The City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee tonight approved the site plan of the Healthy Living campus, a $30 million joint venture of United Memorial Medical Center (Rochester Regional Health) and the GLOW YMCA on East Main Street.

The tally was 3-1 in favor of the layout, with Ed Flynn, Rebecca Cohen and John Ognibene casting “yes” votes and David Beatty voting “no.” The committee’s monthly meeting took place at the City Hall Council Board Room.

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Related story: Planning committee member sees Healthy Living campus site plan as 'missed opportunity'

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“We’re extremely satisfied. We listened to what the concerns were and we made adjustments. I think they were fair and we were fair,” said GLOW YMCA Chief Executive Officer Rob Walker.

Project Consultant David Ciurzynski and representatives of the Clark Patterson Lee architectural/engineering firm had appeared before the PDC two times prior to tonight’s meeting.

Over the course of lengthy deliberations, a few changes requested by the committee were made, most notably the removal of an entrance/exit on Summit Street and removal of parking spaces in the area just east of Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, on a parcel where the YMCA currently sits.

Walker said developers surrendered about 30 parking spots to create more green space.

“When you’re in business, we want those spots, but out of respect for the process, we negotiated,” he said.

On the Summit Street issue, he said, “We met with the Summit Street (Neighborhood) Association and with a number of residents and we listened and we said, OK.”

“The traffic flow is going to work just fine as we have an exit on Washington (Avenue) and an exit on Bank (Street).”

Ciurzynski said the updated site plan shows the Summit Street exit removal and parking space adjustment, adding that there are no plans to build a wall or put up additional trees in the space between GO Art! and the new YMCA building.

PDC member Ed Flynn said the board received a letter from GO Art! stating its support of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative project as long as there was no wall.

Beatty then mentioned a site plan presented by Clark Patterson Lee and sent to Gregory Hallock, GO Art! executive director, was different from the final plan. He said he had hoped the PDC would have been able to see that document.

Ciurzynski said that was a previous drawing, calling it “much more elaborate than what we have and we’re not moving forward with that because of budget reasons.”

“The plan that you have (now) is the plan that we’re moving forward with,” he said, adding that the current plan has appropriate buffering on that back side (of GO Art!). “I understand that he (Hallock) may desire something more (but) technically it’s not his property. We have to be as good neighbors as possible, but we have to also manage our budget.”

The PDC reviewed the State Environmental Quality Review paperwork and determined no adverse impact. It did advise Ciurzynski, however, to make sure the GO Art! building is protected during construction as it is an historic structure. Ciurzynski said he would send the final site plan to the State Historic Preservation Office.

With the committee’s approval in hand, the timeline becomes much clearer.

Ciurzynski said construction documents should be complete by the late fall or early winter, and then bids will be solicited.

“Hopefully, by the end of the year, we’ll start seeing some (activity), with Cary Hall coming down. And start getting the site prepped and ready for construction in earnest starting in the spring,” he said, noting that the entire project will take about 20 months, including 14 to 16 months on the main two-story, 69,420-square-foot building.

“We’re trying to get everything done as quickly as possible so we can move in and take down the (existing) YMCA,” he said. “Start construction in the spring when the weather breaks, get the building up, get everything moved over into there from the existing Y to the new Y – get that operational – and then we can start looking at taking down the old Y and developing that site.”

He acknowledged the PDC’s opposition to the amount of parking on Main Street.

“They didn’t like the look of it (and) they wanted more of an urban park environment, so we sort of split the difference,” he said. “We gave up some very significant parking for our membership but we will find ways to work around that because it was important to the Planning & Development Committee.

“They’re looking out for the city; trying to make sure they can strike a balance. We’re a partner with the city, so we want to make sure that we can strike that balance that works for everybody.”

Even with the reduction of parking spots, the campus will accommodate about 200 cars. Walker said that hospital staff would be able to continue to park in the City Centre Mall parking lot.

As previously reported on The Batavian, the Healthy Living Campus will replace the current YMCA, and will feature YMCA amenities such as gymnasium, pool, locker rooms, multipurpose rooms, exercise rooms and a community living (common) area.

