Town Board Workshop

it kind of set itself up to be a uh a sole uh agenda item tonight. So, with that, Josh, take it away. Thank you, Supervisor. Uh so tonight um we're going to give a brief update on the status of 600 Ridge Road, the former Webster Furniture Strippers building, as well as 602 Ridge Road, uh the former Jade Palace, and 598 Ridge Road, which is directly west of the furniture stripper building. Uh and then we'll entertain some Q&A and uh discussion with the board. So, I was last here, I believe in November of last year as we were preparing to pursue the Restore New York um application, grant application for our efforts to revitalize uh the West Webster Hamlet. Um and a part of that was really seeking uh partners, potential development partners in the redevelopment and rehabilitation of of the former furniture stripper building. So that entailed putting together a

formal solicitation that we sent out to uh various developers in town. Um we did have some media coverage on the news. Uh we did an interview on site with a couple of the news channels and we also promoted this opportunity uh via the town social media website and uh various email blasts to get it to as many folks as possible. Um so our initial effort back in October um we did receive some interest however um no real viable project uh ended up coming to fruition as that as a part of that first um effort. So, in February of 2025, we um kind of republicized uh the opportunity just to um see if there were any other interested folks that may not have been aware of the opportunity. And unfortunately, um overall, after both attempts, um the response from the development community was uh underwhelming. As I mentioned, there were a few proposals that were presented

to the town. Um, however, none of them really fit the um the proposed vision that came out of the community-based planning effort that we did in 2023. And the condition of the building itself and the size of the parcel makes it a a pretty difficult uh investment proposition from from a development perspective. Um, so again, I'll just refresh everyone's memory. Um, the two properties that were part of our Restore New York uh grant application were 600 Ridge Road, the former furniture stripper building. And we at the time of the uh application submitt, we had not identified a viable uh redevelopment partner. So, we kind of wrote the grant to be open-ended. Uh, it could be potentially used for demolition and abatement of the materials that are currently on the site. Um, or we left the door open for for a the potential to partner with a redeveloper uh that would rehab the

building. Um but for the the demolition request as a part of our grant application um was a $250,000 request um pertaining to the demolition option. And then the second uh property which is privately owned uh the former Jade Palace at 602 Ridge Road um we requested approximately 700,000 um to help with some of the uh building rehabilitation costs and abatement and some contingencies. Um, so that property is currently on the market for sale and it has been for quite some time and you know we've we've fielded some inquiries um from that listing. You know, they've reached out to the town to kind of get a sense of what the vision is for the area, what potential uses the town would like to see here, um, and things of that nature. But unfortunately, uh, any prospective buyer of that property has has relayed to us that, you know, there's too much uncertainty going on across the street in order for them to feel comfortable making an

investment, which is understandable and makes sense. Um so we we had anticipated hearing um sometime in the month of April uh the results of our grant application. Um but unfortunately as of even today uh no award announcements have been made for that particular program. So the town has also been uh concurrently pursuing a different grant program to to uh continue the environmental testing that we had started back in 2022. Um, this is it's called the targeted brownfield assessment program and it's actually through the uh it's a federal program through the EPA. Uh, and it basically the purpose is to help municipalities uh minimize uncertainty when dealing with properties that have contamination uh or could be considered brownfield sites. and the eligible activities for this program um conducting site assessments and sampling activities to

identify the types and concentrations of contaminants. So, uh, if you recall, uh, our initial environmental testing was inconclusive in some respects and that the garage structure that was formerly behind the main building had been in the way of getting a triangulation and a picture of what's coming into and flowing off the site. Um, so now that the garage has been demolished, um, we are able to get in there in that location and install a a test monitoring well to to finish up the testing that needs to take place. Um, the average cost of an assessment like this uh does range between $50,000 and $100,000. Um so we have been in conversations for months with uh the folks associated with this program and earlier uh about 3 weeks ago we were actually notified that um our application for this program was successful and that um this program will be funding the additional testing uh that's needed. So we're very um grateful

