The debate over construction of phase IV of the Summerfield development just past the north edge of Cazenovia village has been simmering all summer. The Cazenovia town board and engineering reviews both have indicated that running Summerfield Road directly through from Lincklaen to Ridge Roads is the best solution. That is consistent with the original plan approved by the town ten years ago. Nearby residents, however, are concerned about increased traffic, a dangerous intersection at Ridge Road, increased speed of through traffic in Summerfield, and runoff issues affecting the lake.
This excellent article from the Cazenovia Republican explains the current status of the project, the governmental and environmental reviews, and residents' objections.
Because the Republican and other Eagle sources do not keep their articles online for long, the article text appears in the extended entry here in the Cazenovia Pilot.
Battling over Summerfield
by Elizabeth L. Pratt •Send email to: elesuer@cnylink.com
Summerfield: a neighborhood between Lincklaen Street and Ridge Road. The battle: whether a road should run all the way through the development, connecting the two roads.
Despite recent attention, the Summerfield project began in the early 1990s, with four phases to be completed over a number of years. Phase one included selling the house and barn of the Yorton farm (the area now called Summerfield). Phase two involved creating a road from Lincklaen Street into the development and building houses, with phase three being a continuation of phase two deeper into the development. Phase four, which is where the project is now, involves dividing the remaining land into separate lots and continuing the road through to Ridge Road (at the intersection of Glenwood and Ridge roads).
At the Nov. 3 town board meeting, Town Supervisor Tom Dreisbach read the law regarding guidelines for addressing the board and how planning board members are appointed.
"The general rule is to appoint people who have the skills for the division, are honest and professional and who have a heart for Cazenovia," Dreisbach said. "The planning board appointees have been included in this criteria. The planning board is also built of a group of people who have diverse skills, and whose backgrounds have appreciation for the issues that the planning board encounters."
Four Summerfield residents spoke at the meeting, with about 10 others in attendance. Michael Sullivan, who was the second resident in Summerfield and has lived there for nine years, spoke at the meeting. He said he is concerned about the safety of the proposed Ridge, Glenwood and Summerfield roads intersection.
"The road was in the original plan," said Dale Bowers, chairman of the Cazenovia Town Planning Board. "It was always the case. Phase four - stepping over the line (to build more) - involves the road."
Opponents to the road cite increased through-traffic and a dangerous intersection with Ridge Road as reasons that the road should not go through. Ryan said runoff into Cazenovia Lake is another concern.
Stearns and Wheler looked at two traffic impact studies done by Jim Napoleon and Associates (representing the developer, Tulio Bortoli) and Clough, Harbour and Associates (representing the residents). According to Stearns and Wheler, "CHA also states that there will likely be additional cut-through traffic using Summerfield Road, thereby increasing the amount of traffic turning to and from Ridge Road. No basis for this comment was provided."
Stearns and Wheler found that "the original preliminary design for phase IV (one continuous road) meets the town code for subdivision development in that the block length cannot exceed 1,600 feet, and is consistent with the original design concept approved for the entire block length. Two dead-end roads would exceed the town code limits for this block length.
"We believe that the original design of Summerfield Phase IV, with a single road with sweeping turns, provides ease of maintenance, is sensitive to pass-through issues and consistent with town subdivision standards.
Our opinion is that one continuous road is the more appropriate design approach." The Stearns and Wheler report is a public document on file at the town offices.
Bill Ryan, who lives at the corner of Glenwood and Ridge roads, said he and many others don't want the road.
"It seems like the planning board is hell-bent on putting the road through," Ryan said. "People don't want it."
Bowers said he understands residents' concerns about through traffic, but that there isn't documentation on either side and he doesn't think it will be a problem.
"Through roads are good planning," Bowers said. "Is it fair to have 39 homes dump out onto Lincklaen Street? What about the people who live there?"
John Langan, a resident of East Lake Road, said he feels the planning board is not respectfully considering residents concerns and suggestions.
"There was an air of combativeness that is totally unnecessary," Langan said. "Dale [Bowers] opened the meeting by saying 'the road is going in.' We don't have a decision yet, but if the road goes in, we've got a problem perception-wise. It was a very, very controlled meeting. From my perspective watching, you've got a lot of really uptight people who didn't need to be uptight. The dynamic here was that people were unnecessarily made to feel their voice wasn't going to be heard, because the decision had been made already."
"Public comment periods are a positive thing," Bowers said. "But have there been huge surprises by the planning board? No."
Bowers said while the main issues are the through road and obvious intersection, the planning board is charged with looking at the entire project and how all the pieces fit together.
"We have to look at how this will affect residents on Lincklaen, Ridge, Ten Eyck, not just the people who live in Summerfield," Bowers said.
The planning board meets twice a month. The official monthly meeting is held the first Thursday of each month, and a work session is held one week prior to that. Before the work session, each member is assigned a file on an issue to come before the board at its next meeting, and at the work session members report to the board on the various cases. Bowers said the work session is open to the public and the board has no power to make any decisions at the sessions; they are simply to prepare for the following week's meeting.
"The August [planning board] meeting was a fight to be heard," Sullivan said. "Some planning board members wouldn't address us as a public voice, but some were very receptive."
Many people have made complaints about Bowers' process and views, but he said that's part of the job.
Some residents have expressed concerns about the road because their children play outside and they are afraid heavy traffic will be dangerous. Some suggestions to avoid a full road include a cul-de-sac or a breakaway emergency vehicle gate.
"In fairness to the people in Summerfield, speed on the road is a concern," Bowers said. "But I'm for the calming of traffic, maintaining a safe speed, not the barring of it.
"We should be worried about our little corners of the world," Bowers said. "But I hope people can look at the big picture too."
"As to Summerfield, the ultimate decisions that affect what it will eventually involve and turn out to be are those of the planning board. Case law has already determined that the town board has, 'no appellate jurisdiction,'" Dreisbach said.
The Cazenovia Town Planning Board members are all volunteer, except the chairman, who is paid $100 per month, and all are residents of Cazenovia. Members are chosen and appointed by the Cazenovia Town Board, all of whom are elected officials.
Copyright (c) 2003, Eagle Newspapers.