Panel views housing plans

The developer with plans to build an extensive housing complex on Route 37 in Pamelia wants to dedicate land on Willowbrook Golf Course as open space in order to increase the number of houses allowed under town law.

American Communities Inc., Jacksonville, Ore., came before the Pamelia Town Council on Monday night to give the board a glimpse of its plans for housing. While the company has scaled back the plans by almost 500 units — changing the original plan with 900 apartments to include senior housing — it asked the town board to consider approving a "cluster development plan."

Under town's cluster development law, a developer can increase the density of a housing area only if open space is allocated and brought under the control of either the town or a homeowners' association. To put the number of units on the amount of land it owns, the developer needs an additional 160 acres to dedicate as open space.

The company, which also owns Willowbrook Golf Course, wants to consider part of the golf course as open space.

"Cluster development is a good feature that allows you to not run utilities all over the place and extend roads out," said Joseph E. Durand, an engineer with TDK Engineering & Associates P.C., Camillus, who is working on the project. "We want to maximize the development and set aside the open space."

The company already has received approval from the Planning Board for Pleasant Acres, a community of 29 single-family houses and 38 duplexes south of Graham Road.

The company's plans have expanded to include three other housing areas.

One is a 476-unit apartment complex, on 52 acres, to be called Watertown Apartments. For this density, an additional 84 acres of undeveloped land that will serve as the open space is needed. There also is a senior housing community with 17 single units, 18 duplexes and a 60-bed assisted living home that rests on 40 acres, to be called Watertown Senior Housing. Both are south of Graham Road.

The fourth area, a 218-unit duplex community, sits on 40 acres north of Graham Road, and will be called Willowbrook Golf Course Duplex. For this density, an additional 75 acres of undeveloped land are needed.

The town board is concerned the company wants to dedicate the golf course, an active area that is commercial in nature, as that open space. Supervisor Lawrence C. Longway suggested the company consider using the "wasteland" that surrounds the back of the golf course and borders Interstate 81 as the open space.

The land could be used by members of the home owners association that will be formed in the four communities, if the town allows American Communities to move ahead with the plans.

The developers estimated the property surrounding the golf course was about 110 acres, leaving them about 50 acres short of what they would need to meet requirements of the cluster development. The final plans are still being drawn, which might mean there will be fewer units than are currently planned, and would mean less open space would be needed.

The town board made no decision Monday and concluded that it would need the next few weeks to think it over before presenting its opinions to the Planning Board. The Planning Board will determine whether the planned development meets town regulations.