for that. Um the third property we're here to discuss, again, this is 598 Ridge Road, which is directly to the west um directly next door to 600 Ridge Road. Um and in early September of last year, uh the the West Webster Fire Department uh responded to a 911 call of a suspicious odor. Um and upon um the fire department and and our town fire marshall arriving on scene, several interior health and safety violations were were identified. uh including but not limited to several electrical and fire hazards throughout the building consisting of you know exposed wiring, open junction boxes, um electrical wiring being fed through PVC piping, um heating appliances that were not vented properly, and there was actually a 2x4 in the basement that was holding the floor joists up. Um, so the town and the fire department worked uh with the occupants that were

living in the building uh to find alternative housing and the structure was ultimately deemed uh to be in an unsafe condition and was officially posted uh not to be occupied. Um we've made several attempts over the course of the past seven or eight months to make contact with u the owner of the property. Um it's a probate situation where the owner of record is deceased and um the it's in probate and there's an error that's been identified uh to the owner. uh we've we've made several attempts to reach them and um unfortunately um we have not been successful in getting any progress as of May 1st. Uh but we are going to be continuing our efforts to rectify that situation. So, the current status and next steps um given the results of our attempts to solicit the property for redevelopment and the lack of viable proposals, we are now um

pursuing the to to kind of quantify what it would take to demolish the structure. So, we're proposing to uh solicit bids for demolition. um and try to identify some potential funding sources uh depending on where those bids come back at. Um and then we would look to schedule and execute the demolition. And once once the main structure is gone, we would then move forward with the uh environmental testing via the targeted brownfield assistance grant that I spoke of. And I believe we do have a resolution on tonight's agenda for the town board to consider uh soliciting bids for demolition. Uh in terms of 602 Ridge Road, as I mentioned, uh privately owned, currently listed for sale. Uh we are still awaiting the results of the Restore New York grant um that we have an opportunity to um secure some funds that would make the redevelopment of that property um more more attractive from the developer community. Um, as I mentioned, any of the

interested prospective buyers have expressed uh hesitation to invest until the fate of 600 Ridge Road is known. And then in terms of 598 Ridge Road, uh we're going to continue our code enforcement efforts to resolve the immediate health and safety violations. Um and if we're unsuccessful in getting any traction with those efforts, um there is a a potential mechanism for the town to pursue emergency abatement of the conditions uh if the owner does not take prompt action. And that involves um there's a provision in town code that allows u a public hearing of sorts to present evidence uh and then a mechanism for the town to move forward with either um rectifying the conditions or potential uh condemnation of the property. So, that is um the crux of where we're at with our efforts for West Webster Hamlet revitalization efforts. And I'd be happy to answer any

questions that uh anyone may have. I have a a a couple comments first and I I just want to thank you for everything you've done and I I know that we've sort of carried this ball forward after Matt Chadfield had um really gotten the ball rolling. This is a a property in town that has been on the minds of many. We've gotten constant questions over the years and I'm really happy to see that it's not falling off the radar. while it's not happening as quickly as we'd like it to. These things never do. Um, and I also think that um that you've done a great job in keeping the people in town informed as to the process that's going on. So, I I appreciate these these presentations at workshops. Um, I can't wait to hear what happens with the Restore New York funding. I hope those come those results come out soon. Um, I'm happy to see that we received some grant funding for the um continued testing, the environmental testing. I think that was Did you say TBA? Yes. Um, and I think it's important to note that we go after as much grant funding

as we can, but we also work very diligently to determine which projects would be most likely to be successful in being awarded grants. because we can write a grant for everything under the sun, but if if you don't think you're really going to stand a shot at it, it's it's a lot of wasted time and energy when we could be putting that into things where we feel we'll be more successful. That being said, depending on the results of that testing, could we then be eligible for possible funding to remediate any brownfield uh conditions that might need to be met? That's a very good question. So, um there is another program uh from the EPA that is designed to help with remediation activities. Um this one is specifically for testing, but there is a follow-on uh grant to pursue if we do determine that there is remediation that needs to take place there. So, and it is like most grants, once once you've gotten the initial step and they see that you've made some progress, you're more likely to be funded in subsequent uh programs that relate to the earlier

