Zoning Committee Forwards Recommendations to Village Council

The Wellsville Zoning Committee met this past Friday at Wellsville Village Hall.  Committee Chairman Jack Call presided.  The meeting was called primarily to consider a request by Marathon Oil to combine and rezone six parcels of land from residential to I-2 Industrial.  Also Marathon requested to vacate a portion of 21^st Street and an alley that runs between the parcels.

Marathon presently owns the property in question and wants to combine all six parcels into one to simplify their property tax management.  The parcels in question are located in the Nevada Street area near their existing facilities.  The lots adjoin the fenced in property of the existing Marathon operation.  Although there are no current plans to expand their operations at that location it is their desire to have consistent zoning in that location.   There are plans to install an underground pipeline through that area to the Intermodal Park. 

Marathon is in the process of expanding their Wellsville operations in the Intermodal Park with negotiations presently underway with the CC Port Authority.  That area is earmarked for a transport facility to meet expected demands brought about by the Marcellus and Utica shale drilling in the region.  Once in operation it is expected to be handling hundreds of trucks a day shipping oil & gas products from that drilling. 

After deliberating the Marathon requests the Zoning Committee voted to recommend the rezoning of the parcels in question.  Combining the parcels for tax purposes would be a matter for Council and the County to work out.  The Zoning Committee will not recommend the vacating a portion of 21^st Street or the alley in question.  There is a sewage pump station located in that area that requires regular access for maintenance.    Council Zoning Committee liaison John Morrow will recommend legislation be ordered for the zoning change to Industrial at tonight’s Council meeting.  If agreed a Public Hearing will be required at a later date.   

The Zoning Committee also approved the request of Wellsville Zoning Administrator Rick Williams that fees for demolishing dilapidated buildings be increased to 5%.  Councilman Morrow will also forward that recommendation to the Village Council.  The fee would be based on the total amount charged to tear down an existing building.  Currently the Zoning Permit costs $10 for amounts up the $5,000 in demolition fees.  There is a 5% fee for every additional increment of $1,000 over that amount.  It is estimated that the average cost to demolish a building is $3,000 to $5,000.

 ole nib