The Victor Planning Board approved final plans Tuesday for 71 townhouses in the Woods at Valentown development after removing a proposed 100-unit apartment building from the current application because engineers could not yet confirm the town’s downstream sewer system could handle the additional flow.
The Sept. 8 meeting also moved the proposed 76-lot Nova Rise subdivision closer to a preliminary decision after extended reviews of traffic, school enrollment and utility capacity. Board members separately approved a screened room on Railroad Mills Road and an outdoor patio for Yolickity at Victor Crossing.
Woods at Valentown advances without 100-unit apartment building
The most consequential action involved Woods at Valentown, where the board unanimously approved final subdivision plans for Sections 2 and 4.
Those sections include 71 for-sale townhouse units. A proposed four-story, 100-unit apartment building in Section 3 is no longer part of the application being advanced.
The change followed an ongoing engineering review of sanitary sewer capacity. According to the resolution read at the meeting, the town engineer determined the sewer conveyance system could accommodate Sections 2 and 4 but could not yet confirm that the system could handle Section 3 when the development is fully built out.
The applicant therefore submitted revised plans removing Section 3 from the current request. Section 1 had already been approved.
James Gridikos of BME Associates told the board other revisions since the previous meeting included adding concrete sidewalks along both sides of the development’s drives and specifying brown fencing. The developer also responded to comments from code enforcement, the town’s construction inspector and Farmington Water and Sewer.
Additional technical changes will include modifications to sewer connections and more easement markers along longer easement areas.
The board approved the final subdivision 4-0 with conditions requiring remaining comments from the town’s consultants, code enforcement, construction inspector and Farmington Water and Sewer to be addressed. Building permits, a pre-construction meeting and letter-of-credit requirements were also added during the meeting.
Neighboring property dispute remains unresolved
A private property issue along the development boundary remains unresolved, but town officials and the applicant said it did not need to stop the subdivision approval.
Gridikos said the developer had offered to convey a strip of land measuring roughly 27 feet by 160 feet to an adjacent property owner, along with a small easement involving a well.
The neighboring owner had previously agreed to a proposed arrangement but later withdrew that agreement, according to the discussion.
Gridikos said the developer’s attorney had given the neighbor until 5 p.m. Thursday to accept the proposed land conveyance and easement. If the offer is not accepted, the developer intends to require removal of encroachments from its property and modify the plans accordingly.
Board members discussed whether a permanent easement might provide a cleaner solution than transferring ownership.
Regardless of which option is ultimately used, the developer said the planned fencing, landscaping and tree buffering along the boundary will remain.
Gridikos said the developer could also add the disputed strip to a conservation easement if the conveyance does not occur.
Nova Rise traffic review finds no need for detailed intersection study
The board did not approve the Nova Rise subdivision Tuesday, but its review moved significantly closer to completion.
The project at 973 Brownsville Road proposes a 76-lot clustered subdivision across 158.2 acres.
Several issues identified during the State Environmental Quality Review process have centered on traffic, schools and utility capacity.
A traffic memorandum prepared for the project concluded the development would generate fewer than 100 additional vehicle trips during a peak hour at any intersection, below the level that prompted the consultant to recommend a detailed off-site intersection capacity analysis.
A transportation professional working with LaBella Associates subsequently reviewed that analysis and determined it met industry standards and was suitable for the Planning Board’s review.
Board members had also heard concerns from residents about whether the subdivision’s road layout could encourage speeding.
The town’s consultant said the road geometry, curves, elevation changes and relatively short distances between intersections do not indicate the roads are likely to encourage excessive speeds.
Board members nevertheless continued discussing possible traffic controls inside the subdivision.
Speed bumps and similar measures have not been favored because of concerns involving maintenance and snowplowing, but members expressed interest in potentially creating a three-way stop at one of the development’s central intersections.
That issue is expected to be reviewed further before final plans are approved.
