Village moves to protect sensitive resources

The village of Monroe has adopted a new law that is intended to reduce the impact of development on the local environment. Approved at the March 5 Monroe Village Board of Trustees meeting, Local Law #4 of 2024 puts into action the village’s comprehensive environmental plan which requires a portion of environmentally and legally constrained lands be deducted from various lot area calculations. The law also establishes that disturbances of sensitive environmental resources and protected areas be avoided to the greatest extent possible.

Zoning law issues were also addressed by Monroe resident Steve Kushner, who spoke during public comment about his previous concerns regarding the change in designation of his property under Local Law 14 of 2023. Kushner reminded the board that he addressed them at the Dec. 19, 2023, meeting, saying that his property, 128 Carpenter Place, was zoned as Commercial Business for the last 43 years. At the time, Kushner requested that the property be reset to the designation of a residential commercial property.

Kushner claimed that he sees no resolution, and this has impacted his ability to sell his property. He said the board has created an illogical condition and that he was never notified about the change in characteristics of his property.

Mayor Neil Dwyer responded by saying the board was going to be moving forward with the zoning change, but would be discussing some matters with counsel and hopes to have a clear picture of things later this week.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also approved multiple event applications as the village prepares for the summer months. Among the approved events is the annual summer carnival, which is scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 4 at Crane Park. ACE Tent Amusement Corporation will provide the rides, food, and other resources for the event.

Trustee Martin O’Connor asked how much the carnival brought in last year and was informed by Mayor Dwyer that the event made about $39,000. Trustee John Karl further noted that the money from the event goes into the Crane Park fund.

In addition to approving the summer carnival, the Monroe Village Board accepted the application for the village’s summer concert series. The concerts are scheduled for select Saturdays beginning in June. During discussion on the matter, the board debated the possibility of changing the concert rain dates from the Sunday after the scheduled performance to a different day during the week. The board agreed to approve the application as is, while keeping the possibility of a rain-date change open for discussion.

On the matter of events, the board discussed the length of the event application. Trustee Karl questioned whether all 14 pages of the current application were necessary. Village attorney Alyse Terhune responded, saying that when she was first brought on, the application was very simple and grew to 14 pages. Dwyer called on Karl to work on getting the number of pages down and to share recommendations with the board. Trustee Debbie Behringer offered her assistance with the efforts.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board also agreed to accept payment in lieu of parking for Somni Restaurant. The agreement waives the on-site parking requirements and will require Somni to pay the village $16,250 in fees. Trustee Karl asked about how the money could be designated for village parking needs. The board discussed the possibility of setting up a line for the funds.