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County signs off on development at former golf course

OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Attorney Sean Hopkins representing Ellicott Development speaks to members of the Chautauqua County Planning Board about their $70 million development proposal at the former Chautauqua Point Golf Course.

MAYVILLE – A $70 million Dewittville mixed use housing project is moving ahead, although some neighboring community members still have objections.

This past week the Chautauqua County Planning Board gave its approval of the development that will be placed at the former Chautauqua Point Golf Course. The approval essentially means that the project has no negative countywide or intermunicipal impacts.

Next, the plans will go before the Chautauqua Town Zoning Board of Appeals. That meeting is set for Wednesday at 3:50 p.m.

It’s unknown if the zoning board will be voting that day or not. That board first looked at the project in January but withheld making a vote due to changes made by the developers following community concerns.

Whenever the zoning board does vote on the project, it will only be a recommendation. That recommendation would go to the town board for it to hold a public hearing and then vote on final approval.

The first public meeting on the project, which is now being called Sunset View, occurred in August of 2024.

There are three sections of Sunset View – the north end, midtown and the south end.

Attorney Sean Hopkins, representing Ellicott Development, noted the north end will have higher intensity with condominiums in a mixed use building; the midtown will have townhomes; and the south end will be for single family homes on residential lots.

Since the plan was originally presented, Hopkins said they have reduced the number of residential lots, relocated and resized the mixed use building.

The goal for the mixed use building, Hopkins explained at the county Planning Board meeting, would be for it to have management offices as well as some kind of restaurant/taproom.

About 70% of the entire project would be dedicated green space.

Hopkins said best case scenario, it would take three years to build out the project. Ellicott Development would not construct any of the single family homes, but would rather sell the lots to a private developer(s).

He said their goal is to break ground on the townhomes as well as the mixed use facility about the same time. The single family home lots would be sold around the same time so they can begin to be constructed in a timely manner.

RESTAURANT QUESTIONS

On Wednesday, the Chautauqua Town Board held a public hearing for a local law amendment regarding permitted uses for Planned Unit Developments, which this project is considered.

The proposed restaurant/tap house in the mixed use building would be open not only for Sunset View residents, but to the general public as a whole.

Chautauqua Town officials are considering making the following permitted use in their Planned Unit Development regulations:

“Commercial space including retail uses, restaurants, and office space if such commercial space is located in a mixed-use building that include upper floor residential units, so long as such commercial space does not exceed 15,000 square feet in total. Additionally, the commercial space shall not include any drive-through facilities.”

Without this change, a restaurant/tap house in a Planned Unit Development would require a use variance, which generally is very difficult to get and can be challenged in court.

Officials have said recently there’s questions on whether other housing developments have the legal right for office space, which is one of the reasons for the change.

At the public hearing, residents seemed OK with office space, but not a restaurant.

One woman expressed concerns that a restaurant there will hurt other eateries in the community.

She shared how Webb’s has been closed for more than a year and the Watermark has been shut down for three years. “Why would you allow restaurants when you’ve got other restaurants in the town that are struggling? I don’t see a need for every development to have its own restaurant,” she said.

Another resident expressed concern about noise. He requested that if a restaurant is permitted that no live entertainment or outdoor speaker system be allowed.

“We live 120 feet away, so you can imagine our concern,” he said.

The town board did not make a decision on the changes to its zoning, but did declare itself lead agent for the State Environmental Quality Review, which allows them to hire an engineer to determine any environmental impacts that could be caused with the zoning change.

The public hearing on the proposal to permit office space and restaurants in Planned Use Developments will continue in August.

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