Irondequoit Town Board getting tough with Medley Centre developer

Photos

Linda Quinlan, Messenger Post

Early in last night's (Tuesday, June 21) Irondequoit Town Board meeting, Sgt. Richard Ryan, second from left, accompanied by his son, Justin, was promoted to lieutenant and sworn in by Supervisor Mary Joyce D'Aurizio, right. At left is Irondequoit Police Chief Richard Boyan.
By Linda Quinlan, staff writer Posted Jun 22, 2011 @ 12:29 PM Last update Jun 22, 2011 @ 03:49 PM Irondequoit, N.Y. Late in last night's (Tuesday, June 21) Irondequoit Town Board meeting, one last resolution, this one concerning the redevelopment of Medley Centre mall, was introduced. Councilman Paul Marasco asked the board to pass a resolution, requiring that Medley Centre owner and developer Scott Congel pay $750,000 the town believes it is owed based on a PILOT

(payment in lieu of taxes) agreement or risk termination of the PILOT. He also asked that the town seek the fees it has had to pay attorneys for the project, which has never gotten under way. Congel has proposed a $260 million live-work-play type redevelopment of the mall property, but no action has been taken in several years. The attorney did tell the board that undertaking a collection action based on an alleged breach of the PILOT agreement is possible. Supervisor Mary Joyce D'Aurizio responded that there's a current bill in the State Legislature's ways and means committee in Albany that could have an impact on the project. "We are in a situation where we need to be very careful," D'Aurizio said. "If the developer pulls out and goes into bankruptcy, the town has nothing." She also said that the current PILOT guarantees tax payments to the town, Monroe County and the East Irondequoit School District "that are higher than other scenarios." "This is a very frustrating situation," D'Aurizio said. "We don't have a lot of options." Councilman John Perticone said he thought a better first step would be to write a letter, to be drafted by the town attorney, to Congel, giving him 30 days to respond. Marasco said his only concern with a letter was that, 'doing it that way, it gives him an extra couple of months." His motion for a resolution did die for lack of a second. In other board action: Irondequoit Police Sgt. Richard Ryan, who was promoted to lieutenant, was sworn in. Laura Landers of Freed, Maxick & Battaglia gave a brief summary of a 2010 audit and financial statement for the town, saying, "Overall, the financial condition is improving for the town." Since the supervisor's remarks and announcements section of the agenda took from 7 to 7:35 p.m., public input was not offered early in the meeting, much to the audience's concern, but D'Aurizio did allow public comment late in the meeting, sometime after 9 p.m. No vote was taken on a proposal to revise town code related to purchasing. The matter was tabled. The board also tabled appropriation of undesignated fund balance from the highway fund to finance the additional costs of revised Micro-Pile enhancements, already completed, associated with the Seneca Road roundabout on Sea Breeze Drive.

 A public hearing related to amendments to town code dealing with signs was set for the board's July 19 meeting. The board approved the awarding of a $15,770 bid, to Northridge Glass, for construction of an exterior vestibule on the back entrance at Town Hall The board awarded three bids, totaling $198,395, for the replacement of the roof on the town's Pinegrove Senior Center. A resolution to enter into a vendor service agreement with Baker Commodities, to remove dead animals from the town, was tabled. Irondequoit resident Christopher Amico was hired as a laborer in the department of public works, replacing someone who resigned. Due to a retirement in the department of public works, a provisional dispatcher was hired. The board adopted a resolution regarding the relocation of utility poles along a portion of East Ridge Road, in preparation for a major project there beginning in 2012. Public Works Commissioner Pat Meredith said that some light poles will be integrated with traffic light poles, reducing the number of wooden poles on the Ridge. He also said that Rochester Gas and Electric will be starting its work, beginning at the city line and moving east to Culver Road along the Ridge, in about three weeks. Attorney and Irondequoit resident Richard Plukas was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Planning Board that is the result of the resignation of Greg Goater. His term will run to Dec. 31, 2016. The Town Board made the Planning Board, for the purposes of an environmental review, the lead agency for the Legacy at Titus Avenue project. When that work is done, it will be referred back to the Town Board to consider a rezoning request for the project. Councilman Paul Marasco moved to amend the motion to include a requirement that there is a public hearing when the matter returns to the Town Board. That amendment did pass. The next regular meeting of the Irondequoit Town Board is 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the Broderick room at Town Hall, 1280 Titus Ave. The meeting is open to the public.