I have not yet seen the revised plans for the Chenango Crossing proposed development (at the very southern edge of the village between Old Farms and the split of Nine and East roads), but as I understand it, the new scheme calls for less than half the originally-proposed number of homes and a greater buffer of undeveloped space between Chenango Street and the new homes. The village board ultimately denied a zone change to the project because of many concerns.
Credit should go to the board for standing firm and demanding a plan that works for all Cazenovians.
Now, too, credit should go to the project's developer as well as to the current property owners. They've listened to community concerns and modified their design. Many (including myself) were outspoken critics of the original plans as too dense and too close to the road, among other concerns. Lower-density development there should lead to a site that is more consistent with neighboring developments in Old Farms and South Village, and it should ease concerns about traffic, environmental impact, safety, and aesthetics.
It will be interesting to see where all this leads, of course, but with the myriad issues facing our community in the next few months (Route 20 commercial changes, the proposed school board bill that includes a large athletic field reconstruction project, other housing projects), it's good to see that the give-and-take of public discussion can yield positive change.
Posted by jimj at October 8, 2006 12:02 PM | TrackBack