Village Board
Trial parking to be allowed at mill
by JILL SCHMELZER Reporter

The Williamsville Village Board decided during its work session Monday to allow temporary parking for the next two weeks at the Williamsville Water Mill, 56 E. Spring St.

After the time period ends, the board will re-evaluate the situation and look at any problems that may have occurred. If no issues arise, the board said it will allow parking at the building until the renovation of the mill begins.

No date has been set for the project, because the board is waiting for the final draft of the Historical Structures Report. This evaluates which areas of the building need the most work and the order of importance and urgency.

According to Trustee Brian Geary, the village has faced scrutiny for not allowing parking at the facility because it is public property.

"The taxpayers pay for that property," Geary said. "It's not private property nor is it just the mayor's mill."

He added that it will be a nice gesture to the residents and business owners.

A single "No Parking" sign hangs from the porch of the nearly 200-year-old structure, making it difficult to enforce. People get ticketed, but the court has thrown out the summons based on circumstance, according to village officials. Also, there is nothing in the village code restricting parking in the area.

Mayor Mary Lowther argued that allowing parking but eventually taking it away could cause more harm than good.

"As long as we are not working on (the mill), I think it is a win-win," Geary said. "It may be temporary, but it's a nice gesture."

When village officials need access to the building, cones will be placed in the area where parking is restricted.

Another issue, brought to the table by Trustee Bea Slick, was the "road closed" sign placed at the north end of the building.

This sign and a few small boulders are the only objects stopping a vehicle from rolling off the escarpment, officials said.

Geary suggested installing large boulders as a buffer, so a vehicle or person would not fall over the edge.

To compromise, the board unanimously decided to open parking at the mill on a trial basis for the next two weeks.

In other action:

The Village Board approved the rezoning of 56 S. Union Road from residential (R-3M) to commercial (C-1) for the purpose of additional parking.

Developer Paul Iskalo plans to renovate the former Stereo Advantage building for medical and professional office space.

Additional parking is needed on the east side of the structure because elevator access is located on the South Union Road side of the building, said Geary.

The existing home at 56 S. Union Road will be knocked down to pave a parking lot, but it was purchased from the same owner as 52 S. Union Road where the offices will be located.

Lowther said at the Village Board meeting Monday, that although she believes Iskalo is a great developer and will construct a visually appealing building, she did not think surrounding residents had enough notice of the rezoning request.

Geary said the board did all it had to do legally by publishing a legal notice in The Amherst Bee - the village's official newspaper.

"(The mayor) is the only one with a full-time secretary," Geary said. "She could have wrote a letter or postcard and sent it out to the residents. To lambaste the board like that was so ridiculous."

Lowther said she was concerned the people on South Union Road didn't have enough formal notification, therefore the board doesn't know how the residents of that area feel about the project.

She then asked the administrator to perform a roll call vote, where she was the only board member to vote against the rezoning, which passed 4-1.

"I think it's a great project because throughout time, Paul Iskalo has taken old, tired, worn out buildings and turned them into nice buildings. Everything he has done for the village he has given 110 percent," Geary said, referring to Iskalo's other renovation projects in the village.

"He fixes it up and makes it nice," Geary added.

In the future, Iskalo will submit his site plans for the buildings at 52 and 56 S. Union Road to the Planning Board for its approval.

The next board meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22 in Village Hall, 5565 Main St., in Williamsville.

e-mail: JSchmelzer@beenews.com