It also will have 10,000 square feet for the hospital’s Healthy Living (diabetes awareness and education) program as well as a medical clinic on the second floor as a teaching unit for medical residents, and space for RRH’s Baby Café, a breastfeeding program run by lactation specialists who offer education and support to any pregnant woman or breastfeeding mom in the community at no charge.

Graham to Build 'Infill' Addition

In other action, the PDC approved a site plan submitted by Graham Mfg. to construct a 2,500-square foot one-story infill addition on the south side of the industrial complex at 4-12 Howard St.

Chris Howell, facilities manager at Graham Mfg., said the company wishes to put in a metrology lab in the new space for non-destructive testing and a stockroom -- “and to do those things well we need a separate area, which is temperature controlled and where it is clean.”

Currently, the firm’s welding and grinding operations are integrated with this kind of testing, he said, and separating those processes will improve the metrology and non-destructive testing.

The plan also is subject to review by the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals due to the entire building’s coverage area on the lot being more than the permitted 40 percent.

Previously: City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee says 'no' to Summit Street access for Healthy Living Campus

In voting against the site plan of the Healthy Living campus project, City Planning & Development Committee member David Beatty called it a “missed opportunity” to fully take advantage of the several parcels of land along East Main Street in downtown Batavia.

“I think, for me, it’s such a key project here for Batavia, a key to Main Street,” Beatty said following tonight’s meeting. “We’ve been trying to develop Main Street for decades. So, I think they missed an opportunity to really develop the site – and by site, I mean the entire site that goes all the way back to Washington (Avenue) because they own all of that property.”

Beatty (photo at right) said developers (and, in the end, his colleagues) submitted and approved, respectively, a site plan where they’re “basically adding more parking by taking the steam plant (that sits back from Main Street, west of Wiard Street) out.”

“I’m looking for more green space and a planned public space that could sort of feed off GO Art!” he said. “GO Art! is right there on Main Street and the idea of developing a large public space on Main … and feeding that into the Healthy Living campus, essentially. They refer to it as a campus, but it’s a building and a parking lot.”

Although not wanting to speak for GO Art! Executive Director Gregory Hallock, Beatty said he believes Hallock will be disappointed in the outcome of that particular space but also said he foresees the three entities becoming “good partners.”

“I think there could have been more to it. Again, it’s a missed opportunity. I think they could have done more and I mentioned that many times at various meetings,” he said.

Afterwards, she told The Batavian that a previous “conceptual plan” created by the engineering firm of Clark Patterson Lee showed an expansion of the green space on Main Street and stretching north along the east side of GO Art! and the Genesee County Office for the Aging.

“In Gregory’s letter that he sent to the (PDC) board, he emphasized that there is this partnership that GO Art! has with the Y,” she said. (That plan) really did lend in our campus, the GO Art! campus, which will include the patio space – the courtyard space that is shared between GO Art! and the Office for the Aging,” she offered.

“So, that would be a seamless blend of this common space with the Y and could bleed right into their secondary entrance. But that’s not going to happen.”

Moma (photo at left) said that until the current Y building is taken down, “the barrier of that wall has created this confined space for us.”

“So, once it comes down, we’ll have to revisit what our landscape architecture plan will be for the courtyard and even our space where we can hold events,” she said.

She said the GO Art! board considers the courtyard as a key aspect to its fundraising efforts.

“Right now, with the parking how it has been approved, there’s going to be some conflict between the cars – that parking space – and how we’re going to be able to utilize the courtyard space. We see that as a funding mechanism … as we do have to raise funds for our operation.

“We appreciate the offer that the Y reached out and said they’d be happy to block out parking and things of that nature. But, we all know how we are as human beings.”

When it was mentioned that about 30 parking spots were removed from the plan, she said that “pushing it back a little further would have been ideal for us.”

“Once the demolition is done, we’ll have to see what those options are, and what we need to do to mitigate any impacts from the automobiles,” she said. “Maybe things will change as far as public opinion on parking, and how many people live downtown. Maybe more people will be walking to the Y. So, the use of having that extensive parking, at least so close to GO Art!, maybe it won’t be needed because of just how society is changing.”

Moma said that until the existing YMCA is torn down, the door is open to do something different with that space.

“There’s still the opportunity, we feel, that there’s hope to do something different with that space where it can be more of a collaborative, social, green active space, so that our programming and the Y’s programming can have this fluid activity time,” she said.