steps. So, yes, there is a program at the federal level um that we could pursue for a site. You know, typically um the grant programs like to focus on larger scale uh brownfield sites, but what was unique about this target the TBA is it's targeted and it's exclusive for smaller sites like this that don't necessarily fall into a larger brownfield area. Um but yes, there there would be future grant opportunities for remediation. Right. Thank you. Because I know like when you apply for a grant um sometime you know we have to be very creative to get it and also you know we try to get the projects and the towns um try to incorporate it together so that this way you know um the vision would be more um grant constraints so you know we can get the funding. Exactly. Jennifer, I you you mentioned for 598 Ridge Road that the emergency abatement was to rectify or condemn. Uh what rectify? I I

understand condemn what happens in the condemn situation. Well, um there's a process that is allowed under town code that we would essentially present evidence to the town board of the condition of the building. And if it was determined to be a a public um health and safety concern, the town could move forward with um demolition of the structure and and then placing the expense of that onto a lean uh for attached to the property. That's one potential option. So, if that happens, the town can't the the parcel will exist with a lean on it, but that doesn't mean the town can take ownership of that property. Or can the town take ownership of the property? Yeah, I don't I don't think we're proposing eminent domain. And Kyle, this might be for you. No, the town would not be taking ownership of the property under this provision. Josh was accurate. it would result in a lean being placed on the property and eventually um uh would go on to the taxes. If ultimate

failure to pay taxes, that's a different foreclosure process. But no, the town would not be looking to take ownership under this provision. I I will say that uh um you know I just the timeline on 598 that Josh showed today is very accurate and um if if the town was playing hard ball on the owners or the heirs of 598 um September 1st is when they were cited with these health and safety things last year. It's May 1st. I think that is nine eight months. I think it's closer to nine. Is that right? September, October, November, December. I'm counting on my fingers. And through a eight months almost to the day. And if we had if we followed if we did the letter of the law, we could have moved this along. We were talking in here before this town board workshop started about some successful uh properties here in Webster that we faced similar situations on and we were able to reason with the owners andor their heirs for lack of better terms, Kyle, to take your uh destiny in your own hands. Control your destiny, fix the property or sell the property. Don't put the town in a position to have

to feed you your destiny through uh government. We didn't we don't want to do that. We've given them a lot of leeway and we'll continue to give leeway, but we also have to do our job and make sure uh so um so I thank you Josh for the way you presented 598. Um and Jennifer, thank you for asking the question of what could happen. Uh we hope that that it doesn't go down that road. And I will just say and I we have a hard stop so we can [Music] um I've been the supervisor for f a little over five years and this has dominated this this hamlet this corner of ridge and gravel and specifically 600 Ridge Road the old furniture strippers has absolutely dominated uh the time that I've been uh supervisor. Um, I'm glad that Patty mentioned Matt Chatfield. That checked something off the box here. He was really one of the first driving forces and worked in tandem with Josh and with Charlie Janessie. Um, as we moved things forward back in 2020. Um, in 2020 is when I first got uh

introduced to just how tangled of a web of bureaucracy and how many government agencies had their fingers on that corner and on 600 ridge and where really to tell you the truth it was going to be so messy to try to resolve it that I I could understand some of the government agencies being like we don't want any part of this. We don't want any part of this. Patty, since you and I were the only board members at that time, uh because Jennifer and and uh uh Jenny came subsequent, there was even a feel of some of our board members like, well, legally we don't have any responsibility on 600 rich. And that was at a public meeting workshop back in 20. And u I remember I said, well, I think we do. It's in our town. And if we allow 600 Ridge to continue to decay, which it had decayed since it had been abandoned circa 2007, uh this isn't a shock. I don't have to be a planner, Josh or Erica, who's in the crowd to know if you let the lynchpin center of a neighborhood rot, it'll start to rot going down 100 yards, 200 yards in each direction. That's exactly what's happened to the West Webster Hamlet. And so it's been a long road. Um some of the highlights

