Planning Commission tables subdivision tied to FLCC culinary center as county seeks lead-agency role

The City of Canandaigua Planning Commission on May 13 voted to table a minor subdivision application that would reconfigure three parcels on Lakeshore Drive into two, creating an 8.9-acre parcel for a proposed Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) Culinary Arts Center and a 2.3-acre remainder parcel.

Attorney Rob Brenner, representing the Canandaigua Area Development Corporation, and Thomas Harvey, Planning Director for Ontario County, described the subdivision as a necessary step before the county can take ownership of the site and advance the project. The subdivision application covers roughly 11.2 acres in total and is limited to lot-line reconfiguration; the present submission does not include final building or site-plan approval for the culinary center.

Harvey told the commission that Ontario County has requested designation as lead agency for environmental review because the county will play a larger role in the overall project. He also described a proposed modification to the pedestrian easement: rather than routing a walkway beside the parking lot, the project team proposes a wider sidewalk in front of the building to improve access, increase green space and reduce the chance that parked vehicles would obstruct the walkway.

Commissioner William Wright asked why the commission was being asked to approve the subdivision separately from the building and site-plan review, saying early subdivision approval could constrain the city's influence over drainage, building layout and design. Brenner and Harvey responded that the Canandaigua Area Development Corporation must follow city subdivision regulations and that the parcel must be configured before the county can formally accept it and proceed with project design.

Vice Chair David Plante called for a motion; Commissioner Douglas Burgasser moved to table the application pending review by the Ontario County Planning Board, and Commissioner William Wright seconded. The motion carried in a roll-call vote (Burgasser, Serinis, DeMuzio, Wright and Plante voting yes; Commissioners Hitchcock and Poteet absent). The commission record notes no public speakers and no written comments received before the meeting.

Harvey said written public comments on the environmental review will be accepted through May 20 and that an additional public hearing is scheduled for May 21. The tabled status preserves the commission's opportunity to review the proposal after the Ontario County Planning Board has acted and when associated site-plan details are available.

What happens next: the application remains tabled pending Ontario County Planning Board review and any additional written comments or subsequent hearings.