Clark Patterson Lee

Understanding the importance of traffic flow -- especially along a busy Route 98 north of the Thruway exit, engineers will be putting their heads together to devise the best plan for vehicles to enter and exit the four-story medical office building being proposed by Rochester Regional Health.

Town of Batavia Engineer Steve Mountain, speaking after tonight’s Batavia Town Planning Board meeting, said there is “a little more work to do” to correctly mitigate any potential traffic issues and to ensure the traffic pattern is designed to accommodate future growth.

“We’re in the reviewing phase and acting upon a few comments from the (New York State) Department of Transportation,” Mountain said, adding that the project will include the installation of a traffic signal on Route 98, connecting Call Parkway with Federal Drive.

He also emphasized that anything done for this project must allow for the possibility of the construction of another traffic lane along Route 98.

Thus, the planning board signed off on a State Environmental Quality Review (a negative declaration) and approved the site plan contingent upon final approval by town engineers and the clearing up of any mitigating factors.

“This keeps the project moving forward while we set up meetings with the developer’s engineers and DOT officials,” Mountain said.

RRH plans to construct an 140,000-square-foot medical office facility at 8103 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98), a plan already recommended for approval by the Genesee County Planning Board.

Additionally, the Town Zoning Board of Appeals approved an area variance related to the building height.

United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia is part of the RRH system, which has similar multi-specialty buildings in the Rochester area and also in Geneva.

RRH has contracted with the CPL (Clark Patterson Lee) engineering firm of Rochester. CPL engineers previously reported that 90,000 square feet will be allotted for office space and that 360 parking spaces will be available – with 63 of them in a first-floor parking garage.

UMMC President Daniel Ireland has said that RRH will disclose information about the specific services as the project progresses.

Genesee County and Randsco Pipeline Inc., have agreed to put their quarrels on the back burner in order to proceed with a key segment of the county’s Phase 2 Water Supply project, a multimillion venture that is vital to supplying water to residential and commercial users.

The Genesee County Legislature this afternoon voted in favor of a late addition to its meeting agenda – a resolution to approve Work Change Directive No. 1 that directs the water and wastewater pipeline installation company “to promptly complete the work as specified in the (directive) by the completion dates (previously set forth).”

County Attorney Kevin Earl called what amounts to a ceasefire as “very positive because the county needs this portion of the project to proceed so that the rest of the project can be completed, with the ultimate goal of bringing more water to Genesee County.”

“This change directive was approved by the county and also was approved by Randsco’s attorney, so that means that Randsco is going to move forward with its portion of the project and both sides are going to reserve their rights to all issues,” he said. “Disputes regarding money or any other matters will be addressed afterwards.”

Edward Kowalewski Jr., attorney with Hodgson Russ LLP of Buffalo, drafted Work Change Directive No. 1, and it subsequently was reviewed and approved by County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens, Earl and Clark Patterson Lee, the Rochester engineering firm representing Genesee County on the water project.

Randsco Pipeline has contracted with the county to connect water main in the North Road and Vallance Road areas in the Town of Le Roy under the I-90 Thruway as part of the county’s Phase 2 Water Supply Project.

Last Wednesday, the legislature’s Ways & Means Committee passed a resolution authorizing Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein to sign an engagement letter with Hodgson Russ to provide legal advice concerning “serious disputes” with the contractor at the rate of up to $305 per hour.

Today’s action reopens the door for Randsco to resume the contracted work authorized by the legislature.

“This is good news,” Stein said.

The Batavian previously reported that the legislature approved a change to a contract with Randsco Pipeline, adding $125,000 to a pact for the installation of reinforcing sleeves on five tangential tee connections along the transmission main on North Road in the Town of Le Roy.

The modification raised the total contract amount to approximately $5.6 million.

Hens said that the change order related to the reinforcement of five tangential tees or hydrant assemblies off the 36-inch water main on North Road and to prevent any future leaks at the tees due to settlement or car accidents involving hydrants.

Randsco Pipeline’s work is part of a $23.5 million project that will add 2.4 million gallons per day to the county’s water supply from Monroe County Water Authority sources, essentially doubling the current output of 2.5 million gallons per day.

On Tuesday, Hens issued a media release, stating that water main work will be resuming on North Road between Conlon Road and Route 19 in the Town of Le Roy.

The road will be open to traffic, but there will be lane closures and temporary delays starting at 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. each day for the remainder of the week.

Realizing that future commercial and industrial development will require increased wastewater capacity and treatment, the Batavia Town Board tonight passed a pair of resolutions that seek to address the Town’s short-term and long-term needs.

The board, at its regular monthly meeting, authorized:

-- Acceptance of a $30,000 Engineering Planning Grant Award, which would pay most of the estimated $36,000 cost of a wastewater treatment assessment and planning study;

-- A contract with Clark Patterson Lee for engineering and grant assistance support services related to the study.

The EPG grant comes with the stipulation that the Town would be responsible for a 20 percent local match, up to $6,000.

The contract with Clark Patterson Lee is for $24,750.

“The grant is one of many that we have received, and helps support our strategic studies and needs assessment model that I have embraced,” said Town Supervisor Gregory Post. “We have a good handle on the collection (of wastewater) and this study will lead to upgrades to the pump station and gravity lines, as well as provide us with the design and construction of a permanent solution.”

The Town received EPGs in 2013 and 2014 for the development of long-term sanitary sewer collection system plans for the east and west sides of the Town. This current project is set up to address the wastewater treatment needs for the Town.

In a letter dated Jan. 12 to Town Engineer Steve Mountain, Eric Wies of Clark Patterson Lee wrote that the “primary alternative will be the upgrade of the joint City/Town Wastewater Treatment Facility … and the report will be a tool that can be used to guide the Town through potential treatment upgrades at each phase of future development.”

Post said the study will “give us a better timeline in order to complete the work that is imperative for us.”

“We’re looking for a design for needed improvements that enhance our score for getting grants and loans,” he said. “Agencies tend to support ready-to-go projects, not those where no plan is in place. Our purpose is to be ahead of every potential failure by 20 years.”

Post noted that developers are more apt to choose locations where strategic planning is evident, and that those new businesses will, in turn, help fund the cost of increased wastewater collection and treatment capacity.

In other action, the board voted to contract with Wendel Consulting Services LLC for a total of $9,500 for Geographical Information System (GIS) programming, maintenance, consulting and training for one year, and voted in favor of the installation of a 96-watt LED street light at the corner of Barrett Drive and Route 5 (the location of the new East Pembroke Fire Hall) at an annual cost of $153.33.