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Traffic woes arise at public hearings
A moratorium on drive-through businesses and a proposed senior housing complex may appear to have nothing in common, but comments during separate public hearings Monday indicated that the two are linked by traffic.
The town board voted to extend a moratorium on construction of drivethrough businesses for 105 days while board members study proposed revisions to town ordinances that pertain to the establishments.
Changes relating to location, design standards and vehicle "stacking," or queuing, are being examined by the town.
Board members have noted that rush hour traffic is sometimes slowed near doughnut shops as vehicles lining up at drive-through lanes sometimes spill over into busy roads.
During recent public hearings, residents who live near proposed drive-throughs voiced their concerns that traffic will be lining up along their properties.
Among the changes under consideration are requiring access points to be located at least 220 feet from an intersection and longer bypass lanes.
Former councilmember Tom Johnson sent a letter to the town outlining elements he believes the ordinance should include.
"I think the ordinance is generally good and that they are headed in the right direction," Johnson told the Times.
Johnson said a 660-foot distance from a state or county intersection would be more preferable than 220 feet.
Johnson advocates a setback of at least 100-feet from a residential property line to alleviate air, noise and visual pollution. He also suggested that there should be no traffic connection to residential side streets.
A Sloan woman agreed with Johnson's assessment that a 100-foot bypass lane should accommodate the drive-throughs, instead of 75 feet, which the town is considering.
"Seventy-five feet is better than 20 feet," the woman said. "But 100 would be even better." Earlier, residents expressed concern about a 14-unit senior housing complex proposed by ElderWood Senior Care at its MapleWood complex along Bennett Road.
ElderWood officials said the 14 units would be an extension of a 36- unit site that opened in 2005. The one-floor, one- and two-bedroom units would feature the same interior floor plans as the existing site.
Karolina Bazylewicz, project coordinator for ElderWood, said they hope to begin construction by June.
Councilmember James Rogowski said a June start date may not sit well with residents, noting that Bennett Road will have additional traffic this summer while Erie County reconstructs Como Park Boulevard.
Bazylewicz said ElderWood officials understand their neighbors' concerns. "We have residents in that neighborhood as well," Bazylewicz noted.
Frank Sikorski, a Bennett Road resident, questioned how ElderWood will handle overflow parking during construction.
"There will be a minimum 14 autos to a maximum of 28," Sikorski noted. "Parking at ElderWood is already very difficult."
David Tosetto, executive director of development at ElderWood, agreed that construction at the company's nursing home has created parking "issues," but said the problem stems from visitors who do not want to park their vehicles in a lot behind the facility.
"As far as the independent living facility," Tosetto said. "We haven't had that problem. People park their cars in their garage and it gives them a sense of independence."
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