Proposed condos in Penfield face opposition

Developers in Penfield hope the second time's a charm. They want to build nearly 70 homes at the South End of Irondequoit Bay, but it's not without opposition.

It was back to the drawing board for Richard Gollel & Companies. They were told their initial project was much too large for the open space in Lasalle's Landing which pours out onto Empire Boulevard. Developers have since scaled down the project, but the roadblocks are still there.

Larry Saj is moving. Moving into a house next door to where he grew up.

"Having lived here my whole life, we like the peace and quiet. We like to keep it that way," said Larry Saj, a homeowner.

But change came knocking on Saj's door last week. Developers like Richard Gollel & Companies want to build 68 residential units, which include 32 townhomes and 36 condos. Some right up against Saj's property line.

"I worry about trespassing concerns and concerns with garbage, when it blows it comes into the valley, so I'd like to see them put up a fence or paperwork handed out to the people that move in there that says beware this is not all open land," said Saj.

And that's not the only problem. Some residents have voiced their concerns over the look of the project, the environmental aspect and the most important thing, traffic on Empire Boulevard.

"It's a four-lane highway and speed is an issue, they come down both hills there from Irondequoit and Penfield into the Lasalle Landing area," said George Wiedemer, Penfield Supervisor.

But some business owners welcome the increased traffic.

"I would be foolish not to want 60 cars a day going by my shop," said Marie Zenkel, co-owner of All That Jazz Antique Co-Op.
Her antique shop that would sit next to the entranceway to the new homes.

"I think a lot of people are always concerned when change happens, but change can be good too, doesn't have to necessarily be bad. The changes that have been made down here have been very positive," said Zenkel.

The town will hold a meeting next Thursday night at the Penfield Town Hall at 7 p.m. for residents and developers to discuss the project. If things go smoothly, developers expect to break ground next Spring.