The board also discussed crosswalk locations and whether one sidewalk alignment should be changed to better coordinate pedestrian crossings with stop bars and intersection controls.
School impact estimated at roughly 30 to 40 students
The Nova Rise developer also provided additional information on the potential effect on Victor schools.
Using townwide Census data, the project team estimated the 72 new homes anticipated within the subdivision could eventually generate about 31 school-age children.
The developer said construction is expected to occur gradually, with roughly 15 to 20 homes built annually. Under that schedule, the full school-age population associated with the project would not materialize immediately and could take four to five years to develop.
Another analysis based partly on experience at the Wolfsberger Park development estimated approximately 30 to 40 school-age children at full buildout.
The developer has contacted the Victor Central School District and expects additional feedback.
Board members said they were interested not only in Nova Rise’s individual effect but also in the cumulative impact of multiple residential developments occurring across the school district.
Information presented during the meeting showed district enrollment has actually declined over roughly the last decade, from around 4,400 students in 2015-16 to about 4,100 in 2024-25.
The developer argued the number of students generated by Nova Rise would represent a relatively small addition when spread across multiple years.
Electricity availability remains a broader development constraint
Utility availability also surfaced as a broader issue for development in Victor.
The Nova Rise applicant has received letters indicating that natural gas and electric service can be provided, but representatives said those commitments are time-limited.
The developer said utility providers are now placing expiration periods on service commitments and may require projects to obtain final approvals and move toward construction within those windows.
That makes the approval timeline increasingly important.
One representative pointed to another approved Victor project where apartments remain unable to move forward because sufficient electricity is not currently available.
Nova Rise is in a different position because it has received the necessary service commitments, but the developer said losing those commitments before construction begins could create major problems.
The project would require substantial infrastructure to be installed early, with roads, sanitary sewer and other systems being constructed even though individual homes would be built over several years.
Town consultants said the remaining school and traffic information should allow them to update the project’s environmental assessment.
The next step is expected to include completion of the environmental review and preparation of a draft negative declaration, which would mean the board finds the project is not expected to create significant adverse environmental impacts requiring a full environmental impact statement.
A draft preliminary subdivision approval could also be ready at the board’s next review if outstanding issues are resolved.
Yolickity patio approved at Victor Crossing
The board unanimously approved a site-plan modification for Yolickity at Victor Crossing, where the business plans to add a small outdoor seating area at 400 Commerce Drive.
The new tenant is taking over the former GameStop space.
Benderson Development representative Matthew Oates said an existing landscaping bed about 10 feet long and four feet deep will be removed and replaced with pavers matching the surrounding sidewalk.
The patio is expected to include three tables and a decorative railing while maintaining pedestrian access to neighboring businesses.
Much of the discussion centered on safety barriers protecting the seating area from vehicles.
The applicant agreed to install steel bollards and comply with whatever spacing is ultimately required by code enforcement and the fire marshal. The approval requires those comments, along with recommendations from LaBella Associates, to be addressed before the plans are signed.
Board members also reviewed Yolickity’s proposed signage and raised no objections.
The site-plan modification was approved 4-0.
Screened room approved on Railroad Mills Road
The board also approved Grace Kumetat’s request to construct a 120-square-foot detached screened room at 280 Railroad Mills Road.
The property is in the town’s Limited Development District, requiring Planning Board review.
Kumetat described the structure as a simple backyard screened room intended for personal use during warmer weather. Plans show an open framed structure with screening and a red corrugated steel roof designed to match the house.
The structure will not initially have plumbing or heating. Kumetat said electricity could potentially be added later, which town officials said would require the appropriate permit.
The screened room will sit on a slab and was described by board members as small and largely inconspicuous from the road.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and the board approved the application unanimously.
The Planning Board is expected to return to several larger development questions in the coming weeks, with Nova Rise now positioned for possible environmental and preliminary subdivision action once remaining reviews are completed.
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