um we did obtain 600 Ridge Road. It that was quite a process. We had to work with the t the county of Monroe because they literally had the direct legal title trail via tax foreclosure. Um they had elected for about 15 to 20 years going back to 2007 to not take title through those uh tax foreclosures uh under an opice of well if there's some unknown environmental issues we'll just let the owner continue to hold it. Well the owner had long ago abandon it. So it was you know permanent purgatory for this. the town pushed uh the county and the county at least played ball with us. We went to the Supreme Court judge. Actually, it was Dan Doyle and he gave us a 45day where we could have the county's uh hired phase 2 uh environmental testing go in there and I think that was at the end of 2022 uh and the beginning of 23. Josh. Yeah. And uh that was a milestone uh because at least the testing that was done at that time uh showed and Josh and Mary Harrington, our previous town

engineer, and Matt Chatfield presented to this town board in April of 2023 and to the to the community at the Spry Cafetum that uh in more words or less, the legend of how bad this was at 600 Ridge Road was not that bad. And that was important to at least get it off the uh to get that debunked, but there is some continued environmental testing that has to be done there as Josh just said, and we are getting the funding uh through that EPA grant. Um I also want to say that I give Matt Chadfield a lot of credit and I think Josh is involved in this. They pushed this town board back in 2022 to do a study and we hired a firm. They went door todo because Matt Chatfield had an inclination that if we got this study done that we would be able to prove that compared to the socioeconomic makeup of the whole town of Webster that this West Webster hamlet was below that medium income. And uh if we could prove that that we could use that study Josh for the next five years to apply for various grants. And that goes to what Jenny said about the creativity and the intelligence of how you go for grants. And that study we

have put in every single grant application we have done in that area and on those buildings in the last three years. And we'll continue to be able to use that study I think for about two more years. Is that correct Josh? Yes. And um we're getting to my hard stop. um 600 Ridge I personally thought back in October um the the the gig is up. We've we've demolished the garage. We've demolished the addition. Let's just keep going and demolish the main building. But we have tried to run a very collaborative team-based government here and get input from uh our town department heads and other experts. And there was a feeling that there might be somebody from a historical society perspective that would come in and have a vision for what to do with the main structure because I guess it was built in 1870. Yeah. So Bridget Harvey in in our communications department, Josh Matt Chadfield when he was still here. I mean, we've flooded the airwaves trying to see is there anybody out there that has a plan and also has the the

wherewithal which is financial uh and all of that. And I won't get into it, but we had some comical inquiries uh you know um from very good-hearted people, but they were not serious inquiries. So we exhausted that and we exhausted that again in February and we're done. And so now it is time to move on. And at the next meeting, which starts in a couple of minutes, there is a resolution on that board agenda for this town board to consider uh soliciting bids for the demolition of the what is left at 600 rich. And if everything goes as planned, uh I think by the time we get into the June July of this year, there will be nothing left at 600 Ridge. Um, and that is just part of this long ordeal that is not going to be over in June or July because we're waiting to see about Restore New York. Um, we there there's so much more that has to be done there. I didn't even touch on the fact that we got a grant did a study for the whole hamlet uh including Empire uh Boulevard and there are some zoning things in that that they propose. This is a global effort to re

re-energize and redevelop that whole area. But I've said from the beginning, you're kidding yourself on all those efforts of redeveloping 100, 200, 300 yards in each direction from the corner of ridge and gravel if you do not take the snake off at the head, which is 600 ridge. So I don't want to say that. Get off my soap box, Patty. I I don't want to say that there'll be nothing at the corner. I think it'll be all opportunity, right? So, I think unless Jennifer or Jenny or Patty or Kyle or Josh have anything else on uh the workshop, I think that concludes tonight's workshop. Thank you. And we'll be back in a few minutes to start the regular town board meeting. I went beyond my head.