Ellicottville Village Board Meeting Recap
Ellicottville Village Board Meeting Recap
Public Hearing Imposes Moratorium on Applications for Cannabis Use/Distribution Facilities
The Village of Ellicottville Board meeting was called to order on Tuesday evening, August 15th, by Mayor John Burrell. Starting off on a high note, the second quarter sales tax from Cattaraugus County came in with a 9.43% increase from the prior year’s account. The last four quarters have continuously seen a positive increase leading to more revenue than initially expected for budgeting.
Jumping right into business, a motion was made to open the public hearing for Local Law No. 6 of the year 2023, a local law on the imposing of a 4-month moratorium on the processing of any applications for, approvals, or permits for the siting of any facilities for Use or Distribution of Cannabis. It was accepted with no opposition from the board. This local law will allow the Village of Ellicottville the necessary time and resources to properly assess proper conditions and sites, as well as prevent unfavorable circumstances onto existing Village activities. Local Law No. 6 will take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. A motion was made to close the hearing for Local Law No. 6. with motion to adopt the law as approved by the Village board.
Moving on, Mayor John Burrell attended the Planning Board Workshop on August 1st along with the Planning Board Meeting on August 8th. A large point of discussion revolved around the subsidization of existing lots. It had been noted that past zoning laws allowed for buyers to purchase properties and then turn a garage into another separate residence, almost always upsetting local and long-term residents. Regulations were made and laws were changed in order to prevent the abuse of local housing and land.
Simply put, the current zoning law in place specifies that you cannot subdivide an existing lot in a residential area. There continues to be, however, certain property holders that look for creative ways to go around local law and press forward with their request. The Board has discussed ways to become more direct with what the current zoning law states to avoid the unnecessary repetition in same case filings.
A new development around the Village’s telephone infrastructure system was addressed. The system itself Is 100 years old. Historically the Town and Village worked as one operating entity, however the Town adopted an internet phone system, and the Village did not. Currently the Village has an underground network that is going to be updated to a better, integrated setup, ultimately saving the village $50 a month. They will be able to program employee lines and keep the ability to transfer calls to the Town.
An update on the Elizabeth Street Restoration Proposal was made. The Village Board was able to review and approve the preliminary layout for all areas mapped in the proposal - Jefferson Street, Hughey Alley, and the intersection at Elk Street and Elizabeth Street. Included in the plan would be the west side of Jefferson to now include an estimated 9 diagonal parking spaces, 5 additional from the current 4 spaces available. In addition, the plan also includes new curbing and striping to be installed at the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Elk Street, as well as Jefferson Street and Hughey Alley. This will allow for safer crossing conditions and deeper parking spaces.
An update on the Park Systems by Sean Lowes explained there was a request made for the Youth Soccer Clubs for more space by approving striping on the lower field. This would allow for two fields. The increase in enrollment this year called for the first fall youth travel soccer league for Ellicottville, NY. Additionally, this field striping would not interfere with any other activities or sports. Permission was granted by the Village Board.
A Special Event was brought to the Board’s attention with a presentation made by Board Trustee Caitlin Croft, for fellow member and organizer Doug Bush regarding The EVL Halloween Half & 5K. This event is celebrating its 10th year running. Set up will begin October 21st at 6:00am and end at 5:00pm that evening. The attendance is estimated at around 1,700 drawing the attention of runners and families alike. There will be point of contacts available at the event to ease the influx of travelers. Road closures will be the north side of Monroe Street between Elizabeth Street and Washington Street, the south side of Monroe Street between Maybee Alley and Martha Street, and Elizabeth Street between Route 219 and Jefferson Street. The route follows the same course as the previous year. Doug Bush has also reached out to Google to be sure updates are made the day of the event to reflect the street closures to better assist any expected traffic. The motion was passed to approve the event with Mayor John Burrell saying it is “the best run event we have!” Registration is now open at evlhalf.com.
Edgemere Development has reached out with their encouragement and support for the Village of Ellicottville to reapply to the next round of Restore NY, offering financial aid for the application process as well as grant writing assistance. A motion was requested to look more into this opportunity. Mayor John Burrell took this chance to bring attention to Ellicottville’s current standing with recent state grant applications and is pushing to get answers on why the village has been overlooked in these available programs.
Other meeting highlights include:
• Village Planner Greg Keyser announced that there is now an official complaint form that will be available in the Town Hall for residents to access upon need. Once they are signed and filed they will be processed and considered.
• Village Engineer Ben Slotman reminded those present that there is an open position for an Engineering Technician and encourages those interested to check out the Town & Village of Ellicottville website or stop by the Town Hall for more information or to submit a resume.
• The Mill Street Parking Lot Project has been awarded to Lake Shore Paving.
• The Mayor and Village Board were made aware that the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit was passed and upon inspection showed to be well maintained and operating.
• A matter of old business discussed was the request for the review of the current open container law. The Village Board closed the matter by lack of support for any change.
• The Washington Street light poles were discussed, and a further decision will be made regarding the height and style. The Board is looking into the best option that meets the needs of area safety and village authenticity.
The Ellicottville Village Board will next meet in usual fashion on Tuesday, September 19th at 6:00pm in the Town/Village Hall, 1 Washington Street. The public is welcome to attend.