The Daniele family has presented its vision for Palazzo Plaza, a high-end retail development planned for a busy stretch of Monroe Avenue in Brighton. Now, the town is getting into the details of the proposal, starting with an in-depth environmental review.
The plaza would be anchored by a 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods store. Daniele Family Companies would build the plaza on the site of Mario’s Italian Restaurant and the Clover Lanes building — both would be torn down, and Mario’s would relocate. The fate of Clover Lanes is not clear.
The Brighton Town Board determined that the project would have a major impact on its surroundings — traffic is a significant issue — and required the developer to prepare a detailed environmental analysis of the project.
The developer has submitted a draft outline of the issues that the analysis will address. The board will hold a public meeting on that outline at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue.
The developer’s outline touches on drainage, design, lighting, traffic coming in and out of the project site, and other issues. After the hearing and a written comment period ending September 11, the Town Board will likely add its own issues for the developer to study, says town planner Ramsey Boehner.
For example, the board will probably seek additional information on traffic, he says, and will want to make sure that the project’s visual impacts are addressed.
Neighbors of the Palazzo Plaza site have concerns about the development. Traffic is heavy on that part of Monroe Avenue, and the plaza will only generate more of it, they say. The development also has the potential to make the area inhospitable to pedestrians and cyclists, they say. (The developer, however, say that the project will make that part of Monroe more accessible to bikes and pedestrians.)
Ben Werzinger, a Clover Downs neighborhood resident and project critic, says that neighbors want the project scaled back. They also want a proposed cut-through between Allens Creek Road and Clover Street eliminated, he says. (The developer says that the access road already exists and is in use.)
“We’ve been fairly reasonable with the town,” Werzinger says.
Daniele Family Companies has submitted an incentive zoning application to the town, which must be approved by the Town Board in order for the project to proceed. And the board can’t issue that approval until the environmental review is complete. The town’s Planning Board also has to approve Palazzo Plaza’s site plan.
The project requires incentive zoning because the plans vary from some town zoning requirements. The plans call for denser development than town laws allow. They also place two drive-thrus in the front of the property, which is not allowed by town code.
In exchange, Brighton would get some public improvements, including improvements to a trail at the rear of the site and bike parking at the plaza.
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This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2015.
If this project goes through, I dread driving that stretch of road between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s almost impassable now.
The neighbors group complaining that development could “make the area inhospitable to pedestrians and cyclists” is ridiculous. I pass through that corridor fairly often and used to bowl at Clover. I have NEVER seen a pedestrian or cyclist on that stretch. A couple more stores isn’t going to make the strip any better or worse, and I’m fairly certain the 3 people who walk that stretch every month will be able to handle passing over one extra driveway during their travels.
Please residents of Brighton, don’t act like this development is going to destroy some kind of walkable village you think you have there. If anything, I agree with the developer that this could actually improve pedestrian access if they add cross walks over Monroe at that spot. Right you’d have to go all the way up to Clover to have a chance to cross.
I am very excited for the development. I know Whole Foods will bring stores that are new to the Rochester region. The Danieles have a real opportunity with this plaza. Bringing much needed high end retail to the wealthiest town in Monroe County and Upstate New York will allow my family and I to shop in Rochester, and add tax dollars to the economy. Instead of only shopping in larger cities while on vacation. I agree, if we are getting another Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohls, Dicks or some other bourgeois store, then this development isnt needed. But if the plaza takes modernist architecture, bike and pedestrian culture into effect, and brings new shopping alternatives to the area, my family, friends, and myself are all for it. The parochial attitude that Rochester has traffic is ludicrous. I travel this stretch every day at rush hour and the fact that this portion of the road adds five minutes to my commute isnt called traffic, its called population. Move to Geneseo, Im sure you dont have to wait 5 minutes there, ever.
The biggest problem with that Mall is that there is only one real way into it and that is when you are headed west and make a right into that mall. The turn lane that currently exists would not be sufficient to handle the additional traffic into that Mall should the changes occur. Perhaps access from Allens Creek would help. The other issue is that there are already lights there that already slow the flow of traffic..
There’s no getting around it. Whole Foods would be real competition for Wegman’s. What a refreshing option for well-heeled shoppers to finally have a right-sized (a bit less than a third the size of the Pittsford Wegman’s) grocery store available. That particular location is a bit close to 590 and traffic congestion could be a minor set-back. However, Whole Foods would be a distinctly different change of pace for Wegman’s-weary shoppers.
Competion is good people! As a former Wegmans Corporate employee, I heartily agree with Mike’s comments. As a customer, navigating through the Pittsford Wegmans is an ordeal starting with the parking lot. I’ve been stuck in gridlock that stretches far out on Monroe Ave., right turning lane for it nothwithstanding. It’s a giant pain just to get a chance to troll for a spot. Then there’s the insanity inside: from the crazy human gridlock in the Prepared Foods area on the building’s east side (talk about CONGESTION!) to the ridiculously long journey to the western side to get actual groceries. I’m pretty sure it’s 220,000 SQ FT from one end to the other.
The Danielle’s are going to GREAT lengths to avoid these pitfalls while bringing a WORLD CLASS shopping experience to this area. I was ecstatic when Trader Joe’s came to Pittsford Plaza. But Whole Foods is going to take Brighton to a whole new level. I am so excited that, like MRROC, I won’t have to go to bigger cities to shop there. My hometown area of Ridgewood, NJ has a Whole Foods that’s a calm enclave in a tiny Village setting. Tri-state traffic is usually nuts, but there it’s easy peasy in and out. Just think how cool that’s going to be here in WNY–FINALLY!
BTW, I will be present at the Town hall Meeting on September 9th. I suggest other supporters follow suit so this project moves forward.
Location, location, location. The three magic words in retail trade. And location is judged by traffic count. I hope it does increase the traffic in this area as that could lead to even move development and stores that we don’t already have here. And increased tax revenue.