Victor officials said Bass Pro Shops still needed to complete building-safety work before receiving permission to open its Eastview Mall store, making final inspections a central topic at the Town Board’s Monday meeting.
Town staff outlined the remaining requirements, plans for traffic control and questions about outdoor festivities ahead of the retailer’s scheduled Nov. 12 grand opening.
The morning meeting also included review of a $107,547.95 bill manifest, approval of entertainment payment for the town’s veterans dinner and discussion of a potential veterans property tax exemption.
Final inspections remain ahead of opening
Code Enforcement Officer Adam Ryczek said town officials conducted a roughly two-and-a-half-hour walkthrough with Bass Pro representatives and its contractor Nov. 5, then provided a list of work required for a certificate of occupancy.
A follow-up visit Nov. 6 showed contractors addressing those items. Additional inspections were planned for Monday and Tuesday, with time available Thursday morning if necessary.
Ryczek said the town would require fire suppression, fire alarms, emergency lighting and unobstructed exits to be ready before allowing occupancy.
Some less urgent requirements, such as equipment-room labels or final construction documentation, could be handled through a conditional certificate with deadlines for completion.
The town would not use that approach to defer work directly affecting life safety, he said.
Among the issues identified during the walkthrough was a portion of the sprinkler system serving the covered loading dock that had not been reconnected. Ryczek said crews were working on that connection during his Friday visit.
Project Manager Keith Maynard said the town also retained a letter of credit that could help ensure outstanding project requirements were completed.
The discussion did not establish that a certificate of occupancy had been issued.
Outdoor event and traffic preparations reviewed
Bass Pro has announced live entertainment beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, followed by a 6 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony and store opening.
As FingerLakes1 previously reported, the opening celebration will take place at the new 90,000-square-foot location at 700 Eastview Mall Drive.
Town staff said the entertainment portion was planned outdoors, with no tents proposed as of Monday morning. The board questioned how organizers would respond to rain or cold weather.
Staff said adding a tent would require a fire marshal permit. Moving activities into the mall corridor would also require a layout showing how the event would operate.
An outdoor event could proceed without allowing customers inside the store if the building had not received occupancy approval, Ryczek said.
Officials reported that six sheriff’s deputies were expected to assist with traffic control and safety, alongside the retailer’s private security personnel.
The board asked whether that staffing would be sufficient and discussed the mall’s experience handling holiday crowds. Supervisor Jack Marren said traffic signals could be manually controlled to help vehicles enter and leave.
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Staff anticipated a crowd of a few thousand but expected Thursday’s event to be smaller than the mall’s Black Friday traffic.
Bills and veterans dinner payment considered
The board reviewed Manifest No. 21, totaling $107,547.95 across the general townwide, general outside-village, highway townwide and fire protection accounts.
Expenditures highlighted during the review included Heidelberg Materials, technology hosting, highway fuel, a state comptroller payment and law enforcement services.
The board also approved payment to Mark Rust Entertainment for the veterans appreciation dinner.
Marren said he had discussed the late submission with Parks and Recreation staff, who acknowledged it had been missed. The board raised concern that similar requests had reached it after events on more than one occasion and asked for better timing.
Veterans exemption questions remain
The board returned briefly to a possible veterans property tax exemption, requesting more information about how many Victor residents might qualify and what the exemption would cost.
Marren said additional figures were being gathered and that he would follow up. The discussion did not establish an exemption amount or adoption date.
He also announced a Veterans Day ceremony for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Town Hall’s main meeting room.
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