Preserving Small Towns
by Martha Sempowski

Lima citizens disappointed by Town Board (August 3, 2006)

The following letter was sent to the Lima Town Board on July 9, 2006, requesting a Temporary Moratorium on large scale development in Lima until such time as the Lima Comprehensive Plan, which is nearly complete, could be adopted and zoning regulations updated. This represents the third such letter since March.
The first received no response or consideration; the second was very briefly discussed at a Town Board meeting on June 1, but the request was denied. Supervisor Yendell said at that time that he needed to know more about Wal-Mart's actual plans.
Since an amended Wal-Mart application was received by the Lima Town Board on June 6th, supplying the board with more accurate information, and since additional rezoning applications have now been filed with the Town of Lima for adjacent properties on Rt. 15A, we assumed that it was appropriate to resubmit our request in writing, and ask that it be given serious consideration at the July 13th Town Board meeting, prior to a motion to take the Wal-Mart proposal under review.
We believe, in light of the very serious potential changes facing Lima at this junctiure, that the town planning process must precede the acceptance and processing of any rezoning application for projects of this scale.
We were sorely disappointed at the July 13th Board meeting, however, when the Supervisor, without any board discussion or polling of board members, refused to read the recent letter, and instead referred to their earlier cursory decision on the previous request.
Putting the proverbial "cart before the horse," they then immediately proceeded to vote on a resolution to accept the Wal-Mart application and begin SEQRA review, without any of the planning safeguards afforded by a Comprehensive Plan; it was passed with no discussion or questions by a 3:2 vote.

Lima Citizens for Responsible Development
P.O. Box 684
Lima, NY 14485

To Members of the Lima Town Board:

Inasmuch as multiple requests for rezoning parcels of agricultural land along Route 15A have now been received by the Town of Lima (the latter two have been table by Town Board pending decision on the Jolly rezoning proposal for Wal-Mart);

and inasmuch as a rezoning decision on any one of those properties would have significant legal ramifcations for the other two, as well as for other properties in the area;

and inasmuch as the environmental (e.g. light, noise, and pollution of Spring Brook), traffic, crime, public service, and property value impacts of rezoning in this area would be cumulative, as subsequent submissions are considered and acted upon;

and inasmuch as the cumulative effect of these negative impacts would result in very significant and irreversible alterations in the quality of life of the Town and Village of Lima;

and inasmuch as the Town of Lima does not presently have a Comprehensive Master Plan or updated zoning regulations in palce to guide and control this or subsequent rezoning decisions,

the Lima Citizens for Responsible Development again respectfully request that the Town immediately enact a Temporary Moratorium on accepting and processing retail development applications for structures in excess of 20,000 sq ft., until such time as a Comprehensive Master Plan has been adopted and commercial zoning regulations appropriate to it have been enacted by the Town of Lima. Thank you.

Marth L. Sempowski
Lima Citizens for Responsible Development