Petition Ended: Board received our petition but elected to adopt the zoning law discussed below on the evening of November 13, 2023. Many thanks to those who participated in this effort.
Four years ago, the Ontario NY Town Board was poised to approve a 120-unit townhouse project in the area between Furnace Rd., Kenyon Rd. and Stonehedge Dr. Were it not for 117 citizens who signed a petition and attended a Board meeting in May 2019, residents of those streets would have hundreds of new nearby neighbors. The Board was also planning to change zoning rules for the entire SR district (Suburban/Residential) to allow this scenario to be repeated many times over throughout the town.
Residents who came to the meeting said they wanted a more rural atmosphere in the SR district than townhouse projects would provide. Other concerns mentioned included traffic, aesthetics, crime and negative effect on home values. Residents said we have urban-type districts in town where townhouses have been permitted for years and new projects could be located there.
Fast forward to 2023, and the Board is on the verge of reincarnating the same zoning change they cancelled in 2019 when citizens objected. Townhouse projects like the one proposed in 2019 will again be on tap for the SR district if the Board goes through with pending zoning changes called Local Law No. 5, which it can do at any time.
Local Law No. 5 (which is a revision of the entire section of town code dealing with zoning and land use) does some other things that residents preferring a more rural feel may consider counter-productive. Such as shrinking lot sizes (by 29% in some cases), reducing lot width requirements, and paring back setback requirements. The SR district includes most of the area between Knickerbocker and Furnace (north of the railroad), Walworth Rd., Paddy Lane, Route 350, Slocum, Southbrook, Hollybush, Tamarack and Bear Harbor among other locations.
Join fellow residents in urging Town Board members to abandon or reject Local Law No. 5, by signing the petition at website ipetitions.com. To make sure your signature counts, please provide your full name, email and physical address.
Updates
November 12, 2023
The Ontario Town Board thinks they can just slide these zoning laws through while we are not looking. This surge in support proves that we are watching and they are not getting away with destroying our neighborhood.
Reached 100 supporters
November 12, 2023
40 Comments
Why does every area try to turn into the City. We moved here from Rochester and like the Small Town Feel. We don't need to start cramming people in. Should only build Single Family Homes.
We do not need townhouses near this beautiful, quiet spot of Ontario. There was an approval ( A GENEROUS COMPRIMISE FOR THE DEVELOPER) to build 28 homes, practically already going to be on top of each other. Why are they not selling? What's really going on behind the scenes? No one living near this area wants over 100 more apartments or units. This area will NEVER be the same. The good people of this town need to stand together and fight for what is best for this community.
No Townhouses in our area! I have been here over 50 years and don't want anymore traffic than there is now. I was at the meeting 4 years ago and thought it was settled then. I guess the board thinks we have forgotten about it and are trying to sneak this in.
It was a bad idea then and it is a bad idea now. Traffic safety alone for the Furnace Rd project remains the same issue. Residents should have more say than developers.
This is a significant change to the SR zoning code. Most of the houses in the SR code are on a minimum of 1/2+ acres lots. This will change the whole flavor of the town and we will lose our space to homes on tiny lots and our rutalness. Webster here we come!!!
When we were thinking about building a Gerber Home both Norm & Bruce said the Woodlands would remain and be forever green.
I oppose this change, keep Ontario rural and uncluttered
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Petition Ended: Board received our petition but elected to adopt the zoning law discussed below on the evening of November 13, 2023. Many thanks to those who participated in this effort.
Four years ago, the Ontario NY Town Board was poised to approve a 120-unit townhouse project in the area between Furnace Rd., Kenyon Rd. and Stonehedge Dr. Were it not for 117 citizens who signed a petition and attended a Board meeting in May 2019, residents of those streets would have hundreds of new nearby neighbors. The Board was also planning to change zoning rules for the entire SR district (Suburban/Residential) to allow this scenario to be repeated many times over throughout the town.
Residents who came to the meeting said they wanted a more rural atmosphere in the SR district than townhouse projects would provide. Other concerns mentioned included traffic, aesthetics, crime and negative effect on home values. Residents said we have urban-type districts in town where townhouses have been permitted for years and new projects could be located there.
Fast forward to 2023, and the Board is on the verge of reincarnating the same zoning change they cancelled in 2019 when citizens objected. Townhouse projects like the one proposed in 2019 will again be on tap for the SR district if the Board goes through with pending zoning changes called Local Law No. 5, which it can do at any time.
Local Law No. 5 (which is a revision of the entire section of town code dealing with zoning and land use) does some other things that residents preferring a more rural feel may consider counter-productive. Such as shrinking lot sizes (by 29% in some cases), reducing lot width requirements, and paring back setback requirements. The SR district includes most of the area between Knickerbocker and Furnace (north of the railroad), Walworth Rd., Paddy Lane, Route 350, Slocum, Southbrook, Hollybush, Tamarack and Bear Harbor among other locations.
Join fellow residents in urging Town Board members to abandon or reject Local Law No. 5, by signing the petition at website ipetitions.com. To make sure your signature counts, please provide your full name, email and physical address.
Updates
November 12, 2023
The Ontario Town Board thinks they can just slide these zoning laws through while we are not looking. This surge in support proves that we are watching and they are not getting away with destroying our neighborhood.
Reached 100 supporters
November 12, 2023
40 Comments
Gerber is also planning to destroy the beautiful woods within Centennial Village to build 8 buildings, 9 apartment each (total of 64 apartments) this is on wooded lands that include flood plains and Federal Wetlands home to many forms of wildlife and scenic beauty.
Why does every area try to turn into the City. We moved here from Rochester and like the Small Town Feel. We don't need to start cramming people in. Should only build Single Family Homes.
We do not need townhouses near this beautiful, quiet spot of Ontario. There was an approval ( A GENEROUS COMPRIMISE FOR THE DEVELOPER) to build 28 homes, practically already going to be on top of each other. Why are they not selling? What's really going on behind the scenes? No one living near this area wants over 100 more apartments or units. This area will NEVER be the same. The good people of this town need to stand together and fight for what is best for this community.
No Townhouses in our area! I have been here over 50 years and don't want anymore traffic than there is now. I was at the meeting 4 years ago and thought it was settled then. I guess the board thinks we have forgotten about it and are trying to sneak this in.
It was a bad idea then and it is a bad idea now. Traffic safety alone for the Furnace Rd project remains the same issue. Residents should have more say than developers.
This is a significant change to the SR zoning code. Most of the houses in the SR code are on a minimum of 1/2+ acres lots. This will change the whole flavor of the town and we will lose our space to homes on tiny lots and our rutalness. Webster here we come!!!
When we were thinking about building a Gerber Home both Norm & Bruce said the Woodlands would remain and be forever green.
I oppose this change, keep Ontario rural and uncluttered
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Gerber is also planning to destroy the beautiful woods within Centennial Village to build 8 buildings, 9 apartment each (total of 64 apartments) this is on wooded lands that include flood plains and Federal Wetlands home to many forms of wildlife and scenic beauty.